The National tribune., 1907-05-09
PICKET SHOTS
From Alert Comrades Along the Whole
Line

ISL ina cav. 0tn Ran. cav. 50 ioNit
Battery and the sunboat Tyler. II his
memory serves him rightly, Co. G and
| the 2Sth Wis. were out on the Little
Rock road. with Lieut.. Turner in COM
| mand of Co. G. The rcbs captured their
ambulance, together with three men,
while they were ont after the wounded.
| One incident al the battle OF Helena
made great impression on him: there
was a Confederate regiment from Mis-
souri, which took part in this battle
commanded by Col James Lewis, and
| the Colonel of the 2Sth Wis. was also
| a Col. Lewis. The Union Col. Lewis
captured the rebel Col. Lewis. and the
coincidence struck him as very curious
| He would like to know who il WAS went
out the night the 18th VT. was captured
and retook the rifle pits. He thinks it
was the 18th Wis. The reason he thinks
| so was that he was on the skirmish line
! that night. Would be glad to hear
| from the 21st n. Y. Battery and also
| the 26th n. Y The 2Sth Wis. sup
ported those two batteries until they
were moved to the left. Would also
| like to hear from Lieut.. Grove Young,
of the 9TH Kan. Cav.
The Burning of Columbia.
Fl. Il. Allen, Co. F, 23d Ind, Royal
Center, Ind. says, with regard to the
account of the burning of Columbia by
iihiipS. ". II, III iiu'' tiiSll iit
is sorry to criticize any one of his COM
rades. but thinks we want the facts. as
anything else will hurt us, and espe-
cially damage our good National Trib-
une. We have forgotten so much that
the only good some of US do by writing
out our experiences is to stir up some
one who really does remember. Com
rade Philips says he has a vivid recol-
lection of the burning of Columbia. and
that his brigade, the Second. First Divi-
sion. Fifteenth Corps, was the first 10
enter the city. A part of the Fifteenth
Corps went thru the city in the after
noon and out on the Camden road into
camp. The city was on fire before our
troops crOst the river. Gen. Potts had
the fias put up on the Court House be-
fore noon, and so opened the way for
the Fifteenth Corps to go over later in
the day. When Gen. Smiths Division.
Seventeenth Corps, got opposite the
city, before the sun rose. the enemy
were leading a train to leave the city.
Benjamin's Battery threw a solid shot
which hit the engine and stopt the
train. the passengers leaving the train
and running back into the city. They
looked like bees to him as they ran
back. He hopes that any of the COM
rades who see this and who were pres
ent at the burning of Columbia will
write and give their experiences.
An Unpleasant Memory.
Ezra Piper, 19sth Pa, Sumner, ILL.,,
reads The National Tribune regularly,
and does not think he could get along
without it. He has been looking for a
long time for some word from the 19Sth
Pa, but has never heard one word from
any of the boys. Hopes they are not all
dead. The comrade would like to re-
mind them of an incident which oc-i
CURED ut Hatcher's Run, Va: how some
of the boys slept in places where the
water and slush was two inches deep:
how they stood in line of battle all
night. with rain, sleet and snow falling
until they were soaked to their hide,
and their clothes frozen on them, with
orders TO build no fires for fear of at |
tracing the attention of the Johnnies. !
Before the night was half over some of
the boys sufferings became SO intense
that they took chances on the shell and |
shot and started little fires to warm
their aching bodies. Some of them got
so close to the fire they scorched their
pants and burned great rents in their
clothing. Would like to know if they
remembered how Comrade Alburtis be-
came so exhausted from want of sleep
that he lost consciousness while stand
ing and fell across one of the fires, gun.
accoutcrments and all, and how the
boys laughed. How glad they were
" Hell the iIlpIHIHS came duG WIN II
some relief from their sufferings.
a Great Wrong.
Mr.. \. ]. Nelson, Friend, Neb, thinks
a great injustice has been done the
widows of the comrades with regard to
pensions What right has Congress to
make Il law which, even if a widow has
a few hundred dollars accumulated by
careful saving, takes from her the IS
or S12 pension to which she is entitled ?
The woman who stood by the comrade
in the time of war, who cared for him
when age and sickness Frustrated him,
and who has done her best to help him
bear the burdens of life, is certainly
entitled to a pension in addition to any
little money which she may have. 1t
is robbery to deprive her of pension
on that account. 1t is a great injus-
tice, and the poor widow needs some
one to look after her rights. Comrades,
YOU should see that she has them. You
may have to leave widow who may
be robbed in this same way. The poor
has no voice in the matter; she
has not ming to do with the laws Such
4 law should be repealed at once and
believe | voice the sentiments of every
comrade when | say this great wrong
can and shall be made right.
He Was There.
S. T. Seamans, Co. C, 1S6th NJ Y.
Norwich, n. Y, in reading The National
Tribune, saw an article by Comrade P.
5. Philbrick, of the eth Mich, and
would like to ask the cOmrade if all
he 2Tth. or 9Th Conn. Fl. \. was think
ng of was to plant their colors on rebel
works. When our forces charged Fort
Malone, on April ., 1865, he was there
n Co. c. iS6th n. Y, Col. Bradley Win
slow commanding. His recollection OF
he charge is not very clear, but he does
Know it was not very light when they
vent over the breastworks of Fort Ma =
hone. The regiment did not stop there.
or they We're bound for Petersburg
md Were at least Il quarter of a mile in
he rear of Fort Malone when their
Colonel was wounded. As near as he
AN emember. all was confusion during
sunday Almost everybody with Shout
Ter straps, and scme without, had some
hing to say. He was only a boy then, :,
md is not old enough yet to get pen Il
ion, but thanks God was not disabled. p
Taf toll q l..