The National tribune., 1904-07-14


with the 7th Pa and 4th Mich. These |
regiments were simply superb. There were /
no better among the volunteer cavalry. |
The brigade was commanded by Col. |
Minty, of the 18th Mich. No better brigade |
comma nder could be found in the army.
have often thought l would write up one |
or two of our campaigns. or raids, but l
have hesitated to do so, for fear / should /
make as great bfunders as many of your |
correspondents have made in writing ac- |
counts of battles. raids. ETC., which We
participated in. For instance the Smith |
Raid into Mississippi. | have read of |
some heroic fighting by some of the regi- |
ments on that famous raid. | was Orderly |
for Gen. Smith on that raid. / ought TO
know something about it: and if there was
anything like hard fighting from the time
We left Memphis until We returned.
never knew anything about it. From the
time we struck Forrest or. rather,
he struck MS. there was nothing but dis
graceful 'skedaddling' on our part for
Memphis. | saw regiments positively re-
fuse to charge when ordered TO do SO. The
9TH Pa. and 4th Mich. were at home on
veteran furlough at this time. If Minty
had been there with his brigade. l believe
the results of that raid would have been
very different. / shall not pretend to put
the fault on any man. brigade or division.
because l never could find out where the
blame OF the complete rout and failure
Ety. i KNOW thaI IeT. SIt1tH WAS quite
sick part of the time. He was not able to
ride his horse.
after the 4th Cav. charged at the town
| OF Okalona. in which il lost heavily. il
turned i'm and skedaddled with all the rest.
for a day: but they kept together and held
on to their arms. Many of the valiant
troopers lost their hats. hams. tobacco. and
other valuable trophies and threw away
their arms. All this is true and the boys
ought to be willing to stand up like little
men and confess it. 1t was n disgracefnl
affair. from beginning to end; but it was
not the only one by any means"
LETTER FROM DIXIE.
Comrade James Sloan. Co. G, 1st Pa.
Reserves, writes from Pittsburg. Tex:
Permit me space OF few lines i'm our
paper-the exponent Of the men who. in
1861, gathered about Washington to DEM
onstrate that we had National Govern
ment. l often wonder il the representa-
tive and financial elements Of our Nation.
as Americans. or as cOsmopOlitanS. have
ever fully grasped the magnitude Of the
issues over which We fought. and fought
as only the people of the South can fully
appreciate? And they do appreciate it and
manfuly and magnanimously acknowledge
that what the Union is doing for its SOL
diers is no more than justice-no more
| than they would have done-nOr as much
had they succeeded in seeding.
The South accepted this arbitra
ment and only wonder that the already
generous provision by pension and other
wise is so hampered and handicapped by
Department rulings. technical formalities.
etc. as to do injustice to many survivors
of the war for the Union. participated
rs single member Of a single company i'm
the gigantic struggle. but if were to give
| the death roll of Co. G.. 1st Pa Reserves
from Drainsville to Appomattox. no pa
frIotic American could grndge to its shat
tered remnant the full benefit of the pen
sion laws as they were devised and be-
queathed to us by Lincoln. Logan. Grant
and Garfield, men who realized the value
OF the Union and the value of American
National integrity"
WHO KNEW DAVID ROBERTSON?
VIM. F. Crawford, 61O State ST., East
st. Louis, ILL.,, writes: "A comrade, David
Robertson, who is here, has for four years
been victim of paralysis, and his MEM
ory is destroyed. He remembers, however.
or thinks that he does-that he served
in the 6Sth Mo-, and that with his regiment
he was in a charge on a fort at Mobile
Ala. He has no idea what company he
was in. His papers were lost in fire.
He is, perhaps, 40 years old. Will any
comrade who knows the military history of
the old man write to me:"
SEVEN BROTHERS SERVED THEIR COUNTRY
Comrade E. Nye Vaughan, 99th N. Y,
! writes from Noblesboro: I'm the war
| against rebellion there were seven of us.
| brothers, engaged. Not battle was
fought by the Army of the Potomac that
one or more of us did not participate in.
Not one Of the seven was wounded Two
| were in the 18th Mass; one in 4th
Mass. Cav. Band, and myself in the Goth
n. !. Five are living; two died within
| past ~ years. Our father died at age
of 80 in 1890; and mother at age of 81
| only few weeks previous"
SCATTERING
Comrade "E. p. Nc" writes from Cave
Greek, Ariz. Il inquire through The
National Tribune if any survivor of the
| Slst Ohio can tell me what became of Col
| Morton, who had command of the regiment
until some time after the ba tile of Corinth?
If he is yet alive, what is his profession
and address? If dead, when did he die p
John Welch, Soldiers Home. Tenn.
writes: Il hope congressman will read
| the SD Psalm. Not many nowadays give
much consideration to the sufferngs en-
| dured in rebel prisons. Sarah Rice Circle,
| OF Factoryyille, Pa, do not forget. Noble
woman-God bless herr
Thos. Valentine, Co. H. 192d Pa: Co.
B, 18th Pa. Cav, of Post 1S, Phila-
delphia, Pa, writes: Il have a paper that
| was presented in Constantinople when the
-.
ship that ever went there with that many
guns l was then only 20 years old, and
was with the greatest Admiral who ever
stood on a deck. l received from Far
| ragut's son letter, with likeness of the
| Admiral, that there isn't money enough to
buy while l live"
f. s. Clark, Cannon Ball. N. D., wishes
that some comrades will send to his address
any Old war songs they may be able to
furnish him.
Comrade Mason Wolfe writes from Leb-
anon, Tex: II enlisted at Cumberland
Ford, KY, March 8, 1862. in Co. B, 1st
Tenn. Cav. and was mustered out with
rank OF First Sergeant, at Nashville.
Tenn. April 10. 1865. My first vote was
cast for emancipation. my second ballot
was for Lincoln, for his reelection, 1864:
my last was for Mckinley: my next will
be for Roosevelt; l am for the $12 service
pension. Will some comrade send me the
song, 1 goes to fight NIT Sigel.'"
Comrade G. ID. Jennings, Simpson.
Kans., writes: "It meant danger and was
| costly for one to be Union man in my
County in Missouri. I was born in Ken
Il 1l1.an