The National tribune., 1902-07-24
PICKET SHOTS
From Alert Comrades Along the Whole
Line.

Line.
HEAVY LOSSES OF NEW YORK COMMAND.
A. J. Walling. Co. II, 4Sth n. Y, New
York City, writes: Il was much interest
ed with Serg't VIM. II. Barlow's account
of the losses in the 159th n. Y, and agree
with him that there are Others Having
served with Perry's Saints. otherwise the
4Sth N. Y, l think that regiment deserves
a place among the Others. In the assault
on Battery Wagner, Morris Island, S. c.,
July 1S, 1868, eight companies. averaging
56 men to company, with IL commits.
stoned officers, went into action. Fifteen
OF the 16 officers were killed or wounded.
Statistics give the casualties in the regi-
ment as, killed, S3; wounded, 213; pris-
Oners, %. Only 6S answered to roll call
the morning after the assault. Again, at
Olustee, Fla, Feb. 10, 1864, being under
a direct and double cross-fire for three
hours, we held our line unbrOken, being
for some time without ammunition, and
again engaged after securing ammunition.
Casualties: Killed, Al; wounded, 1853;
prisoners, "a. At Chester flights. Drew
ry's Bluff, Cold HarbOr. Deep Bottom,
Strawberry Plains, Hatcher's Run, Siege
of Petersburg, the 4Sth kept up its repu-
tation for losing men, and in the assault
on Fort Fisher, n. c., on Jan. Is, 1865,
the regiment was so depleted in numbers
that only AZ officers and men went into
action. Loss, three killed, IA wounded,
only % answering to their names in the
darkness among the mounds within Fort
Fisher-eight commissioned officers and
II enlisted men. The general statistics
of casualties from muster-in to muster-Out
were: 236 killed or died of wounds re-
..lA.l
taken prisoners, 81 died of disease, 40 died
in rebel prisons, IL commissioned officers
were killed or died of wounds, and % were
wounded. The casualties in battle were
947. Total casualties from all causes,
,O14. Yes, there were others, and still
there are others to be heard from. The
above are extracts from carefully authen-
ticated records compiled by A. J. Palmer,
and embodied in the History of the 4Sth
n. Y"
AN ESCAPE FROM PRISON.
B. Vandyke, Co. D, 18th Iowa, Foun-
tain, Okla, writes that he enlisted Nov.
II, 1862, to serve until the expiration of
term of his regiment, and was mustered
out Nov. IA, 1864. He was on garrison
duty at Cairo, ILL.,, and later, from June,
1863, to January, 1864, at Fort Halleck,
Ky. Thence he went to Vicksburg and
on the Meridian raid, and soon returning
to VickSburg thence went down the Mis-
sissippi to the mouth of Red River, par
ticipating in Banks's campaign. He was
wounded on April 8, and being unable to
walk was left in the hands of the enemy
He was taken to Pleasant Hill, La,
where he remained in the hospital until
April q, when he escaped. Soon after
leaving the hospital he traded his blue
uniform for citizens clothes, and got along
very well until May 8, when he met
Confederate regiment. Some explanation
had to be made, so COmrade Vandyke
told the Confederates that he was a rebel
soldier and belonged to the 18th Tex, the
regiment from which he had escaped at
Pleasant Hill. He Travelled with his new
acquaintances for three days and then es
capped by swimming the Washita River
at night. Twenty-One days after leaving
Pleasant Hill he rejoined his own COM
mand.
CLAIMS OF CONFEDERATE.
A. p. Carr, Co. B, 10Th Ind, Macklin.
Wash, some years ago, while an officer in
Tacoma, Wash, attended a sick man who
seemed to be without friends, and provided
medical attendance for him until he re-
covered. This man said that he was a
Marylander, and that his name was James
Garter, and that at the breaking out of
the civil war he was cadet at the Naval
Academy at Annapolis; that he secured
leave of absence to visit his relatives;
then went South and joined the COnfed
crates He further claimed that he was
on the Dixie when she was sunk by a
blockading ship, and that after being held
short time as prisoner of war, he es-
capped to Canada, and later joined an
other Confederate vessel. Soon he went
to England, thence to Lisbon, where he
claimed to have joined the Alabama, and
to have been on that vessel during the
fight with the Kearsarge. Mr.. Carter
further claims that two officers and 40 men
from an English warship at Cherbourg
were on board the Alabama during the
fight, and manned her big guns.
DEATH oF COL. MILES.
Capt. w. w. French, Assistant Adju-
tant General, Department of Tennessee,
q. A. R., Chattanooga, Tenn, writes: "In
the issue of June 26 notice an account
of the death of Col. Miles at Harper's
Ferry, Va, as given by w. A. johnson, of
South Carolina. l was in command of
Co. f, 115th N. Y, at that surrender, and
the rebel cavalry till called in, and was
fired upon by q battery to the west up this
road. When j arrived at the brigade line
on the top of Bolivar flights, the extreme
north end, overlooking the river, 1 formed
the company line and stacked arms, as the
white mag OF surrender was lying at brl-
gade headquarters. While standing at
ease l saw the flash and heard the report
of a gun up the Shepherdtown road. 1t
being hazy, 1 could see the shell as it
wended its way toward us. When the
time came, ordered my men to lie down.
and the shot passed over my company line
near enough for me to feel the breeze
and to knock my Lieutenants hat off his
head. l watched the shell, and saw it
strike among Il group of officers at the
foot of the hill. | soon learned that the
shot struck Col. Miles. He died the next
day, during an operation"
WHERE is THIS SOLDIER?
Mrs Lizzie NJ Lindsey, Cherokee.
Kan, writes that when she was a mere