The National tribune., 1901-06-20
PICKET SHOTS
From Alert Comrades Along the Whole
Line.
A LOST SWORD.

LOST SWORD.
Comrade A. C. SimontOn, First Lieu
enant, Co. f, 11Sth Ind, has been n
practicing physician and surgeon since he
left the service in 1865, and is now 10
Gated at Roslyn, Wash, where he is sur
geon of the Great Roslyn Coal Mines.
Lieut.. SimOnton writes that he is anxious
to recover sword lost in the service Dec.
24, 1868. While resting on the banks of
Clinch River, Tenn. he took of the sword
ana placed it on the ground. When the
command moved he started without the
sword. He thinks some cOmrade probably
picked it up.
AT LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN.
p. r. Haverstick, Co. A, 31st Mo-, Vic
toria, Mo-, writes: "All the histories that
l have read, including ''Grceley's Ameri-
can Conflict" in describing the battle of
Lookout Mountain state that Lookout
Greek, n deep stream, had to be crossed.
| was on Lookout Mountain, and where
we went up there was nothing but a small
branch. This was at the foot of the
mountain. We arrived opposite to where
we ascended the mountain about 5 o'clock
the afternoon of Nov %. | belonged
to the First Brigade First Division, Fif-
teenth Corps. We had come from Tus-
cumbia, Ala. What l want to know,
time? Now, maybe, Uncle Billy's Bum
mers' overlooked that creek; but it was a
very small chicken that we overlooked.
Don't all the White Star Division jump on
me and say we We're not there, for we
were, and the First Brigade led the
advance on the 2jth. i was badly wound
ed. 1t was my last day in the field with
the army"
THE CAPTURE OF A BATTERY.
Comrade NJ. Boyer, Co /, 18th Ind,
Hewins, Kan, writes: in The National
Tribune of April 4, Capt X. L. Cormack,
S9th n. Y, takes me severely to task in
regard to what | had written about the
capture of Fort Stribling, on the Nanse
mond River, below Suffolk, Va / did not
state anything but the facts as l under
stand them. Capt. Cormack accuses me
of claiming hOnOrs for the 18th Ind. to
which it was not entitled. If the Captain
will read carefully my article, he will
notice that while / claimed the 18th Ind.
captured the fort, l gave both the New
York and Connecticut regiments credit
for helping.
What | meant to say was that the
18th Ind. made it possible by capturing
the rebel outposts, for the S9th n. Y.
and the Sth Conn. to get into the fort
without firing shot. Let us say the S9th
n. Y. and the Sth Conn, and a detach-
ment of the 18th Ind. captured the fort,
which is a fact. Now, Captain, you ac-
cuse me of not having a very good mem
ory. Well, how about your own memory,
when you intimate that the S9th N Y.
went on only the one trip?
1T seems to me that while you remember
so distinctly about capturing this fort,
you ought to remember something about
the first attempt when we went down to
the river and the boat was aground, and
we had to go back. / remember that it
was hazy moonlight night when we
went out, passing by the New York
Mounted RifiaC anH tbayy taI tn lrpoyv
where we were going. The S9th was
waiting for US out there by the Rifles.
The 18th Ind. and Sth Conn were doing
duty on the same side, near Fort Union,
and yet you say my memory is poor. Well,
Captain, perhaps you were on detached
duty on that occasion. The reason l first
mentioned the affair was to get the facts.
The S9th has been claiming the honor
ever since it happened, without giving
any credit to other regiments. The Cap
tain's version is the most impartial of any
l have seen so far, but it is not quite cor
rect. Here is what Comrade Hughes,
of Beaver City, Neb., in a letter to
Rss says VIII" on the tba6 Iu5jeet acnc Capt
Major of the 18th Ind, called for
10 volunteers, and got e.. I was one of
them. We crossed the NansemOnd River
in rowboats before daylight, and captured
the rebel picket posts, which made it easy
Tor the SDth n. L. and the connecticut
regiment to get into the fort"
THE Captain well says the 18th does
not need any stolen honor to bolster up its
reputation"
EX-PRIsONERS OF WAR.
II. F. Dodd, Fruitdale, Ala, feels
aggrieved that so little has been done for
the prisoners of war. He enlisted in Go.
D, 18th ILL.,. was taken prisoner at Gun
town, and released at Savannah. No one
knows what the prisoners had to endure
during that time, and they should have
recognition and better treatment by the
Government.
SCATTERING.
Andrew A. Nye, of North Sewickley,
Pa, whose father served in Co. G, SD
Ohio, would like some member of the regi
ment to write its history for the National
Tribune.
Patrick Sullivan, Co. E, Goth Pa, AL
toona, Pa, believes that the Western
troops get more than their share of credit
for fighting before Richmond. He would
like some cOmrade to write up the history
of the 69th Pa.
VIM. Sullivan, Houston, Tex, would
like those who served on the U. S. Gun
boat Montgomery in the Gulf SQUADRON in