The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-05-24
PICKET SHOTS
From Alert Comrades Along the Whole
Line.
Prison Fare In Danyille Pens.


Corncob bread and sheep peas COM
| prised the food given TO the Union pris-
oners in the Danville (Va.) prison pen
Tor seven months, according to Com
| rade Frank A. Hall, Co. a, 1st Md, p
II. b., in communication to The Ma
| tional Tribune from Lisbon, Ind. He
was prisoner. there for the best part
| of year. and declares that the cap
tives at Andersonville We're better off
than those in the pens at Danville
THE corncob bread had no salt in it."
| adds Comrade Hall. "In memory l can
now see those skeleton forms of our
men covered with vermin. Our captors
would not even give us light. The win
| doWs were boarded up, and to touch
| one OF them you were setting yourself
up for target from the sentinel below
1t was in February, 1865, we were ex-
| changed. and the Government sent some
clothing to cover our nakedness. l hal
traded the buttons off my blouse with
/ the rebs for tobacco.
l. IF the bill for the ex-prisoners Of
war cannot be passed in it's original
4 form, why not give us so cents a day
i for the time we were confined and call
it square? / love The National Tribune
and had ] known it was so interesting
would have subscribed for it years
ago."
4 Everything Was Fair I'm War.
j An Interesting incident that happened
i just before the battle of Fredericksburg
/ is related by William II. Trimmer, of
! Merchandising. Pa. 1t was related to
him by his brother. whose regiment
came to halt in sight Of the town. and
the commanding officer told the men
they might begin the erection Of their
Winter quarters, but there was no AK
in the company with which to cut tim
| Der He was member pannSyl-
vania regiment. and not far away was
| New York regiment, several men of
| which had axes and were busily en-
| gagged in cutting down trees with which
| to build their Winter quarters. Trimmer
| and another man named Eph went over
| and stole an ak from the New Workers..
| and ran back to camp with the stolen
| property. They ran one behind the 9TH
| er, and when Eph discovered Trimmer
| in his rear he shouted:
Thunder almighty, Trimmer. will
| never go with you to steal anything any
| right behind me. If that fellow who
| had the ak had shot at you and missed
| you he would have hit me-
'EDh was 35 or 40 years old, and
Trimmer was but Is. Eph professed to
be a great Christian, and would not
swear or steal, but If he got excited he
would say Thunder almighty He would
in SO doing he was not SHINING. Please
tell me if the old 1st Pa. r. V. c. was u
lighting regiment.
Seeking His Old Comrades.
Forty years since, Aug. 16. 1865"
writes Comrade S. L. Brown, Co. B. |
10th Pa. Cav, Mineral. Ill. How many
Of the boys Of the 10th Pa. Cav. who
received their discharges on that date
would answer roll call to-day? What n
strange Transformation those 40 years
would show could the boys of Co. B be |
called into line to-day. looking just S
they did then, and facing them another
line as they are to-day. On the one
side young. keen-eyed daredevils, train !
ed In the art of war. with muscles like |
iron and nerves as steel: on the other. |
old men. with white hair. bent forms
and feeble steps. /
where are they all to-day? Call the |
roll. Serg't Will Colvin. and see if they
are all present and accounted for and |
answer for yourself. Where have you
been these 40 years? You can't have
forgotten those days when we first went |
soldierin'.' oh. weren't we green? And
do you remember the regimental drills
out near Bladensburg? Can't you yet
hear Col. John Irwin Gregg giving or
ders to Capt. Hurst: Maj. Fry. with
clanking spurs and sword; Dad" KEEL
ly. Johnny Covin. Serg't Smith and all
the rest down to 4? Where are you
all?"
Who Knows COmrade Pruett.
Comrade ]. r. Adams, 1902 Douglas
street, st. Joseph. Mo-. says he knows
a poor and destitute woman who has
not heard from her husband since he
was in the army, and she would like
to know whether he is living or dead
His name was Mills Pruett, and he first
enlisted in Co. A. 5th Mo. Cav. and was
mustered out with his regiment June
%, 1863, and re-enlisted in Co. /, 18th
Mo. Cav. He was last heard from at
the close of the war at Benton Bar
racks, st. Louis, Mo. He never returned
to his wife at st. Joseph, Mo. She would
like to know IL anyone has heard from
him or can give information as to his
whereabouts. or il dead, where he died.
Address Mrs. Mahala James, ll24l
Douglas street. st. Joseph, Mo.
Needs Addition and Subtraction.
Referring to a communication in a
recent issue OF The National Tribune
describing the 1920 N. Y. Comrade j.
d. Adams. 1909 Douglas street, ST. Jo-
seph. Mo-, says the article needs some
addition as well as subtraction" He
declares that Col. HammersteIn was
never In command OF that regiment butt
was commander Of the 7Sth N. Y, of