The National tribune., 1904-05-19
PICKET SHOTS.
From Alert Comrades Along the Whole
Line.
THE PINE BLUFF SIT.

THE PINE BLUFF SIT.
Comrade J. l.. Sanders. Co r. cd ILL.,,
writes from New Sharon, Iowa: Il wish
to tell the story of the Pine Bluff spy as
to dispute Comrade Barker, Co. 4. 2Sth
Wis. He is correct in some of his history:
in some of it l think he is mistaken. In
regard to the horse that he took. il be
lohgcd TO n Captain of the LIST Ind. Cav.
and was tied to n rock in front of Hem
inway's store. The young man was clerk
ing there; he took the horse and made his
way through the picket line Between the
picket lines he saw the Officer of the Day
coming, and rode to the side of the road
and shot at him with shot gun. The
cavalry pickets captured him and brought
him in. He was tried and convicted as a
spy, as Comrade Barker said. He was
taken from the Jail, marched across the
Arkansas River on the pontoon bridge. and
on Sept. %. 1884, was executed between
the river and the Shelley plantation. The
hollow square was formed by the 18th
Wis. cd iii. and Sd MINI. The spy was
the son of widow in Kentucky; he so
stated on the platform that day. and said
if he had taken his poor old mothers adj
vice he would not have come to the gal
have had 81 800 if his plan was successful.
Our regiment. cd ILL.,. came from Little
Rock, Ark, TO Pine Bluff i'm April. "a.
and was there over year. Went from
there TO Fort Gibson, Indian Territory.
We left there for our homes in February.
1866. Now, Comrade Barker. my eyes
are getting dim: my back is considerably
bent; possibly my memory is not as good
as it once was; my step is not so quick
but | am still on deck: write this as I
think / saw it. l think Powell Clayton
was as brave soldier as ever drew
sword"
RACE OF LOYAL MEN.
CoEnrade Heber 3. Meeker. CO. F., 18th
Pa, writes from r. +. ID. No. 1. Ronaqua.
Tenn: II fail to see anything from the
boys of the 18th Pa. l am the last sur
vivor of FIVE brothers who answered Presi-
dent Lincoln's call for volunteers. My
brother. Albert Meeker, enlisted in the
lO3d Pa, and served with his regiment
until captured at Fortress Monroe ard
sent to Andersonville, where he was held
II months. till exchanged, in TO. Theo-
dOre A. Meeker enlisted in the 14th Pa.
Cav. and was killed at Rocky Gap, Va.
l55th Pa. and served with his regiment
until forced by loss of health to resign.
Ernest III. Meeker was also in the 1.hIth.
lie was taken prisoner at the battle of the
Wilderness and died i'm Andersonville
from wounds received in that battle. | en-
listed Aug. 49, 1861, participated in all the
battles in which my regiment engaged.
and was mustered out with the regiment
at KittanniHg Pa. Nov. 4. 1864.
My great-grandfather fought under the
Stars and Stripes in the War of the Rev
Olution. Our family was represented al
Monterey, Buena Vista. and the battles
before the City of Mexico.
Why don't some of the comrades Of the
18th Pa. wake up and tell how we ran
like killdees on Wednesday. at Stone
River? How We charged across the river
on Friday and swept the rebs in haste
and confusion from the field? L would be
delighted to hear by mail from any of the
comrades of the 18th, or of the regiments
to which my brothers belonged.
ALWAYS PRESENT FOR BUSINESS.
Comrade B. F. Miller writes from
Champaign. ILL.,: I'm the issue of April p
Comrade III. s. Vaughn asks if the record
of c. G.. Washburn can be duplicated. |
not only can duplicate his record but |
can go him one year better, having been
in Co. c, 10Th ILL.,, and never having
missed battle or skirmsh in which my
regiment participated. Neither was ever
in the hospital; but l was absent 80 days
on furlough while my regiment remained
in camp at Black River, Mass; but not a
battle nor skirmish nor a march did l
miss"
Comrade G. w. Bienz writes from Men
don, Ohio: I'm response to the inquiry of
Comrade Vaughn in issue of April y.
enlisted in Co. +, Doth Ohio Aug -.
1862, at Shanes Crossing (now Rockford
Ohio. Aug. IA We left for Lima, Ohio.
| was with my company in all of its
marches, skirmishes and battles. Our
first battle was Stone River: then Chick
amaugua. Lookout Mountain, Mission
Ridge, Atlanta Campaign. last Nashville
battle: to Wilmington, n. c.; Kingston.
n. c.: saw Sherman's army at Atlanta.
The Goth was reduced from 1920 men to
100. and after Dec. 80, 1864, was known
no more, being under the flag of the jOth
Ohio after that date. We were at Sails
bury, n. c., when Lee and Johnston sur
rendered. and went thence to City Point,
and to Baltimore by water from there
Then to Ohio and were mustered out in
1868. | never had my hide broken by
rebel bullet or other missile or weapon.
am 62 years Old"
MISLEADING PERCENTAGE ESTIMATES.
Comrade Charles Porter, Co. f. 18th
VT, writes from Grinnell, Iowa: "A Ma
tional Tribune correspondent few weeks
ago called attention to the unfair manner
in which percentages of losses i'm battle
were computed by Col. Fox and others
One Northern State furnished 2S.967 sol
diers to the Union army, of which num-
Der 1,1l2 were killed in action.
Now comes the error: There were two
three years regiments whose losses
amounted to Is; there were 16 nine
months regiments that lost 81; three bat
teries which lost an aggregate of > men,
Including $50 unassigned recruits there
were 1896 men from that State whose
entire losses amounted to exactly &C men: