The National tribune., 1904-08-18
PICKET SHOTS.
From Alert Comrades Aleag the Whole
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Llae.
WAS 1T A PREMoNITIoN?

WAS 1T A PREMONITION?
The Adjntant of e. O. G. Ord Post, 3.
San Antonio, Tex, writes: I'm your issue
of May 10 l found a note from Comrade
Edwin Forbes, Co. A, 17th Ky, regard
ing the death of Grant Allen, Go. d, near
Der of Co. y at the time. On consolida-
ton OF the 25th Ky with the 18th KY,
shortly after the battle of Shiloh, this COM
pany became Co. II Of the 18th. Grant
Allen had a brother in Co. H. Theophalus
Allen, who was killed at Chickamanga
singularity of the case Is that Oph Allen
was shot directly between the eyes, as his
brother had been at Morgantown, two
years before. In connection with the
death of Oph Allen--as he was called in
the company-an incident happened as we
were moving rapidly from Crawfisl,
Springs TO the left, 10 take part in the af-
fair, which shows that he had premon-
tion of death. The set of fours to which
he belonged was composed of himself on
the right, next Il. +. jenkins, now n Bap
tist preacher at Beaver Dam. Ky; third.
was myself; fourth, Josephus McCamarOn.
We were marching very fast-at times on
the double-qnick-along a country road,
which had been worn down. leaving banks
on either side some three or four feet high.
AT one point. on the right. as We moved.
was small tin bucket. holding probably
a quart. with cover and bale, a neat thing
for the soldier who had been using tOma to
and oyster cans to make his coffee in.
Allen grabbed it up as we hurried past,
and handing it to Jenkins said: Here
Fult. is a good bucket to make coffee in
Jenkins replied: You had better keep it
yourself. Oph: yon have no cup Of your
own Allen replied: No. Fult, you take
/ oft ic'
than hall an hour we had charged bat
terry, taken it. and were lying down. in
line. holding the position to which we were
assigned. when Oph Allen was instantly
killed by sharpshooter in front of the
right of the regiment shooting across at
the colors. We being right color company.
-! would be pleased to hear from more
or the old 18th Ky. and believe that there
are many. like Forbes. better qualified TO
speak of our marches, battles, etc,
than l."
SHORT, But TERRIFIC EXPERIENCE.
Burton c. Richardson, Co. b, 18th VT.
writes: Here is short sketch of the 18th
Vt. The 18th and last Of the infantry regi-
ments Of Vermont had brief and bloody
history. 1t went 10 the field before its
ranks were filled or its regimental organi-
mastering ground into the carnage of the
Wilderness and held it's third battalion
drill on the field Of battle and placed the
name of bloody battle on its colors for
every month of its service. 1t was under
almost constant fire till the fall of Rich
mOnd. With the smallest aggregate of
members, its list of killed and wounded
in battle exceeded that of some of the
largest regiments. The 18th VT left the
State April 1S. 1864. and was assigned to
the Second Brigade, Second Division.
Ninth Corps 1t was mustered out July
II. 1865.
1.-The battles it engaged in were: Will
derness. May & to 8. 1864: Spotsylvania,
May II to 15. and again on May IS; North
Anna. May % and 26; TotopOtomOy, May
81; Bethesda Church, June 3; Cold Har-
bor. June Z and 8: Petersburg, June II:
Petersburg Mine. July 80: Weldon Rail
road. Aug: y; Poplar Spring Church,
Petersburg. April 2. 1863.
Its losses were, killed in action, Off
GERS. 10; enlisted men. 60: died of wounds,
officers. 4: enlisted men. 81; died of dis
eases, officers. /: enlisted men, SO; died of
rebel prison tortures, g."
1T WAS, SURE, A LOCUST TREE
Richard Clifford, co. f, 9TH Mich Cav,
writes: II am greatly amused by the diff
ferent ways some Of the comrades know
in which the spy Richardson was hanged.
From curiosity my set Of fours saddled our
horses the morning after he was hanged
and rode, l should say, one mile north of
Frederick, to n large. open field, in the
center of which stood large locust tree,
where We found dangling from a limb our
old cOugh-drop ppddler. who had sung
songs and peddled cough-drops to us in
camp. in the Winter of 'f2 and 'G3, at Cap
itol Hill. Washington, d. c. 1t was the
general expression among the great throng
of comrades we found there, that the old
man mer:ed his fate long before. His
conntenance was natural. Some boys of
the 9th Cav. came over to our camp at
) o'clock p. m., and escorted them to the
scene. There then wasn't a particle of
clothing left on him. nor bit of bark on
the tree. or its limbs as far as one could
reach standing up on his saddlehorn. Now,
comrade William Jerome, don't get hot.
for ! am up among the pine stumps of
Michigan. | don't dispute your mode of
capture. but l do your description of the
execution. 1t wasn't an apple. oak, nor a
beech, but common locust tree"
AT HANOVER COURTHOUSE
Comrade l. w. Damon. Battery d. 9Th
Il. $. Art, writes from Michigan:
Replying to Comrade Joseph r. Potter.
tive to the capture of GrifIin's Battery at
Hanover Court House. May q. 1862,
wish to say that the comrade is slightly i'm
error. Referring to my diary l find that a
Massachusetts Battery. probably Mar
tins. lost two pieces, which were retaken
by Grifin's Battery. Our battery lost two
horses killed and one wounded in that bat
tie. but lost no men. l was sick that day
and stayed in camp. on the Chcka homny
River. about ~ miles away. but could
plainly hear the artillery firing, and the
boys told me all about it when they got
back to camp May %. That was a hot
scrap. Our boys told me they saw %
rebels put into one trench for burial.
wrapped in their blankets. Poor unfortu-
mates! The saplings were literally and
almost universally cut off about 10 feet
high. The Yankees. being somewhat
shorter than that. were missed, but found
the rebels, by hundreds. nearer the ground.
and came away complete victors after a
fight lasting about seven hours The rebels
were mostly North Carolina troops"
MILITIA AT GETTYSBURG
s. n Ruth, Co. A. 33d Pa. V. NJ.
writes: II have read much in The National
Tribune about Gettysburg. written by diff
ferent comrades who took part in that
great fight. | am always interested in
these articles, and always wonder why
there is never ANYTHING said about the
State troops. or militia. in that campaign
unless it is said with belittling. Sarca site