The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-09-15
PICKET SHOTS
From Alert Comrades Along the Whole
Line.
HOW SPANISH FORT WAS TAKEN.

says: Geo. Brown, Co. ID, 4Ith ILL.,, in
a recent number of The National Tribune
ter Spanish Fort. Without giving any
date, he claims that at 4 o'clock a. m. his
Sergeant-Major entered the fort and found
it unoccuped. Now, the facts are these:
April 8, the 18th and last day of the siege.
the Third Brigade, under Col. Geddes, was
ordered into the rife-pits, as there was to
be a general bombardment, which soon be-
gan from 96 guns, 53 of which were siege
guns. The enemy also were Shelllns
heavily, having commenced before we did.
When the cannonading was at its height,
Gen. Carr determined to carry a crest
covered with pines, on the enemys LETT,
for the purpose of planting battery. The
execution of the undertaking was given by
Col. Geddes to Col. Bell. of the Sth Iowa,
who accomplished 1t CALAMITY, though not
without severe loss: In doing it he had
pushed forward only three companies OF
his regiment. while all the rest of the bri-
gade was engaged in the ri1e-pits, where
the firing was so heavy that 1T somewhat
blinded the rebels as to what was being
done on their left. The gallant Sth took
and occupied about 300 yards of the Con-
federate works, getting three stands of
colors and about $50 prisoners. 1t was
then quite dark; but. gaining a knowl-
edge of what was going forward. the rest
of the brigade. including the 124th ILL.,.
rushed out of the trenches and entered the
10 repel assault, Co. A, under Lieut.. w.
T. Dodge. was sent as a skirmish line
to feel the enemy on our right; while Go.
F. under Capt. \. III. Pratt, was sent for
the same purpose in front of our left.
A piece of artillery opening upon them
with grape. they speedily captured it. and
another with eight or ten prisoners. Send
ing the prisoners to the rear. Co. + con-
tinued to move forward. capturing eight
or 10 pieces of artillery and more men
than the company numbered. being thus
employed till near midnight The rest
of the regiment then coming up. advanced
TO old Spanish Fort and finding the rebels
really gone. entered. stacked arms and
rested little. scrambling in the meantime
for the guns and the hams and corn meal
left by the garrison. This was shortly af
ter midnight. As our guRboats were not
aware of the evacuation of the fort by the
rebels thew commenced throwing 100
pound shells. and the regiment decided it
prudent to retire and returned to their
quarters. reaching there about 8 o'clock
a. m. considering it a good nights work
IF the 18th III. got into the fort it must
have been sometime subsequent to the visit
of the 10Th H."
A CORPORAL-GENERAL AND GOOSE.
Comrade T. ID. Fowble Lieutenant, I'd
Mimi, writes: Il wish to thank you for
the series of editorials on the financial
features of the war. Great as were the
and meager as was their pay. it never APP
peared to my mind SO great and with such
force as after reading and bordering the
facts in those articles. Truly, we ought to
stand solidly together for the $12 service
pension BILL While near Winchester
Tenn, being very short of ratons, living,
in fact, mostly on green corn, We had ap-
petite for other edibles in greater bulk,
and therefore appetite for effort to get
more. A tentmate-a Corporal-and
myself took the risk of foraging and Sc
cured goose and quantity of half-ripe
peaches. colored woman having dressed
the goose for us, it was damned to the
cOncealment 90 of a haversack and we
essayed march to quarters, being picked
up pretty soon by the pickets of an Ohio
regiments who sent under escort of a
guard to the reserve headquarters. The
Captain in command called us to him, and
having sampled the green peaches, said.
with twinkle: Corporal, take all these
men and report to brigade headquarters
With proper salute the Corporal had
US, and the other foragers who had been
picked up. fall in and marched us toward
camp, going with us about half a mile.
Then he said to the others: BE sure to
report as directed and turned back! We
went to our camp and cooked our goose
and our peaches. Now-who knows-did
those men report as directed:' Who was
the Captain? The Corporal was Eli L.
Higgins, recently retired from the Regu-
lar Army with the rank of Brigader-
General"
WERE NOT DfMORALIZED.
Comrade r. NJ. !. Davis, Co. /, 10th
Ill, writes from Missouri: Il was in the
First Brigade. First Division, Sixteenth
Corps. Gen. Smith called it his brigade,
and when the old man called on us we
went like an army of fighting men, not
like gang or horde of 16-year-old boys.
And We had lots of going too. A COM
In g IL.
the demoralized raiders. / don't believe
he can prove that / was one of those
raiders, and / never heard of any de-
moralization there. He says we had to
throw down our tobacco and hog hams
Wonder if he don't want some of them :?
Wonder if he was in a bandbox to hide
from bullets! Where was you when We
struck Forrest? / know that we cleared
them out-killed the whole -division-fired
one shot and charged. I wish the comrade
days, and at Mobile! He would change
his mind. l am 60; my eyes are failing
badly"
PATRIOT BY HEREDITY.
Comrade Freeman W. Eltar writes ::
Il wish to give record of my fathers
and mothers family in the wars of the
United STATES: My mothers grandfather
War; my fathers father was Capt Elton
in the War of 1912 commanded the sharp
shooters at Sackett's Harbor died before
the war was ended. My father served in
the Sd Mich. in the war for the Union :
was home in 1897; he died last October.
first enlisted April .21. 1861; was mus
tered out at Detroit, Mich. Aug. Z, 1861.
three months service. Enlisted Sept. IL
1861, in 3D. Mich Cav; reenlisted Jan.
nary, 1864 was sent to Texas in 1865
July. l think: was commissioned Second
Lieutenant 1863; First Lieutenant, 1864
Captain, 1865. Mustered out In San
Antonio, February, 1866. Arrived at
Jackson. Mich. March, 1866. Can this
be beaten by volunteer? By the wav-
was q years old the day before / en-
listed"
WANTED-THIS WAR SONG
20. gallant soldiers. they have gone
To fight for a glorious cause;
To defend our Flag and Union,
Our Government and laws
Kind fortune smile upon them
Wherever they may go:
May they not yield on any field
To any daring foe"
The foregoing is sent by Mrs. B. F