The National tribune., 1907-02-14
PICKET SHOTS
Prem Alert Comrades Along the Whole
Line.
How He Escaped Being Taken.

How He Escaped Being Taken.
Lewis B. Jessup, cath Ind, New Car
Isle, Ind, says he has been very much
interested in the comrades accounts of
their prison experiences, and tho he
was never a prisoner OK war he has no
one but himself to blame for that fact.
At the battle Of Champions Hill his
regiment got some 400 yards In ad-
vance OF the main battle line on ac-
count of the unevenness of the ground
and the denseness of the woods in which
they were deployed. Just at this juno
ture they encountered Pemberton's
whole force, 35, 900 strong. He and six
other comrades advanced about 100
yards in front and to the right, where
the water had washed out a rayine
some 10 feet deep in the shape of the
letter u. They took position in the
ditch, and did remarkably well for a
short time, but about 40 of the enemy
presently advanced towards his squad.
Comrade Jessup. who had Just fired a
load from his Springfield, threw 1t out
side the ditch and grabbed a root grow
ing on top. When he had nearly drawn
himself up the grub broke. and he fell
back into the ditch. His first thought
was to lie still and play dead; then he
thought, mo, sir; no Libby Prison for
me-" One of his comrades said. Here,
Bunk: give me your foot He did SO,
and found himself outside. He stopped
to pick up his gun. which he had
thrown over when in the ditch, but a
Johnny approached him. saying. Lay
that down. Comrade .Jessup drew the
hammer back and the Johnny halted.
The comrade then jumped for a tree
about 10 inches in diameter, when an
Enfield ball struck 1t. tearing off a large
part of the tree. He ran up the hill,
and was soon with his regiment and by
the colors again, feeling safe. He fired
two shots and was about to fire third,
when a shot struck him in the first rib
and stopt his energy for time. Altho
this happened 43 years ago. 1t is all as
fresh In his memory as If it happened
yesterday
Charlottesville.
Michael C. Carney, Co. +. 61st Ohio,
New Lexington, o., says he was very
much Interested in Comrade Henry
Gushee's description of the 33d Mass.
at the battle of Characteristic. In re-
ply he writes: "Now, Comrade Gushee,
Gen. Barlow and Gen. o. o. Howard
rode up our line on the plank road to
review the front of Fitz Hugh Lees po-
sition, which the 61st and 45th n. Y.
were holding firmly. and as Gen. How
ard came back he gave us orders TO
about-face, and when we got turned.
down came the cannons on top of the
line, with the horses running loose.
About the time the artillery AMI loose
horses got past us. here We're Stonewa,l
Jackson's men right on our backs, and
Fitz Hugh Lees men right In our front
within bayonet reach. We gave them
one vOlley, and then obliqued to the
southeast of the plank road. Gen. Bar
low and Gen. Howard must be given al.
honor, as they were looking after then
duty as far as they We're able. and it is
not justice to accuse Gen. Howard IF
losing Charlottesville. as the real
blame lay with the Colonels of regi-
ments and Captains of companies who
deserted the line of battle. They are
the real culprits. Had they remained
with their men, keeping them firm in
their places in the battle line, we would
never have lost an inch of ground nor
the knapsacks of the 33d Mass neith-
err"
Morganza Bend and other Things.
F. S. Francis. Co G, 18th Conn, Col
linsville, Conn.,. says Comrade A. Ritz.
Co. II. 26th Ind, is away off in his
statements. He was doubtless captured
and taken to Texas, but when he says
there were $4,000 men at MorganZa
Bend he is talking thru his hat. There
was never a third or fourth of that
number at that place. With regard to
Fitz John Porter, Comrade Francis has
Gen. Pope's official report of his opera
tons in Virginia, who says that he or
dered Porter to move to the field of
battle and attack. Grants and Porter's
contention that Longstreet was there
with 10000 men has no bearing on the
subject. He was ordered to attack, and
If the combined armies of the COnfed-
crates We're in his front he should have
obeyed orders. The trouble was Por-
ter was a pet of Mcclellan, and was
made to think he was to be displaced,
and he did not intend to help Pope if
he could avoid it. Comrade Francis
thinks if the Army of the Potomac had
moved promptly to Pope's support the
result would have been very different.
A Bullet Struck Lincoln.
Lieut-Col. William P. Roome, 65th
N. Y, ia w. 86th ST., New York City,
n. Y, gives an interesting story about
a bullet having struck President Lin
coin during the fight at Fort Stevens.
He says that the President came into
the fort, and stopt within a few yards
of him at a point where he could have
a good view of the panorama of the
fight. The firing was quite heavy, but
most of the enemy's shots fell short "f
the fort, tho an occasional bullet would
come singing over the works. A long
range bullet struck the President on
the thigh. The force was not sufficient
to harm him, possibly to even pene-
trate his pantaloons, and the bullet fell
to the ground President Lincoln paid
no attention to 1t other than to glance
down and smile momentarily.
The GatIlng Gun mt Knoxville.
w. S. Boots, 1st Ohio H. A., Sullivan,
O., says, in reply to Comrade Kitchen,
that the gun was captured by Stone
mans command at Salisbury, N. c. The
gun instead of being composed of a
number of rifle barrels was one solid
piece of brass. The muzzle proper was
turned round for about four feet, the
balance of the breech was as square as
could be made and about 80 inches
long. The gun was made like the old
pepper-box revolver. 1t was presented
to Gov. Vance by some one in England,
and he is not able to say what became
Of it. 1t fell into our hands after the
surrender of Salisbury. Comrade Boots.
l. ,l1r