The National tribune., 1903-05-07

thank you comrade), but you might have
said more and then left room for others to
speak an unspoken word of praise.
Before that affair we were at Island
No. 10, and our regiment was the first in.
side the rebel works. We captured over
100 prisoners, one battle flag, a number
of heavy cannon, ammunition and stores;
also two steamboats,. If we had belonged
to the navy We would have had prize
money coming. Then, with the I'd Mich
| Cav. (Sheridan's regiment), we were first
into Bonneville, Miss, taking 1000 pris.
| oners, 5000 stand of arms, a train loaded
| with ammunition, and two CannonS. The
prisoners we turned loose, the other stuff
we burned with the depot, also one or two
bridges.
We were the first regiment to enter
| Corinth, capturing a lot of guns, mostly
wooden ones the Johnnies had made to
scare Halleck.
We were first in every poultry yard or
smokehouse, and always led the advance
into sweet-potato patches uhtil the 9TH
Kan. took the field.
We veteraniZed in March. 1864. Before
! this we had taken from the enemy over
10000 head of mules and horses and de-
stroyed hundreds of miles of railroad
Then, under a. j. Smith, we gave For
rest and 5. ID. Lee a jar that convinced
them that one Yankee was as good as q
butternut and harder to crack.
Our fame by this time had reached the
headquarters of Pap" Thomas, and he
sent us pressing invitation to come to
| Nashville to assist in entertaining Hood
| We went, and the work we did around
Franklin and Nashville challenges the adj
| miration of the world. Even that grand
old warrior, A. j. Smith, said. when he
saw Hatch, Coon and Horton charge with
the Second Brigade, dismounted. one fort
after another until they had taken three
| in less than an hour, that they had done
the work of a division of infantry. The
| next day Gen. Hatch with nine men tool;
and held a battery of three guns. We
| claim to have helped place the first star
on Gen. Sheridan's shoulders, and we gave
to the army from our regiment one Maj or-
General and two Brigadiers.
As for the service pension. we are ready
to unite on the one that will do the most
good to all short or long term men, but we
would like to see justice done to those who
were unfortunate and fell into the hands
of the rebels and endured the privations
of their prison pens. These noble pa
triOts. though starving, refused their liber-
ty when it was offered them, because OF
the conditions attached thereto: that was
that they were to deny their country, their
Flag. and everything dear to them. and
join the rebel ranks. BY refusing this Of
fer many of them knew that they We're
signing their own death warrant. But
they stood the test.
And now, in the name of the God that
sustained them, in the name of the coun-
try for which they voluntarily went to
their death, in the name and for the glory
and honor of the Flag they suffered and
starved for, do something for the few of
this heroic band that still live. This is not
n plea for self, / was not one of that
band Of immortal heroes. l had brother
there, but no human help can reach him
now; we only have the privilege Of strew-
ing flowers on his and others graves
JAMES a. BIRD, I'd Iowa Cav, Iowa City.
Iowa.