The National tribune., 1904-09-01
PICKET SHOTS.
From Alert Comrades Along the Whole
Line.
SOUGHT INCoNsPICUousNEss.

SOUGHT INCONSPICUOCSNESS
Comrade Cyrus Washburn. Co. B. Sd
w. Va. and 9th w. Va. Cav, writes:
Il want to tell how l kept out of Ander-
sOnville. In the latter part of June. 1864,
was one among other mOuntaineers
called by the Coppcrheads 'Lincolns hire
lings. and by the rebels Counterfeit
Yankees As for ourselves We claimed
to be Uncle Sans boys. On one
| occasion | was with detachment OF
the regiment on two days march, when
we stopped in an old cavalry camp. The
horses. being somewhat jaded, were al
lowed to Craze. We had put out plckets
and the men were taking Il rest. The op-
posite side of the camp was steep and Gov
cred with timber. We were skillfully sur
prised by the rebels. who knew the posi-
ton better than we did and made a sud
den charge and cut us off from the timber
Having no time to gather up our horses
we were driven 10y the rebel cavalry like
| sheep to the pen. In the open field | was
| running parallel with n ravine that was
Skirted by small bushes along its banks.
Being somewhat slow on foot, and seeing
that | would be Il prisoner, l wheeled nj
right angles to the run, where path
crossed. AS | rose OH the opposite bank
saw a patch of elders. Circling to the
opposite side. looking back to observe if
the rebels could see me, then lying down.
if ever | did wish To he small | did then
Or that. like a gopher. crawl into the
ground to hide! | crawled into the little
patch of elders. guarding against spreading
the bonghs. The rebels went dashing by
me. and soon rode down the boys and took
them in. They brought quite number of
them back by me: so close that l could
have grabbed them by the legs. The
rebels themselves We're like turkeys in n
trap-all the time looking up--never once
thought to look under their feet. After
the rebels had gathered up the boys and
the booty and were gone / crawled out and
made my way to Il better and safer place.
! owed my. escape from Andersonville
Prison to that elder patch-a debt that
never has been paid, although it is still
drawing interest"
TWO YEARS FAITHFUL SERVICE.
Comrade J. X. Fost, Co. Il, 34th n. Y.
s. ". writes: "FOX's losses in the 300
fighting regiments started me to thinking.
Most of the regiments served three or four
years. Now | will call your attention to
one regiment that has never been men,
tioned-the Saith y. Y. S. Y. 1t was mus
tered into State service May ?, 1861: L.
S. service June -, 1S61-for two years.
This regiment arrived in Washington July
), 1861; did service on the upper Potomac;
was on the Valley Campaign in the early
part of 1862, but saw no fighting to de-
mand notice: was with Mcclellan on the
Peninsula. The first battle we engaged in
was Fair Oaks where the regiment had
the honor of breaking the rebel line by its
famous charge. in connection with the 9TH
Mich. From May 81, 1862, until Dee. 13,
1862, the regiment lost 96 killed and 1914
wounded; and we never could muster more
tI,,, g. 1,,4,-
we went into action with 80 men and lost
"A killed and 100 wounded in 10 minutes
fighting. We were discharged June 30,
1869. If our time had ended July 80. what
would have been the end! We could have
taken into action at Gettysburg probably
10 men, and Judging from losses of the
rest of the brigade the regiment after
ward could not have mustered a Corpo-
rails guard. The regiment was in Second
The brigade was composed of LIST Mimi,
SD n. Y. Tor I'd n. Y. n. Gu, 18th
Mass. and 34th n. Y. s. V. No better
brigade ever marched under Old Glory"
NO MONUMENTS TO REBELS.
Comrade VIM. II. Cornell, Co. X. 6Sth
Ind, writes: Il wish to say Amen to
Manson VOLTS article in The National
Tribune of June .. !, too. am opposed to
this Government giving monuments or any
thing to rebels: for, as he says, they
were nothing but murderers and traitors.
To prove that they were mnrderers. / will
relate about my own brother. Joseph T..
Cornell, who was only 1G years old. He,
with ~ others, went from Cincinnati. o.,
on a trading boat. When they arrived at
New Orleans the war was on, and they
were all captured and their boat and goods
confscated; and they were put into the
rebel army. My brother was put into the
Sd Louisiana Zouaves, Capt. Dockery' s
Company, X. At Fort Fisher my brother
tried to get away-sO a rebel soldier told
me at Mumfordsville, where / was a pris-
oner. He told me my brother was shot
there i'll trying to escape. Oh, yes. l can
forgive them for numbering him? Not
much! No, never! saw enough while l
was in Nashville to melt heart of stone.
Even the rebel women of Nashville could
not keep back the tears when they saw
them unload some of our starved boys
from the cars. Strong men reduced to
nothing but skin and bone. Can l forget
it? No, never while / live! i see that
most all of the Southern Congressman as
sail every act that comes UP to aid vet
eran. Then to think this Government
would be asked to put up monuments
to the herOsm of traitors is too much!
wonder that the soldiers who were killed
don't rise up from their graves and de-
nOunce any such doings."
FIRST WEST VIRGINIA CAVALRY
Comrade James ]. Jennings, Sergeant,
Co. e, LIST w. Va. Cav, writes: Il am a
Nirgnian, proud of my birth; was in Co.
Il, 1st w. Va. Cav. We started early in
the Spring of 1861 and got home in July,
1860 We were under Fitzpatrick until
after Gettysburg. At that fight we made
nine charges; the first led by Gen. Farms
worth, who was killed We lost nine COM
missioned officers OH that charge. That
was the third day. That day We lost $50
men, the most of them killed. We went
back to Virginia and later to Sherman in
the West, under Custer. We We're with
Sheridan up the Shenandoah Valley until
the war closed. Our last fight was Five
Forks; then to Richmond. We have
reason to be proud of the record of our
regiment"
COLONEL OF 32D ILLINOIS.
Comrade &. w. Davis writes: "Will
you allow me to correct an error made in
answering the inquiry, April Z, of J. r.
Palmer, of Normal, H.? You say the 32d
Ill. was organized with John A. Logan as
Colonel. Ii l am not mistaken John A.
Logan organized and went out as Colonel
of the 31st Ill. E. McCook, John ID. Reese
and II. n. Pearson, successfully, COM
manded the 31st, as Colonies, after the