The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-02-10
PICKET SHOTS.
From Alert Comrades Along the
Whole Line
The Pea EIdge HattIe.

Hiram III. Ashmore, Peoria. H., writes:
''As to the Sigel-Curtis controversy. involving
the question of command ut the Pea Ridge
battle, | would note that both COmrade
Hilyard and Comrade Smith are partly right
The battle commenced in BentOnyilie with
the Con.ederates attempt to get between
SlgeFs command and CurtIs's strong position
near Elk Horn near daylight. Sigel and
staff were getting breakfast in the hotel in
Bentonyilie; III tue darkness you could not
tell a Confederate from a Union soldier A
girl of the hotel gave the alarm to Sigel He,
with considerable loss in the early morning.
gained the position of Curtiss good choice,
and next morning, with his command against
his WILL was ordered TO guard the ammuni-
tiOn-wagOns.
''On Friday, the second day of the battle,
the rebels captured battery north of Sigel's
position, and Jeff c. Davis asked Curtis to
allow him to retaliate on the rebel mob that
shot down the men of this Indiana battery
after they had surrendered. Curtis gave con-
sent, and ordered Sigel to assist Dlyis with
his command. After Davis recaptured the
battery Gen. Sigel pushed on TO foot of the
Pea Ridge until night of the second day.
ION Saturday Sigel in the early morning
was in line on Curtis's right, and Curtis's
position was south of Elk Horn Tavern, in
an open field, and in plain view of the Con-
federate line from Pea Ridge north and south.
An officer Il was told, ofthe English ARMY,
Kinney, by name, in great speed galloped
under shot and shell to Curtis and said:
Gen. Sigel says we must advance Curtis
shook his head Kinney returned as the
rebel guns were shelling now from the top of
the Ridge, and third time said at the top Of
his voice: Gen. Sigel says we must ad-
vance or all is lost
50 Now, when Comrade Hilyard says Curtis
turned over the command to SigeI, he has this
story In mind. / have stated here what I
heard and saw. Curtis yielded to Sigels de.
sire to advance"
What "Me and Phil" Did.
George ID. John, Senior Vice Commander
of Post 274, Illinois, tells humorousIy how
he and one Phil Sheridan, in 1864, were
sent by Grant to drive the graybacks out of
the Valley. They pursued the Johnnies, al
most playing cards on their coat tails, = Phil"
using his sword and Comrade John his trusty
musket He SAYS: I've soon reached a
point of resistance and were Unexpectedly
compelled to hurry back to the ferry, and in
our flight forgot to shut the gate above Cedar
Creek. They escorted US back, and it was
fun to see them take the dust that our
double-guick raised for them. One day
Philip said:
"'These fellows have the advantage of Us.
Their friends by the waysde are giving them
each day good, square meals, while we are
fighting on short rations will destroy their
supplies So with gun in one hand and
torch in the other executed the order of my
commander.
"Philip then went to Washington to look
ahead for another job, and 1 to my tent for
rest.
But in the frosty morning of Oct. 10, Gen.
Early, the rebel, having learned that Sheridan
was away, sprung a surprise on me by break
ing down the fence and rushing upon me
with his men like hungry cattle in corn
field. | held them in check, however, as long
as l had strength to load my gun, and when
that was gone, full 10000 of the hungry
demons came tumbling over my bleeding
body. Philip Vanhorne and Philip Kerwin
were not far away. They strenuously op-
posed any more of these compulsory races in
the Valley on the Harper's Ferry Road, and
bravely held or partly checked the advancing
enemy until Philip the first, who heard the
firing 90 miles away, could reach the dis
puted ground. The three Phils then gave
Early his last fill in the Shenandoah Valley,
but it did not come from tables of his
friends"
The Guns at Charlottesville.
A. W. Acheson, Denison, Tex, writes:
''SeveTal days after the Charlottesville bat
tie a New York paper published that through
the efforts of Maj. S. - and Lieut.. W
the 5th Me- battery was saved 1t happened,
however that member of the Irish Brigade
had his head shot away while rescuing those
guns, which fact so stirred up Gen. Meagher's
men that another New York paper sought to
correct this impression by publishing q story
of the salvation, crediting the honor to the
Irish Brigade. This threw obScurity around
the transaction.
81 had been sampling mud with Burnside
all that Winter in that vicinity, and knew
about how deep it was all along the picket
line from below the Lacy House to above the
Falmouth Dam When Hooker concluded to
try the other side of the river, he asked me
to get my musket and 90 along When the
incident referred to above happened l was
within 90 feet of the battery. The enemy
had concentrated their fire so as to destroy
almost all the men and horses. The position
had to be abandoned, and detail was made
from Hancock's Division to take away the
guns This detail embraced the 116tb Pa
(which was in the Irish Brigade), and also
other brigades of that division, but the main
portion of the rescue fell to the lot of the
10th Pa, because it happened to be the
nearest regiment to the battery.
''Thus we see that the claims of Maj.
s., Lieut.. W., the Irish Brigade,
Daniel Price. of the 116th Pa, and myself
may all be correct, as we were all members
of Gen. Hancock's family. Now from in
formant turn questioner. During that fierce
artillery duel one of the battery boys had his
foot shattered by a SHE'LL and, picking up a
couple of abandoned muskets, be reversed
them, placed their butts in his arm-pits, and
hobbled off the field, using the muskets as
pair of erutches. Who was that soldier?"
As to Publishing the List.
o. d. Sisson, West Salem, Wis. writes:
50 I concede that the pension list is large, but
it is Justly large The additional expense
of publishing the list would allow more gOs-
sip for the fault-inders In some of the
larger cities a little more personal knowledge
relating to the pensioners incomes might be
made known through such publication, but
enough satisfaction and knowledge can be
obtained by any who wishes upoa a little in
vestisation of their own, obyiating expense
to the Nation. In smaller places people are
so well and personally acquainted that PEN
sioaers' incomes and reasons therefor are pub
licly known in many ways"
Long Distance Acquaintance.