The National tribune., 1904-06-23

cOmrade. and we went into the woods 10
eat the goose and we ate it. That even
ing l was sitting in front of my tent, and
looking down the line when | saw the
old darky woman and two or three COM
rades scrutinizing everybody as they
proceeded. to see if she could identify the
culprit. l got into my tent and covered
up in my blankets. and was not discov-
cred. | was only boy of Ii. If those
disappointed veterans are living. and will
visit me- | will give them n better feast
of goose and other good things than they
then lost and will show them around the
Falls"
MURDER OF CAPT. PORTER
Comrade w. b. Chandler. Co. K, Sth
Ky. Cav, writes from Patoka, H.: Il
saw a communication in your paper of May
10. by Comrade Edwin Forbes. claiming
that the 18th Ky. had the first Union sol
dier killed. | agree with the comrada that
Allen was the first soldier in Kentucky TO
lay down his life for his country, and also
that his expedition was the first clash of
arms: but l deny that he was the first
Union man killed.
wv. A. Porter, commander of COM
pany of Home Guards, was attacked while
at home, near Ball Knob Church, on the
fourth Sunday in September, 1861, by two
mounted scouts. he being unarmed. He re-
sorted to stones for weapons, and used them
to good advantage. as he succeeded in
emptying both saddles. They asked him
something and his answer was No: will
die first" and he tried to get the gun of
one of the men. The other man shot him
in the back of the head. and they retreat
went under flag of truce and got his body,
though not till the hogs had badly mutt
lated it. We buried the body in little
cemetery near the roadside. The rebel
column was going by on their advance
from Russellville to Morgantown, and when
tl,o,, h. N.,I
they cheered like so many Indians. We
buried him but left the grave untitled about
foot and next day the Masons held
funeral ceremonies and finished filling the
grave-rebel sympathizers and Union men,
all together"
WANTS SOME HISTORY.
,Comrade Thomas Horner, Co. A, 1st
Tenn. L. A., writes from Stewart, Tenn.
will some one take the trouble to give me
a detailed account of Hoods raid to Nash
vile, including the battle at Decatur, Ala?
| was participant in that battle, Oct. rs,
1864, and was hurt in my back and hips
while handling an artillery caisson during
that fight. | never have seen any account
of that battle, and would like to see one,
having been one of the party that stood
for six hours in front of rebel battery,
being outnumbered in guns and soldiers 10
to one.
Immediately after the battle We fell
back to Stevenson, Ala, and our hospital
was wagons and brush piles; for which
reason, perhaps, we have no hospital rec
ord. Several Of our boys went under in
that battle.
Il would like to hear from some of my
old comrades. l want to know how many
of the old boys are still living. There are
very few, except Tennesseans, who know
what it takes to constitute Union SOL
der.
Keep the service pension bill before the
public, and make it $12 to $24 month;
FOR we all need it.
WANTS THE HISTORY TO END.
Comrade n. A. Drake, NJ. d., of 22d
Wis, writes from Kansas City, Mo-: Il
am greatly interested in The National Tri
bune. l have been reading it for a year
or SO, and must thank one of my comrades
for sending it to me. What l wish to ask
is for some of the ex-prisoners of Ander-
sonville to write up for publication the
breakup of that prison at the end of the
war. Can't some of you who were there al
that time give us a letter about it! | have
often wondered how they must have felt, to
know that the end of the war had come and
they were free. l took a trip through
Libby in '63 but that prison was nothing
compared with those prison pens out of
doors. / have never read any very extend
ed account of Andersonville at the end of
the war, and of the breaking up of that
terrible "hell hole" Won't some of you
give us a letter covering that time!
could give you a history of my capture and
trip through Libby but will wait to hear
from Andersonville.'
WANTS TO HEAR FROM OTHERS.
Comrade J. 0. Harris writes from Otta-
wa, H.. I'm yours of May 10 is letter
from X. l.. Smith referring to the event l
described in yours of April Z. and his state
ments relating to that mastery retreat are
so entirely different from mine that | would
like very much to have some other comrade
who was present on that occasion, as l
was, give his recollections of the facts.
This is not simply a matter of pride in
me; it is in the interest of history. My
description agrees almost exactly with the
| recOllectionS of quite number of inteli-
gent comrades i'll Ottawa, and others else
where. who have spoken or written me- l
have found copy of letter that | wrote
to one of our local newspapers. at that
time. which gives a condensed statement of
the same event; but from that discovered
that instead OF it occurring on One Au-
gust Day. we left Bolivar on Sept. 20.''
PLEA FOR THE WAR BOYS.
NJ. Click, Cardington, o.. writes: "This
is Il plea for the boys who left their homes
in '61 to 10 at the age of Is or IS years
to defend the Flag. l notice that they are
omitted from present benefits from the
VI. ~. u.
Why not say that all who served 80 days
or more! | believe in equal rights for all.
II the boys were old enough to fight then
why place in the rear rank now? While
their strength was not fully developed they
were more disabled than the older men
there. | am regular reader of The Ma
tional Tribune. Give us larger type. We
are getting old and can't see SO we'll as
we used to-"
WHO HAS THESE SONGS?
Comrade s. w. Hart, Co. II, 10Th Ohio,
Danville. ILL.,, would like to have some com
rade send him the following songs
In the bright, Sunny South, in Peace ami
Content,
The years of my boyhood were carelessly
spent"
1T was just before the last fierce charge.
Two soldiers drew the rein;
With parting look and touch of hand,
If they ne'er might meet again"
WHO KILLED POLK?
Comrade Ira S. Owens, Corporal, CO.,
c, 14th Ohio, writes from Union, Ohio:
Il started the controversy, several months
ago, us to the killing of Gen. Polk, and
now | want to end it. l said that |
thought it WAS the 9th Ind Raffery Re-