The National tribune., 1902-07-10
PICKET SHOTS
From alert Comrades Along the Whole
Line.
GRAPE SHOT.

Mich, replying TO an inquiry by a comrade
who had n large shot picked up on the
field of Chickamauga. writes: Il did not
wear the red trimmings, but l saw and
helped care for many tons of ammunition,
being in charge of the building of -four
forts and a magazine in each, and a large
Storehouse magazine AT Mumfordville, Ky;
also an engineer on the Notifications at
Camp Nelson, Ky, the Winter of 1864;
but | never saw any grape-Shot with the
land forces. We handled plenty of solid
shot, plenty of shells, plenty of spherical
case-shot and plenty of canister shot. but
no grape shot The solid shot and the
shells are for long distances and for de-
struction, the 30-pound shell having about
three pounds of powder. The spherical
caSe-Shot is thin Shell filed with iron
balls about five-eightS or three-quartcrs of
an inch in diameter, and Just powder
enough to explode the shell and scatter the
pieces and the balls, and it is for long
rangcs-4G0 to ,2GO yards-as they can
be thrown nearly as far as solid shot.
The canister shot is a tin can with an iron
bottom and top One-quarter of an inch
thick, a little Sawdust in the bottom, six
iron balls placed around one in the center,
little more sawdust, then another layer
of balls, then more dust and balls till four,
five or six layers of balls fill the can. then
the iron top is put in and held in place by
bending down the tin of the can. OF
course, this all flies to pieces and sea ters
as soon as it leaves the muzzle of the gun,
and it is intended for close quarters
ranges up to 200 or 800 yards. Grape
shot is formed by thin iron plate, nearly
the diameter of the bore of the gun, the
plate having Il small iron spindle in the
middle. around which are placed three iron
balls, held in place by soft-twisted tarred
string, then another layer of balls, alter
mating and fastened with the tarred string;
then other layers till the shot is heavy
enough. Its resemblance to Il cluster of
grapes around the central stem gave it its
name. In quilted grape-shot the balls are
held in place by a piece of canvas bound
around them. Nowadays each layer of
three balls is separated from the next by
an iron plate, nine balls and the four
plates forming the shot or charge. We
can see that the size Of the iron balls form
ing the canister shot or the grape-shOt
must depend upon the caibcr of the gun
in which it is to be used. Grapeshot are
for close quarters in naval warfare, and
are heavy, so as to penetrate the sides Of
wooden vessels where canister shot would
be of little use. That two-inch ball may
have been fired from a mule-back How
itzer or from a machine gun, but / think
that we landsmen heard no grape-shot
whistling Hunt your hole"
BOUNTY FOR REGULARS.
Jacob Buch, of Champaign, ILL.,, be-
lieves that he has been unfairly treated in
the matter of bounty. He enlisted at Bal
timore, Md, Sept 10, 1860, and served
five years in the general mounted service
OF the United States Army. He was sent
to Carlisle Barracks, Pa, Sept. 81, 1860,
and about Oct. 80 of that year number
of recruits then at the barracks were sent
TO Governors Island, n. Y, thence going
to Texas. Fifty-fOur of these recruits
reached Fort Inge. Tex, Dec. 2, 1860,
where Co. c., I'd U. S. Cav, was then sta
toned. Capt. James Cakes was in com
mand of the company. First Lieut.. w. b.
Royal and DIR. Broadie We're also with the
company. Second Lieut.. A. X. Arnold ar
rived at Fort Inge about the same time as
the recruits. None of these recruits re
ceived any bounty, although they had en-
listed before the rebellion and served
through the war. The reason for this was
that when, in 1866, Senator Wilson, after
wards Nice-Presdent, and Hon. J. G..
drafted a bill to give $3.50 Is
bounty per month for this service, the bill
was made to grant all those who "enlist-
ed, instead of Served" on or after April
IL, 1861. COmrade Buch is anxious to
again bring this matter to the attention of
Congress, that justice may be done these
worthy veterans.
a Suffers STORY.
S. l.. Johnson, Chelsea, Mass, replying
TO an inquiry in a recent issue of The
National Tribune. by COmrade Porter. who
asked whether any of the old Sixth Corps
remember the raid on the sutler ut Steven
son Station, Va, in December, 1864, says:
Il, for one. have quite a vivid recollection
If the event, as | had charge of the tent
1t the time. Having served three years in
the Second Brigade, First Division, Sixth
Corps, being mustered out in June, "a,
soon after returned to Washington and
secured position as clerk with EgglestOn
x Ray. suffers. | was sent to Harper's
Ferry; thence went to Stevenson Station,
where we erected our tent near two other
suffers belonging TO a brigade holding the
place. | remember well the morning the
Second Division arrived. During the fore
noon we did a good business. dispOsing of
he greater part Of our stock. After din
Ter trouble commenced. The boys charged
the Commissary tent, securing
| barrel of 'ire-water,' stove in the head,
md great scramble took place, during
which time the barrel was tipped over and
most of the contents lost. Enough. how
.ver, was saved to give them Il taste for
more. Soon after they made Il grand rush
or our tent. | saw them cOming-the
;cene was nothing new-and hastily secur-
ng the money, | made my exit at the rear
uSt rs tn" tent went over. 1t took but Il
ew minutes to secure the plumber when
hey made rush for the next sutlcr; but
~ that time the guard had arrived and
he fun was over. | lost all but the
.lothes | had on. Next day | reported to
SIr. Ray, at Harper's Ferry. settled up.
'eturned home, and soon donned the army
,lue again in Hancock's veterans. While
n that cOmnland several raids similar to
he one | was interested in took place, but.
# course, |, like Comrade Porter reviewed
he scrimmage from affair.""
AT THE BLOODY ANGLE.
T.. Crockett, Goth N Y, Seneaguoteen.
IDAHO, referring to that instalment of The
Friend With the COuntersign" wherein the
uthor speaks of trees having the bark torn
IF at about the hight of n man by rifle
'alls, and of seeing a large oak that was
ut down by rifle shot, says: MY regi-
nent Ghe G5th n. y occupied the Con-
ederatc works near that tree after the
ebcls had been driven out. | had Il good
opportunity to observe the effect of our
ire oil the timber. My recollection is that
he big tree was cut off - feet above the
;round and several smaller trees near it
we're cut down. Although our men fired
rom lower ground than that occupied by
he Confedcrates, very few shots struck
he headlog, showing that nearly all our
hots passed harmlessly above the Con |
After the fight | talked with
reb of the 10th Miss. He was |
bout 100 yards beyond the works when
Wounded
A FAMOUS MICHIGAN COMMAND.