The National tribune., 1902-03-27
PICKET SHOTS
From Alert Comrades Along the Whole
Line.
CAPTURING A REBEL AT ANTIETAM.

tam. We were in position on the right of
the road that ran by the cornfield and
1 just to the right of Battery B. After fir
ing about 20 shots, We charged across the
field to the surken road, taking quite
number of prisoners; then returned to our
former position, remaining there until re-
lieved by another regiment. AS we
marched off the field, l stopped at a
spring-hOuse, but, owing to the large num-
ber of soldiers there, it was some time
before | could fill my canteen; meanwhile
my regiment had moved on. l hurried
on, but not finding my regiment. returned
to the hospital buildings, near the spring
house, where, upon inquiry, l learned
from wounded cOmrade that my regi-
ment had moved to the left of Battery r.
| hurried in that direction, passing Bat
terry Il, and entering the cornfield, where
many dead and wounded lay. | gave a
wounded Johnny a drink from my can
teen; he was an officer, and was shot
through the hips, and could not move his
lower limbs. Some distance farther on
saw rebel soldier passing through the
cornfeld, going from one dead soldier to
| another. He had not seen me. | dropped
| on one knee and drew a bead on him. We
were between the two armies, and solid
shot and shell were flying over US. The
rebel did not see me until he had come
within 20 yards of where / was kneeling.
|
gun, but l called to him TO drop his arms
and come forward; he surrendered.
marched him to our lines, Iear the edge
| Of the cOrnfield, where I found a part of
our division, the 18th Brooklyn, and a
| Wisconsin regiment. l turned my pris-
oner over to n Captain. Soon after,
found my own regiment and company"
IN THE FILLD HOSPITAL.
Edwin Crockett, 65th n. Y. Coeur
! dAlene, Idaho, writes: .'At Cedar Creek,
as we were preparing for the last charge.
my arm was broken. | was taken to the
| field hospital, where ! found many wound
| ed, including some rebs. About 10 rods
| from the hospital tents lay a dead rebel
Captain, wearing a new suit of gray, with
palmetto buttons, while close beside him
was a Confederate Major, fne-looking
| little man, with a very remarkable.
hooked nose. He had been shot through
the lungs, and appeared very near death;
one Of our men was trying to help him.
The night was cold. A number of fires
were burning, and many wounded men
were sitting around them. One elderly
rebel, a farmer, in a suit of well-wOrn
butternut, told me Of his home affairs;
he had received a letter telling of the
crops, etc. He also told of his share in
the battle; how the Sth s. G. broke, and
allowed our men TO flank his regiment,
the Sd S. c.. and added: They were
always a lot of cowards.'
I'VE lost nearly third of our regiment,
the Goth n. Y, in the battle. I found a
number Of our wounded at the field hos
pital. Corp1 Dick McCann was there,
shot through the hip. Shuard, another OF
my company, was brought in with a shat
tered leg; he was left on the field during
our retreat: he told me that rebel in
fantryman took his shoes, hurting him
wounded leg; another reb wanted his coat,
but left it when poor Shuard told him he
would need it during the cold night. Soon
hOTseman ordered him to give him the
coat, and when Shuard urged his former
plea the reb drew his revolver and threat
encd him with instant death. About a
week ago / heard from Shuard by let
ter, the first time since the close Of the
war;"
THE 18TH W. VA. AT FORT GREGG.
James Ray, Co. D, 18th w. Va, ana
COmmissary Sergeant of regiment, Park |
Miles, o.. writes: "Comrade Campbell, |
10th Ohio, says Capt. Case is mistaken |
in giving the honor to the 18th w. Va, |
I'D Ill. and 54th Pa, under command of
Col. w. b. Curtis. 18th w. Va. / believe
Capt. Case has given as correct an account |
as ! have ever read. | was member of |
Capt. Curtiss company Cd, 18th w. Val. |
He became Colonel of the regiment, and
was in command of brigade, composed !
of the three regiments named by Capt. |
Case at the time of the capture / was
on detached duty in the Brigade Commits
sary Department, and issued rations to
those three regiments. / do not claim |
any honor myself as | was at a respect
able distance in the rear with the train
of supplies. Three of my company were
killed in the assault, viz, James Caldwill
VsnI hort on
were given Medals of Honor and fur
loughed to 20 home, viz, j. NJ. Curtis and
Joseph McCausland. This was in recogni-
tion of bravery displayed inside of the
fort. The 18th w. Va. was presented
with a beautiful silk flag, the staff of
which was surmounted with Il gold eagle
perched on a golden globe with all the
battles of the regiment inscribed thereon,
by Gen. Gibbon, for Drawer. at the cap
ture of the fort, and that flag can be seen
at any National Reunion carried by some
one of the old 18th w. Va"
osBoRN's BRIGADE
II. T. Lucas, Co. ii, 39th ILL.,, Leroy,
ILL.,, writing of the capture of Fort Gregg,
and q. X. Campbell, of Coolville, o., both
omitted mention of the Both Ill.
Sixty-four of this regiment fell at Fort
Gregg, and 10 were buried almost under
the shadow of the fort. The First Bri-
sade. First Division, Twenty-fOurth Corps,
consisted of the Yates Phalanx (39th lid,
SD and 9th Ohio and the 199th Pa, all
under command of Col Thomas 0. Os-
born, Both Ill. These were the troops who
assaulted Fort Gregg, and the first colors
planted on the rebel works were those of
the Both Ill. To commemorate the serv-
ices of the 39th Ill, Gen. John Gibbon,
of the Twenty-fourth Corps,
had cast n bronze eagle, which he placed
upon the regimenta colOr-staff with his
OWN hands at grand review of the corps
The eagle bore the following inscriptions:
Presented to the Both Ill. Vet. Vols. by
Maj. John Gibbon, commanding the
twenty fourth Corps, for gallantry in the I
assault on Fort Gregg, Petersburg, Va,
April =, 1865 For services at Fort )
Gregg, Col Osborn was brevetted Brig
ldier- General. and Capt. Homer \. Plimp-
ON, commanding the 39th ILL.,, was made {
Major by brevet. ColorSergeant Henry |
VI. Day, who was severely wounded while ,
planting the colors on Fort Gregg, was !
granted n Medal of Honor. ,
PERRYvILLE
J. W. Homer, Corporal Co. C, 69th :
Ohio, Louisville, Kan, writes: AT the +
1attle of Perryville, Oct. S, 1862, the 1st !
Wis, commanded by Col. G. Starkweath- ,
.r, was sent to the support of Bush's 18th
Ind. Battery and the 1st Ky. Battery,
which were pouring a destructive fire into
he enemy's line Gen. Bragg realized q
hat those batteries must be taken in or l
Ter to secure q victory and had picked |