The National tribune., 1906-06-21
PICKET SHOTS
From Alert Comrades Along the Whole
Line.
In Rebel Prisons at panv.lIc.


Comrade Frank a. Hall, Co. K, z. r.
B., Md Vols, writes from Lisbon, How
ard Co., Nd: Il notice in late issue
that Gems. Crook and Kelly were cap
tured, 1 think. in Cumberland. They
were confined in what we called No
O. at Danville, but only stayed there i
short time. There were about 200 or
800 officers in pen No. 2. After the
rebel guards fired on the prisoners al
Salisbury the officers were sent to Dan
vile. / belonged in No. l. 1t was a
good-sized building, but before my seven
months expired we had plenty of room.
/ carried two scars on my hips as big
as "a goose dollar for about three years
afterward from lying on the board floor.
When a man got sick he was sent To
the lower floor where the boards We're
softer. After getting out of this pen l
was somewhat daZed for about TIVE
months afterwards, and of course a
good many things have escaped my
memory.
Il was but 16 years of age when
enlisted. April 19, 1851, but it seemed
TO me / was 81. I always carried
gun and was never sick one day in the
three years and six months of my ser
vice. !, WOULD like to know if John
Iindenthai is living. He Served with
in Co. B. Goth Inf, commanded at that
time by Bvt. Col. ]. C. Bates, recently
Chief of staff. U. s. A"
n The u-Fated SuItana.
Comrade E. Winters. 1891 Madison
Road, Cincinnati, O., wishes TO reply to
Comrade John BuIlamore's request as
to the number of those comrades on
the hl-fated Sultana at the time of her
destruction. Comrade Winters was one
of the survivors of that terrible disas-
ter, and can never forget the awful
1sa, E,rn, -la.ah hae in
formation he has been able to get he
judges there were on board 2,400 SOL
diers, eX-prisoners of war, from Castle
Morgan, Cahaba, Ala, and from An
dersonville, Ga; 199 citizen passengers,
including IL ladies, and a crew of about
S0-in all about $3.50. The official re-
port gave the loss as over 1900, but as
a good many died afterwards in the
hospitals he has no doubt but the loss
was fully 1900. Only two of the ladies
were saved. Comrade Bullamore was
fortunate in only being a spectator.
There are about leo survivors of the
disaster who have formed two associa-
tions, the National Association and the
Tennessee Association.
Death of A. p. Hill.
H. l. Farnsworth, 207th Pa, Cou-
dersport, Pa, says that Comrade Linck
is about right with regard to the 27th
Pa. was side by side with the 9th
Mich, and led in the charge on the
front of the fort. Near the works the
207th's colors fell, with the color
bearer receiving 13 bullets in his breast.
The Colonel ordered the flag to be plant
ed on the parapet. In charging over
the work at Fort Damnation the 207th
Pa. lost six officers. The brigade was
finally called off, after fighting % hours.
Then the 27th Mich. and the Wisconsin
troops charged and took the place.
Later in the afternoon Comrade Farms
worth found three rebs hid in bomb
proof and ordered them out. One was
badly wounded. They said that A. p.
Hill was their General. and that he fell
little after noon down toward Fort
Steadman. Several other Johnnies at
different times told Comrade Farms
worth the same story. They said that
Hill with his glass was standing on the
work looking across the ravine to where
the Indian sharpshooters were and lid
balls Battery. His wife was with him
and stood in the work for about go
minutes, when she became scared and
sat down behind the work. She begged
Hill to do the same. but he would not,
and she finally pulled him down into
her lap, telling him that the Indian
sharpshooters were firing directly at
him. In spite of her he got up on the
falling back dead in his wife's lap.
Crossed the Tennessee in Canoes.
Comrade William Fisher, Co. B. 57th
Ohio, writes from Arcadia, o., that he
cannot agree with Comrade Barnes as
to some of the happenings about Chat
tanooga. He says he takes great in
terest in reading articles in The Ma
tional Tribune concerning the Army of
the Tennessee. He adds that Gen.
Sherman's troops were ready to cross
the river about midnight, and about
two brigades of the Fifteenth Corps
crossed in canoes and took the rebel
pickets by surprise and formed in line
of battle. BY morning Gen. Sherman's
men built the pontoon bridge across
the river and then his army crossed
over. MY regiment" concludes Com
rade Fisher, was among those that
went over the Tennessee River in
canoes at night, and l can never forget
the trying experience, but we never re-
ceived any credit for it. / always take
great interest in The National Tribune"
Branded With the Letter 3D.,
Comrade L. w. Greer. Co. NJ, Sd w.
Va. Cav, writing from Crown City, O.,
says that while in camp at Charleston.
w. Va, a deserter was branded with
hot iron. "I don't remember his
name" adds Comrade Greer, but Gen.
Dune was IN command or the Third
Cavalry Brigade, consisting of the 1st,
I'd, Sd and 7th W. Va. Cav He marched
the command out and formed a hollow
square. Then the prisoner was
brought forth, and his head shaved.
The branding-iron was heated to a
white heat and the letter d. about
three inches long, burned on his naked
hip. This was done in the presence of
about 1000 soldiers. l don't remember
what regiment he belonged to, but he
got his head shaved and was branded
all the same"
Were Uncle Sans Backbone.
times as they were from 1857 to 1861,
and then to 1865. and then at our pres
ent times, II seems as though we are in
new world" writes Comrade Frank
lin Eoch, Sergeant, Co. d, 4Sth Pa,
from Anita, Pa How the young men
from Is to 25 years of age stood by
Uncle Sam as long as he needed them
and no matter what came before them
they responded to every call. The civil
war cost many lives and much money
and made the United States one of the
greatest Nations on the globe. In 1857
one could hardly get money with which
to buy postage stamp. / hope our
gold standard may stand forever. This
Government should pension its soldiers
according to their service, and give
every man what his disability entities
him to. ] would like to see the per
diem bill passed; then justice will be
done to the veterans who were Uncle
Sans backbone in the great war"