The National tribune., 1904-07-14
PICKET SHOTS
From Alert Comrades Along the Whole
Line.
FIRST VICTIM OF WAR,

FIRST VICTIM OF WAR.
Comrade John Cashner. Co. E, 18th
Ind. writing from Spearfish, s. D., evil
IDENTIFY misunderstood the debate as to the
first victim Of the war. 1t was not as ~
the first man killed. but as to the first
man killed in an actual battle between
Union troops and rebel troops. Comrade
Cashner writes: see statement as to
the first victim of the civil war. in a late
issue. Can the party not have made a
mistake? Luther &. I.add. of the famous
9th Mass, was killed in Baltimore, Nd,
April 10. 1861. and a comrade by the name
of Whitney. The Governor of Massa-
chusetts ordered their bodies packed on
ice and sent to the Commonwealth, to be
buried in Massachusetts, The Legisla-
ture of Massachusetts appropriated $1,000
and the city of Lowell 81, 700 for the cree
tiOn of beautiful monument to their
memories. which was dedicated June II,
1860, Gov. Andrew delivering the OratioD.
II the above is not correct, will not some
one correct this?'
TIE IRON BRIGADEs.
Comrade ID. s. Chaplin. Co. D. 22d n. Y.
writes from Greenwich, y. Y: ''Some time
ago Comrade l. A. Caryl. 147th n Y.
asked what regiments constituted First
and Fourth Brigades. First Division. First
Corps. You told him correctly-at least
as to the First Brigade. The 4th regiment
there was not known by that name; il was
the I'd Berdan Sharpshooters. ID. w. Kline,
Go. B. 9th Wis. disputed your answer
said the n. \. brigade was never the First
Brigade, First Corps. l was in the First
Brigade. and know what | say. When the
corps badges came-I think in the Spring
of 1S6:3s-our brigade was given the round
red patch. That means First Brigade
The Fourth Brigade-fhe Iron Brigade rs
they now call themselves-claim honors
not theirs. They never were known as the
Iron Brigade until the First Brigade was
disbanded That was i'm June, 1863.
think. Three of the regiments were sent
home and two-14th Brooklyn and I'd Ber-
dans-were transferred: and then the
Fourth took the name Of Iron Brigade If
didn't know where l had been or what
| was talking about ! would not be writ
ing for newspaper: Will you please print
this?'
EXERCISED AFOOT.
Comrade r. Vandyke, Co. ID. 14th Iowa.
writes from Fountain. Okla: Il served in
the Third Brigade, Second Division. Six
teenth Corps. The brigade was composed
of the 14th, 9th and 32d Iowa and 9th
Mo. Was on the Meridian Raid, i'm Feb
ruary. 1864. We joined Gen. Banks. took
back. l guess most Of the boys got lost.
or can't write. as ! do not see anything
from them i'm The National Tribune. We
did some Of the fighting, while the rebels
did most of the running.
Il live away ont here in the Far West,
good climate and squads of old
veterans in this section. Come TO the
National Tribune that we can find each
other"
LOYAL VERMONT BOY.
DR.. NJ. F. Stiles Co. 3, Sd VI. West
ton. Mass. writes: Il enlisted May 10.
1861. and was discharged Dec % for re-
enlistment. You see, therefore, that am
a veteran from away back yonder by the
edge of the prehistoric age. l was the
first to enlist in Orleans County, of nine
army-four brothers of my family and FIVE
cousins of ours. Two Of the cousins died
i'll the service; one of them died after the
war from wounds received i'm battle-the
first days fight in Wilderness. I was
shot through the ear at Cedar Creek; two
Of my brothers were badly wounded. The
youngest. Lucius. deserted from guard
duty to go into battle. and would undoubt-
edly have been court-martialed had he
not been dangerously wounded.
"On Memorial Day our Post. 80. with
10 Johnson Post. 96, decorated the graves
here in the morning. and in the afternoon
at NOrthbOro. The best and most impress
sive service of the day-more beautiful
than all the rest-was by the w. II. G.. at
decoration of the Soldiers Monument. I
am advocating decoration by Posts of the
graves Of orr Revolutionary soldiers. Are
they not worthy Of it? Would it not he a
good lesson in loyalty to set our sons!'
PRAISE FOR COMMISSIONER WARE
do 4
Iowa Cav. writes from Sturgeon. Mo-: n
want to indorse all you say in The Ma
tional Tribune Of June ., 1904. relative to
COmrade Eugene +. Ware. Commissioner
of Pensions. He averages about 1900 to
1890 allowances a week, and. as you say.
he makes no great noise about it. He is
not filing either the yellow or yellow-dog
journals throughout the land with unspe-
cific charges of fraud. having an army of
inqnistorial secret special examiners tour
ing the country on pension appropriations,
hunting up neighbOrhoOd gossip of prej,I-
diced rebels. to try to drop or reduce some
poor old decrepit Union soldier. or his
widow-as did the late Fl. Clay Evans.
who maladministered the Pension Bureau
for five years. l want Comrade Ware to
stay in charge of the bureau. l am for
him first and last"
SERVED WITH GEN. OsTERHAUs.
COmrade II. w. Burt writes from PeO-
ria, H.: "Comrade j. A. Housman, First
Lieutenant, Go. A, consolidated 31st and
S2d Mo-, wants to know why it is he so sell
dom sees anything from the First Brigade,
First Division, Fifteenth Corps? l was
Captain of Go. H, 18th Ohio. commanded
at first by Col. Charles II. Woods, in the
First Brigade, First Division of that Corps.
l was at Helena, Ark, when Gen. Oster-
haus commanded the division. l was with
him in the battles of Lookout Mountain,
Mission Ridge, Ringgold, and Resaca,
where | was severely wounded in the face,
and left at the field hospital, rejoining my
command at Kenesaw Mountain. l was
with Gen. Osterhaus on the march to the
sea. If Comrade Housman was on that
march, he will remember that l was the
author of numerous army songs that had a
large circulation-one published in Savan-
nah. entitled Sherman and His Boys in
Blue, and, afterward, one entitled Gen.
Logan and the Fifteenth Army Corps and
many others, during the march through the
and until We were mustered out
at Louisville, KY. settled in Peoria after
the close of the war, and have been Survey
or of Customs of the Port of Peoria for the
past five years, by appointment of Presi-
dents Mckinley and Roosevelt. l should
be glad to hear more from any of the Fif-
teenth Corps, so bravely and gallantly led
by Gen. Osterhaus and Gen. Logan. AL
though l am 81 years old, I have a good
6oo1 nf crit IN