The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-01-06
PICKET SHOTS
From Alert Comrades Along the
Whole Line.
About the AIbemarIe.

"YOur issue of Dec is contains an article by
my old friend, William Simmons, on n Con-
federate RAM which is very interesting. /
would say, however, that the expedition of
Gen. Burnside commenced with the capture
of Roanoke Island in February, 1862, and
not with the capture of Forts Hatteras and
Clark, which were taken in August, 1861.
Plymouth, on the Roanoke River, did not
become the Headquarters for both army and
navy Headquarters for both were at New
Berne. at the junction of the Neuse and
Trent Rivers. i don't like William state
ment that Flusser left a channel at the OBJ
struction of the Roanoke River above Ply
mouth wide enough to allow the passage of
the Albemarle, after he had been ordered to
completely Obstruct the channel. The rebels
themselves say there was an extraordinary
freshet in the river when they started the
ram down, and that there was 10 feet Of
water above the distractions, which enabled
them to come down safely As to the troops
in Plymouth. / know the 18th Mass. was not
there, and some of the I'd Mass. II. A. were.'
In Rebel Prisons.
John w. Manning Salineyille. o., writes
'' was member OF Co. f, Ringgold Pa Cav,
afterwards known as Co F, 22d Pa. Cav.
was taken prisoner at MOOFefeld, Va, Sept
4, 1863, and in company with number of
other comrades was ushered into aud paTtook
OF the hospitalities of Libby Prison thence
/ went to Belle Isle We remained there
during the long cold Winter OF 1-63 and
Spring of 81. 1t seemed to he Southern
rule. and was q rebel boast. that TO Union
soldier should leave prison in a condition
that would permit him to DO active service
again. Twelve OF my company were confined
at Belle Isle, and only three of them ever
saw the Old flag again
Incident of ChancsIIorsviIfs.
J. T. James. Co. c 4th l. &. Art, Union,
Kan, writes: II have been a reader Of THE
NATIONAL TRIBUNE for great many years,
and | have not seen anv account of the Tegi-
ment OF infantry that covered the retreat. or
rather was the last regiment leaving the field
after Charlottesville. in MAY, 1858. The
Colonel commanding that regiment was a
noble man. desire that the comrades tell
what regiment it was. and what company OF
artillery II was that was in position on the hill
in front of the Chancellor House. That COM
pany left their six guns on the field, and the
regiment of infantry undertook to run the
cannon off the field by hand. Whether they
succeeded or not d0 not know"
Recalls "a Terrible Experience.
Prof Samuel C. Majors RedIandS, Cal,
writes: - ] am one of the Plymouth Phi lgrims.
Il
29O near the south gate at AndeTsonville, Just
where the Raiders were executed. l am
the man who ian the iOot-race with Timber
Jim (Wm. T. Timberlakel. | remember
Leroy Key; also. l.. Fl. WhittieSey. To read
THE NATIONAL >TRIBCNE Is a veritable
resurrection of the past. 1t causes me to live
over again the experiences of that awful
place, and it brings to my minds eye the
faces OF comrades, some of whom are living
yet, and others who yielded up their lives,
and whose dust sill HES in the ditch just
outside the stockade at AnderS0nville.
Charge at Jonesboro'-
r. W. Powell, Castle Rock. Wash, writes:
"Noting the correction of the statement about
Gen. Baird being on foot after his horse was
shot at ,JOnesboro', | will say | was in Co. e,
74th Ind, next TO the flag bearer, when the
first fire from the rebel works, about six rods
distant, broke upon us rs we had gained the
edge of the woods. This shock halted our
regiment like an order. and we were standing
there as though waiting for orders. in perfect
formation. Suddenly Gems. Baird and Este
rode from the left along the line of the rebel
breaStworks close enough TO see their eyes,
directly in front of the center of our regiment
at the time made the charge, swinging
their swords and begging, Come on, before
the rebels can rel ad" This appeal fr m
our brave Generals seemed TO be just what
we were waiting for, and a responsive yell
followed, and bound through the tangled
wood over the works and the dashing
Johnnies surrendered TO the best commander
and best fighting army that ever existed on
the earth"
Bound to Make Themselves Felt.
''The Cann0neer writes: :" In the issue
of Dee 81, Comrade w. f. Webster, of
Cowan's 1st n. Y. battery, in a letter about
Cedar Greek, remarks:
49, In many cases it is not the corps that
loses the most men that does the hardest
fighting This reminds me of an observation
made by Gen Lewis A. Grant. of the Ver-
mont Brigade, when he was Assistant Secre-
tary OF War Quite number of veterans,
all officers but myself, were gathered one
evening in Washington and this same sub
iect, the behavior OF Getty's Division at
Cedar Creek, came up. One of the Generals
present called attention to the fact that some
other divisions lost more heavily than Getty's
in that battle, and several brigades mnch
more than the Vermont Brigade To this,
with the benevolent smile that his old COM
rades will all remember, Grant blandly re-
piled:
SO Yes, that isso; but, you know, the Yer
mont Brigade was not in the habit OF letting
the other fellows do most of the killing -