The National tribune., 1906-04-26
PICKET SHOTS
from Alert Comrades Along the Whole
Line.
How Five De.erters Died.

How Five Dcserters Died.
Comrade C. W. Bradley. Co. d. lst
Mich, says he saw the five deserters
shot in the Fifth Corps, as recently !
described by Comrade David Allen. II
was on picket that day on the banks
of the Rappahannock." writes Comrsde
Bradley. My relief not being on duty
at the time of the execution. / went to
see the men shot. Two of the meE
sentenced to death in the Fifth Corps
for desertion Were brothers Some of
| them had enlisted, pocketed the bounty
and deserted again and again. They
all suffered terribly mentally, and as
they marched to their own funerals.
as IL were, they staggered from mortal
agony. Through the corps, ranged in
hushed masses on the hillside. the pro-
cession moved to the funeral march.
The culprits walked each behind his
own coffin, and upon reaching the new
ly-duS graves they were, as usual. seat
ed upon their own collins. The priests
made short prayers, their eyes were
Jandaged, and with precision worthy
| OF praise for its humanity the orders
We're given and the yolley fred which
launched the desorters into eternity.
| They died instantly, although one re-
manned sitting bolt upright for fully d
| riinute after the firing. There is no
doubt but that their deaths had n saIU-
| tary influence in the matter OF duty|
ana discipline
Anxious to Find Her Brother.
May I ask you the kind favor to
| help me find my brother. who enlisted
in the New Jersey volunteers in 1S62?'
| writes Helen Dottin from Bell Piaine
| Iowa. He fought in the civil war, ana
| was wounded in the hip and right hand;
| he also captured a flag from the Con-
| federateS For this he was promoted
to Gen. Cass's Office. 1t was from there
| that he last wrote, saying ne was going
tH resign and go to Allegheny for the
purpose Of trading in oil. This was
| al out "a years ago. Since then all my
| efforts to find him have been unsuc-
cessful. on coming here from the Brit
| ish West Indies | was told that if |
wrote to you you would surely help me
| to find him.
MY brother was about five feet eight
| inches tall; had gray eyes and sallow
complexion. His name is Joseph Thomas
| Dottin, and he would be about Sc years
of age now. If I could only be sure
that either he was dead or alive l would
| be content, but at present l am in
| doubt
Kicking a Dead Lion.
COmrade J. w. Conard writes from
Washington, d. c.: I'm your issue of
Feb. l S. Howard charges Gen. f. o.
| G.. Ord with drunkenness. | served uu-
der Gen. Ord some years, corresponded
with him after the war. and was well
acquainted with men who served under
| him as far back as 1855, and I never
| heard of him being under the influence
OF strong drink. He was always known
| as q brave, courteous and efficient Off
| Ger. In fight with the Rogue River
| Indians a Sergeant was wounded and
4
| Capt. Ord, on horseback, rode back
alone, some 60 yards, picked up the
wounded man and brought him safely
| off under the fire of the Indians, who
were in close pursuit. He led skir-
mish line through prairie fire and
routed the NeZ Perce Indians in 1855.
He wen the first victory of the war, l
think, with the Pennsylvania Reserves,
at Dranesville, Va, where his GOODNESS
and vigilance prevented our troops from
| firing on each other by mistake. He
was wounded at least twice during the
war. II Gen. Ord had been either in
| temperate of incompetent it is not likely
| that Gen. Grant would have placed him
/ In command of q fine corps, as he did.
/ The General who makes no enemies
while in active service must be a rather
mild specimen"
/ Soldiers of Foreign Birth.
4 COrnrdQe II. l.. s-ipnn Writes from
| Ashland, Ore, that he reaG in a recent
issue of The National Tribune an arti
/ Gle headed Soldiers of Foreign Birth >
j He adds that in our earlier wars "there
must have been a larger per cent of
| foreign birth than served in the civil
war"
My great grandfather, Benjamin
| Whitmore, was of English birth. He
/ came to this country when a young
man, enlisted in the army and served
under Washington. He was in the bat
/ tie of the Cowpens, Falling Timbers and
| Yorktown. He settled near Baltimore,
where he was married. He afterwards
moved to Lexington, KY, where he was
drafted to go with st. Clair against the
| Indians. He hired a substitute. gave
him s1S and a gun: but st. Clair was
defeated. The substitute was killed.
| Grandfather then moved to Ohio, en-
| tered some Government land when 1t
| was six miles to his nearest neighbor.
| He later lost his life while at log
| house raising. He was carrying up one
corner when his AK came off the handle,
! he lost his balance and fell, receiving
injuries from which he died that night.
| Grandfather Glenn was OF Scotch
| birth. Came TO this country while
young man, and served in the War of
| 1912. Father was born in 1910, and
was only two years old when his father
| came nome anu MIN d present
| of fiint-lock shotgun that he had
brought from the army. Father still
| had the gun at the time of his dsath,
at the age of SO years.
Has n Wartime Relic.
Comrade D. C. Daggett writes from
Mount Vernon, y. Y, that there has
recently come into his possession a relic
| os the civil war in the shape of a Colts
| revolver. On the butt of the weapon
| is this inscription: Presented 10 Capt.
Taggart by j. T. and w. Fl. Rowlett."
II have no objection to surrendering
this article" adds Comrade Daggett,
Ito any one to whom it is of value as a
family relic
Good Times in Nebraska.
A communication from Greenwood,
Neb, tells of the prosperity of G.. \. r.
Post, 149, and the Circle of the Ladies
of the G. A. r. at that place. The
writer describes the good times that
are had by the "old boys of 1851 to
1865" and their ladies'. Recently the
members of the Circle rendered the vet
Grams there a feast at the conclusion of
a Campfire. The menu embraced oys-
ters and other delicacies. The writer
hopes the spirit of comradery at Green