The National tribune., 1901-03-21
PICKET SHOTS
From Alert Comrades Along the Whole
Line.
THE 9TH OHIO AT MILL SPRING

Line.
THE 9TH OHIO At MILL SPRING.
Frank Heinzman, Go. L, 9th Ohio, 1850
Elm street, Cincinnati, writes: In your
issue of Jan. 81 appears q communica-
ton from VIM. Cannon, Co. ID, 4th KY,
Clay, Okla, who wants TO know how the
laures of the battle of Mill Spring were
given to the 9th Ohio which did not be-
long to his brigade, and wants any com
rade to tell him how they happened to
be there. His brigade consisted of the
4th and 10th Ky, 10th Ind. and 18th
Ohio. On the afternoon of Jan. Is the
4th Ky. and 10th Ind. crossed Fishing
Creek, near Somerset, and marched to
Cross Lanes to the headquarters of Gen.
Thomas, who assigned them camps one
and half miles TO the front on the road
toward Mill Spring. During the night Of
the 18th terrible rain storm set in,
swelling Fishing Greek to such hight that
the 10th Ky. and 18th Ohio could not
battle of Mill Spring had been fought and
won. and the fighting fourth KY, 10th
Ind, I'd Minn. and 9th Ohio-had pur-
sued the enemy up to their intrenchments,
10 or u miles away, when, nearly at
dusk, the 10th Ky. and 14th Ohio, with
the 35th, belonging to r. L. McCook's
Brigade, reached the front, and were
'Of McCook's Brigade, only two regi-
ments, the I'd Minn. and 9th Ohio, were
present; the 18th Regulars were at Co
iumbia. and the 35th Ohio detained by
high water at Fishing Creek, near Somer-
set. 1t is matter of history that the
4th Ky, 10th Ind. I'd Mimi and Sth Ohio
fought and won the battle of Mill Spring
on Jan. 10, 1862. Coming back and pass
ing through Louisville TO take steamer for
Nashville the loyal ladies of Louisville pre-
sented each of the above four regiments
with fine q. S. silken banner. Ours was
inscribed To the 9th Ohio, for heroic
conduct at the battle of Mill Spring. Pre-
sented by the loyal ladies' of Louisville,
KY As a further proof that the 9th
Ohio happened TO be at the battle OF Mill
Spring there is National Cemetery on
that field, and kept in excellent order,
and there are seven graves with marble
headstOnes inscribed, Co. A Tor b, 9th
Ohio Inf. Killed at the battle of Mill
Spring Jan. 10, 1862 With this histori-
cal proof it will not be necessary for Com
rade Cannon to further inquire how the
9th Ohio happened to be there"
AT LAYS FERRY.
FL. IT. Cook, Sergeant, Co. III, list Mo.
l.. A, Ottawa, Kan, writes: I'm the is
sue of Jan. 10, Fred G.. Walters has some
thing to say about the 1th Iowa, his regi-
ment, at Lays Ferry, on the Atlanta cam
paign. l was member of Co. I'll, 1st Mo.
l.. a. mot fst M'td Art, as he has it,,
commanded at that time by Lieut.. Blod-
gett (not Capt. Blodges; another miStake).
We were short of officers and Lieut.. Blod-
gett came to the company from the o9th
Iowa, if | remember rightly, and returned
to his regiment after the evacuation Of At
lanta, and was killed soon after. He was
good officer and well liked by all the
men. Who can tell something about him!
We had six 12-pound Napoleon guns,
which we brought into action on the bluff
opposite the rebel intrenchments, and
opened with spherical case shell, while the
7th Iowa, sd and Goth ILL.,, and, l think,
other regiments marched down to the
river with pontoOn boats, put them into
the water, and under murderous ire
from the rebels (they turned their fire all
upon the men crosSing) got into the boats,
pushed across, formed on the opposite side,
and, after signaling the battery to cease
firing, charged the rebel works, which they
quickly evacuated. You boys followed
them some distance from the river, when
YOU were ordered to return and take up
| the boats, and we fell back a mile or so
| and went into camp for the night. The
next morning we went through the same
performance again, but instead of finding
few hundred to oppose us, there We're as
many thousand, and we had pretty seri-
Gus time of * compared with the first
| crossing. We of the battery were watch
ing you when the order came to shell the
buildings. as Walters says, and we opened
with all the guns mot with one. as he
thinksl and the way the lumber flew was
a caution, and the rebels came out like
rats from Il ship on fire. We fired only
two or three shots from each gun, when
we were Signaled to cease firing. and you
boys went for anything in rebel cloth in
sight, which was getting out of the way as
| fast as possible"
sCALING-LADDERS AT yICkSBU RG.
ID. r.. Sanders, First Lieutenant. Co. z,
S1st ILL.,. Jonesboro, ILL.,, writes: Hello.
Comrade O'Neil, Go. f, 9TH Mo. Do you
S1st ILL.,: Yes, L was in evidence before
Fort Hill on May 22, 1868. The 9TH Mo.
was given the place of honor in the as
sault on the enemyS works; the SlSt next.
l saw several soldiers in front of the Ith
Mo-, carrying ladders. One reached the
ditch in front of the fort, and, putting the
end in the ditch, pushed it over against
the fort. That ladder remained there dur
ing the siege. There were others seat
tered over the field in front of the fort, and
during the remainder of the Al days of the
siege were solemn reminders of the fate OF
the boys who volunteered to place the lad
ders against the works.
SHERMAN AND THE MERIDIAN RAID.
Ira Keplinger, Claypool, Ind, writes:
81 see that Comrade James Crooks, Co. ID,
49th Ohio, takes exception % what Com
rade NJ. b. Loop says in regard to Sher-
man planning or being in command of the
troops for the Meridian Raid, in Feb
ruary, '61, and asks how Sherman could
be raidinG in Mississippi when he came to
the relief of the Army of the Cumber-
land in November, '63, and remained
there until the opening of the Atlanta
campaign. If the comrade had taken the
= = !l -..111A1gE