The National tribune., 1908-04-23
PICKET SHOTS
rom Alert Comrades Along the Whole
Line.
ChanceIlOrsviile.

Editor National Tribune: I am fol-
lowing you on the Charlottesville
campaign. In my opinion, no corps
in our army could have withstood the
fierce assault of Jackson's men; but sup
posing Barlow's Brigade, Sickles's
Corps, and Wslliams's Division of Slo-
Gums Corps, had been in their places,
from which that wild goose chase un-
der Sickles took them "a force prob
ably equal to Jackson's in every way)
had been there to receive the broken
lines of the enemy as the Eleventh
Corps fell away, 1 feel that Jackson
would have been defeated right there,
and attribute our defeat largely to that
movement under Sickles which took
ceived Jackson calmly with shotted
guns. True, these troops fought the
next day. but to the greatest disad-
vantage and with sure defeat staring
them in the face-Lawrence Wilson,
Pension Office, Washington, D. C.
Iowa Soldiers Voted.
Charles Chandler, 9th Iowa, S21
Francisco street Los Angeles, Cal, says
that Iowa gave the largest Republican
majority at the Presidential election of
1864 of any State, and much of this was
due to the soldier vote. They held the
election near Kenesaw Mountain, as
they We're driving Hoods army North
for Pap Thomas to grind up. He and
Lieut. Ingram went to the polls, where
they found a large supply of Mcclellan
tickets, but none for Lincoln. Their
Lieutenant-Colonel had brought the Nc
Clellan tickets, and said there were no
Lincoln tickets to be had. He and
Lieut. Ingram went over to the camp
of the 9Th Iowa, where he found large
supply of Lincoln tickets. and brought
them back for the boys. There were
over 200 votes cast for Lincoln and but
two for Mcclellan. The latter were
cast by Lieut.-Col. Ciune and Private
Ayers. But one regiment out of 16 in
Sherman's arms gave Mcclellan a ma
jority.
Beer in the Army.
John w. Magam, who served in the
army over four years, and has been a
letter carrier for 81 years, now resides
at Burkett, Neb. His elder brother, now
dead, served 10 years as a soldier and
29 years as a letter carrier. He had two
other brothers and two brothers-in-law,
who each served three years. He is
deeply incensed at soldiers being al
lowed to carry beer in their canteens
instead of water. He is certain that he
voices the opinion of 80 per cent of the
boys who marched under the shadow of
Old Glory during the war, and he is
firm in the belief that the men who
did not drink anything but water could
march farther and stand the hardships
much longer than the men who drank
liquors. He would not want to go into
a battle late in the day with an army
of men who had drunk beer all day in
stead of water.
A Patriotic Boy.
Calvin H. Pyles, Newburg, w. Va,
says that tho he is only boy of Is he
greatly enjoys reading The National
Tribune. He had five uncles and one
| grandfather in the war, and could also
mention many other relatives. Four of
his uncles and his grandfather were in
| the infantry and the other uncle was in
the cavalry. His grandfather never
came back, having been captured and
starved to death before he could reach
| the Union lines. He is deeply angered
at the attempt to erect a monument to
Wirz.
The Ninth Corps at Fredericksburg.
| J. w. Robinson, Sergeant, 11th N. H,
Algona, Iowa, is much interested in the
| history of the ARMY of the Potomac but