The National tribune., 1898-03-17
PICKET SHOTS.
From Alert Comrades Along the
Whole Line.
Charge at Jonesboro.

Charge at Jonesboro.
George W Witherspoon. Lieutenant Co.
r. 18th Mich. Detroit, Mich, writes: THE
14th Mich, of the First Brigade, Second Di-
vision, Fourteenth Corps under command of
Col Henry r. Miner, was the first to enter
the lines of the rebel Gen. Govan, capturing
four pieces of artillery, two of which belonged
to loomis's battery, of Coldwater, Mich. and
which were taken from our men ut Stone
River, Tenn. In company with Mai. Fitz-
gibbons, of my regiment, and two prlyatcs,
| assisted in turning one of these pieces,
loaded and discharged it inside the rebel
works.
''It was about this time that private of
my command bayoneted two of the rebel
gunners He may have been the boy referred
TO in recent article. According to the state
ment of Gen. Govan, this was the first time
their lines were broken, and by the 1ith
Mich
- would state that in this charge the
colors of the 1st Ark. were captured by-my
brother First Lieut.. Alex. WitherspOOn;
also, pair of silver spurs belonging to Gen
Govan, and which have since been returned
to that gentleman"
!. H. Doughman. Co. L, 18th Ohio, writes:
. wish to assist in locating the 18th y. Y
at Jonesboro. | claim the regiment was not
III the first line of charge ut all. but was on
the reserve, the same as the 17th Ohio was,
only a short distance to their left. Wien the
Regulars halted for time, the 18th Ohio, di-
rectly in their rear, was ordered to take their
place; but before we reached them they ral-
lied. went in again, and captured their portion
of the rebel line of works, which in their
front was in a ravine.
1--WE returned to our place again. We had
hardly lain down in order to protect ourselves
from the bullets when another order came for
us to go III on the right of the Regulars. We
started, but Just before we reached the brush,
the 18th n Y. came in on left-oblique on
the double-Quick. and went in ahead OF rs.
| have always understood they lost 1S6 men
in the next five minutes; those who were not.
hit went over the rebel earthwOTks before
they had time to reload their guns, and cap
turcd the men behind them.
" / have never heard one of the 18th Ohio
regret that the 18th \. Y. got ahead of us that
day; for we should have received that volley
instead of them had they been one minute.
slower. I afterwards learned the General
ordered the 18th to assist at that point.
and two orierlies started; one went to the
18th n. Y, the ether to the 18th Ohio.
think Comrade Hudson is correct in placing
the 18th y. Y. in the First Brigade, Second
Division, Fourteenth Corps The 18th Ohio
was in the First Brigade, Third Division,
Fourteenth Corps. This should locate the
ZOuaves"
G. NJ. Banfill, Sergeant, Co. f. 10th Mich,
Turtle Lake, Wis, writes: "Comrade Harvey
is right about the troops that took the battery
at Jonesboro. l belonged in the First Bri-
gade, Second Division, Fourteenth Corps.
The Regular Brigade charged two-thirls
across the open field and lay down. The
First Brigade charged over them and into the
woods. | fell within ten rods of the battery,
with bullet through my thigh. Our boys
used the butts of their guns before the rebels
would surrender"
a Post Surgeon Speaks.
J. Lee McComas, NJ. D., Oakland, Md,
noticed sometime ago an inquiry rs to what
rebel troops took part in the raid on Morgan
town, W. Va, in 1863. He says he was Post
Surgeon at Oakland during the war "On the
entrance of the Johnnies, y the Doctor says,
8 was captured and my horse eonfiseated by
a tall gentleman and two Others, after dash.
When they caught up with me, the tah gen
tleman thrust pistol In my face and said:
Il am Lieut. Bell, of the 18th Va. Cav, etc.
Oh, it was funny. | am sure many of the
boys of Blencker's Division. and others
necticut, will remember Doc McCOnlas,
and how | sent them home on furlOughs''
Picked Up the Shell.
Patrick Doan 30th Ind, Albion, Ind,
writes When we were going for Atlanta
at Peach Tree Greek, | got into a rebel gopher
hole and Johnny singed the hair on the
side of my head about three times. shooting
at me. | yelled to him that he was either
an awkward fellow or a good shot; that L
had about 90 rounds of ammunition and he
was welcome to it, / then let him have some
of it and presently he stopped shooting. saw
the Johnnies load a cannon; when they fired
it the shell came into my pit; / picked it up
and threw it out, but the she'll did not ex-
plode. Then the Captain of our artillery,
finding it fitted gun, sent it back to the John
MES | wonder who was the Captain of the
two NapoleOns that stood north of the Widow
Glenns house on Sunday afternoon at Chicka-
mauga? | helped to use one of the guns"
Another of Fremonfs Men.
Daniel Burket, Ashland, Kan. writes:
"In a recent issue | read the sketch of one of
Fremont's men. l know of another, Richard
l.. Owines | have heard him speak of
Charles PrueSs, and he was present when the
flag was tied to 4 ranlrod at Pixies Peak, and
was also WltH tHe expedition oI 1917. De
now lives at Circleyille, Kan. He Is the man
spoken of by Gen. Sherman as being with
Fremont ut Los Angeles Gen. Sherman calls
him Capt. Owens. He was born at Zanes-
vile, o., in 1915"
Scattering.
James 7. Crooks, Co. i, 49th Ohio, Toledo,
O., writes: = | see in q recent Issue 4 letter
from William Spencer, Co. ], Sth Kan. / re-
member a little fellow who belonged to that
regiment, and whom the boys called Chip
munk' To show how good a sailor he was,
while we were on a transport he would 60
from mast to mast hand over hand on the
stays 90 feet above the deck. One day ne
was performing this feat when he passed over
the smokestack and was asphyxiat-d. He
fell to the deck about four feet from the spot
where was sleeping. He lived only an hour.
We buried him with all the honors OF war in
the Gulf of Mexico. The 18th Ohio left
Texas in December, 1865. +"
A. A. Blair, Past Commander, Delker Post,
Birmingham, o., wOuld like some comrade
to send him the poem, why l Wear this
Army Button"
J. II. Wood, Co. X, 10th H., Brooklyn,
Iowa, writes In the Fall of 1864, while
o., p.;ca 1,-ac roidipo Missouri ba TT,iour