The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-03-10
PICKET SHOTS.
From Alert Comrades Along the
Whole Line.
That yicksburc Charge.


Jacob Fink, Co ID, 55th H., Canton, H.,
writes: " There seems to be quite a contrO-
versy in regard to who led the assault of
the Fifteenth Corps on Yicksburg May
%, 1863. | give my recollection of that
affair claiming that the volunteer storming-
party led the charge, also claiming that the
assault was simultaneous all along the line.
These facts are disputed by a comrade Of-the
Both Ohio in the issue of Feb 10. | refer
the comTade to Gen. Grants own report.
He says: The attack was ordered to COM
mence on all parts of the line at 10 o'clock
n. IN. on the 22d with furious cannon
ade from every battery in position. All the
corps commanders set their time by mine,
so that all might open the engagement ut the
same minute. The attack was gallant, and
portions of each of the three corps succeeded
in getting up to the very parapets of the
enemy and in planting their battlefags
upon them, but at no place were we able to
enter
My recollection is that after the failure
of the first and main assault the whole army
lay under fire during the afternoon, when
several unsuccessful charges by different
brigades or regiments were made, but all fell
short of their object-the capture of the
rebel works"
Cedar Creek.
+. ". Anthony Marion, Ind, writes: 81
was a cannoneer in the 18th Ind. battery, at
tached to the Nineteenth Corps. The articles
from the pen of T. T. Blanchard in your
issues of Nov. i and Jan. 81 regarding the
battle of Cedar Creek are the fairest to all
the troops engaged that have ever seen, and
give the most nearly correct account of the
engagement, Judging from the part of it |
saw. The troops engaged were all veterans
and had won honor on many battlefelds.
C0mrade Blanchard describes the different
conditions under which each corps met the
enemy He is right in his criticism of those
who claim to have seen everything and who
think there was but little hard fighting ex-
cepting right around them"
why Don't They Write?
l.. c. Abbott, Co c, 1st Mich. Sharpsh0ot-
ers. Pioneer, O.. writes: " i have been Il
reader of your paper for number of years,
and during that time have never seen a word
from any member OF my regiment. Why
don't members of the regiment tell of their
experience during the regiments seryice?"
Levi Morris Co. |, 100th Ohio, Crescent
City, Cal, writes: " never see anything
from members of my regiment. | begin to
think all my comrades have answered the last
roll. call If there are any living, let us hear
OF their service with the gallant old regi-
ment"
Those Guns mt Charlottesville.
NJ L. Thornton, Huntington, ". Va,
writes: 50 have been reading for some time
opinions from different parties as to who the
troops were who saved the guns of the 9th
Me- battery at Charlottesville, and notice in
your issue of Feb 10 letters from Gen. ST.
Clair Mulholland, whom | remember well,
and COrpl Lebroke. / do not wish to contra
diet either of these gentlemen, but do wish to
say that the 116th Pa. and 140th Pa. were
not the only regiments represented IN this
matter.
81 was member of Co. II, SD Pa, of the
Fourth Brigade, First Division, Second Corps,
Gen. Hancock. At the time OF which these
gentlemen write our regiment was directly III
front of the Chancellor House, then being
used as hospital The building was on fire.
Gen. Hancock was directly in rear of our
company, and not dozen steps distant. His
horse was shot from under him just about
this time. He gave orders for every alternate
man to give his gun to the next man to him,
and 90 TO help haul off the guns of the bat
terry.
q do not remember how many of my COM
rades went, but | do know that | did, and
helped to rescue the guns. 1t looked to me
like all the men and horses had been killed
or wounded / do not wish to detract one
iota from the glories earned by the 10th and
l40th, as | served with them for four years
and knew all about them, but | want the
public to know that the old SD Pa was
always on hand for whatever might turn up,