The National tribune., 1903-03-19
WAR DAYS RECALLED.
National Tribune Prize Winner Hears
From Another Comrade Who Was in the
Guntown Fight.

Guntown Fight.
Comrade p. j. McCullow, Commander
of Memorial Post, PIG, Department OF
Iowa, Cresoco, Iowa, who was one of the
prize winners in recent National Fri
bune contest, has sent to us a letter, which
he received from comrade who was il
the GuntOwn fight with him, and which
has been published in local paper. The
letter is as follows:
'Oaklawn Farm, Home of Henry b.
Seelye, near AnOka, AnOka County, MIMI,
Sunday, Dec. Z, 1902.
M. J. McCullow, CrescO, Iowa.
Dear Comrade: Now | can hear you
say, Who in thunder is Henry Il. Seelye,
and what is he writing to me fOr?' Well,
just for fun-for the same reason that
we used to write to lots of girls whom
we have never seen, when we We're in the
army. Don't you remember? Now, l had
some of my very best young lady CORE
spondents when l was in the army, whom
l had never seen, and got some very in
teresting letters from them until June 10,
1864, when / started on my way to Ander-
sOnville, Ga, just from the end of a cor
duroy bridge that crossed the swamp ut
TishomingO Creek. near GuntOwn, Miss,
on the memorable Sturgis sellout. o, yes.
the 4th Iowa Cav. was there all right.
That is the way l come to be writing to
you. See?
''How did know your address ? Why,
| saw it in The National Tribune as one
of the prize winners. How did l know
you! / tell you / don't know you. / am
just writing to you simply because you
were with our regiment at Guntown.
belonged to Co. A. 9th MINI. You were
with old A. j. Smith at Tupelo, Miss. DO
you remember Col. Wilkins, of the 9th
Mimi. in command of brigade. who was
shot through the heart at TupelO? Well,
he was my Colonel. Well, hear you say.
What of it!' o, nothing, only l thought
| would write you just because you were
at GuntOwn.
Il have rebel bullet in my sight this
minute that l got i'll my left leg, near 4
big white house that stood on our left
as we fell back from Guntown-a two
story white house. Do You remember it ?
You boys had fallen back before our regi-
ment made the stand ut that house. l was
wounded at that place at nearly sun
down, June 10, "a. Got horse that
was ridcrless, with saddle on, and rode
back with some of the 4th Iowa Cav. to
Ripley, Miss, and was gobbled up there on
the morning of the 11th. You doubtless
remember that place. You fellows with
horses had the cinch on us poor devils who
were afoot, about getting back to Mem
phis. True, l had Il horse, but was wound
ed, so l couldn't ride farther on account
of loss of blood and fell from my horse at
Ripley and was pOunced upon by rebel
and done for. Was nine months prisoner
of war after that. When / got back to
my regiment the war had closed. l had
been i'll several battles before that, but
that one took the cake for a clean give
away; but our boys got satisfaction out of
nII net oft rpr1
rebels changed their tune after the Tupelo
fight; before that you could hear nothing
but GuntOwn.
Nov don't it seem like getting letter
from old acquaintance to get this from
me? Maybe you will answer it.
70, yes; started in to ask you if you
really did get prize from The National
but didn't come within 40 rows of apple
trees of the mark. Why didn't you have
your picture in The National Tribune?
You are four years younger than l. How
much pension do you get? l get SIT per
month. l am familiar with all your old
stamping ground in Mississippi and Ten
nessee. Meridian, Holly Springs, Tupelo
and PASSPORT, Miss, and finally every
other place you mention; that is how l
come to write to you, and more especially
because you were at Guntown. Some of
You boys rode so close to me that night on
the retreat June 1O) that you hurt my
wounded leg terribly. Was that you?
This is Sunday, and am writing Just
for fun, hoping you will take notion to
do the same thing about next Sunday.
"Well, I wish you a merry Christmas
and happy New Year in advance. Give
my regards to your wife, and if ever YOU
come to Minnesota, call on your old con-
rade and wife.-HENRY e. SEELYE,
AnOka, MIMI, who was at 'Guntown.'"