The National tribune., 1910-03-17
PICKET SHOTS
From Alert Comrades Along the
Whole Line.
The Streight Raiders.

The Streisht Raiders.
J. A. Duncan, Co. I. Cd Ohio, Wapel-
la, Ill, replying to an inquiry in regard
to the Streight raiders. says that he was
one of them who was in it from start
to finish. He differs from both Com
rades Gilbert and Nesmith in some
things He says that he cannot very
well recall when the first gun was fired
on them. After they crossed the War
rior River they were ordered to halt
at the roadside in the timber and un-
saddle and feed their horses and mules
and get breakfast. They had got about
half thru when they heard a cannon
shot fired by Forests men. which was
the first intimation they had had that
Forrest was near them. orders were
given to saddle up and move out, and
they kept it up until they reached Days
Gap in sand Mountain, where they were
drawn up in line of battle. with his reg
iment in front OF the two guns that had
been captured. After a few rounds had
been fired orders were given to his reg
iment to charge. which they did, and
captured two guns. A German, who
belonged to Co. j, had climbed to a
clump of trees about half way between
the lines, and picked off nearly all of
the battery horses with Colts revolv-
ing rifle that he had captured. This
hept tIe ItDeiS IIOlI getting lflelT guns
away. After the charge they were or
dered back to the horses, and, mount
ing. went away as fast as they could
until the rebels began to crowd them,
when they were ordered into line again
and drove the Johnnies back. At dark
they spiked the two guns and left them,
since they had no horses to draw them.
They marched all night. and the next
day in the evening the rebels came on
fuh
were driven back. Col. Hathaway, of
the 73d Ind, was killed and several
wounded. After the skirmish orders
were given to the regiment to take
rails from the fences and make barri-
cades of them all along our front. AS
soon as 1t got dark fire was set to the
rails. and while they were burning the
regiment was ordered to mount and
ride. with Comrade Duncaa's company
Il, Sd Ohio in advance. Col. Streight
had ordered detail of the best-mount-
ed men, 100 in all, to ride on ahead
and seize the bridge across the Coosa
River at Rome and hold it until he
could get there with the rest of the
command, but before the command got
there Forrest had sent orders to the
officers in command at Rome to send
forward men and fix the bridge to blow
1t up in case they could not hold it,
When the regiment came in sight of the
bridge they could get no farther, and
Forrest sent out a flag of truce The
regiment had been halted to let the
men and horses have a little rest, and
were strung along the road, and each
man took the bundle of corn blades
from his saddle to feed his poor, tired
steed, and then crawled into the fence
corners to fall asleep. The first that
Comrade Duncan knew was the commo-
tion caused by the flag of truce that
Forrest had sent in. Col. Streight called
council of officers, and it was decided
to surrender Streight told Forrest that
If he would divide ammunition with
him he would fight it out right there
but Forrest knew better. since we had
whipped him in three different battles.
The regiment stacked arms, and For
rest started them for Rome, Is miles
away.
The First Defenders.
Capt. James L. Schaadt, ex-Mayor of
Allentown, Pa, has recently completed
careful history of the Allentown
First Defenders" This was officially
known as the Allentown Infantry, and
was commanded by Maj. Yeager. There
were five companies-two from Potts
vile, one from Reading, one from Lo-
gan and one from Allentown. AS soon
as the papers announced the firing on
Fort Sumter Capt. Yeager went to Har-
risburg. and rendered his services to
the Governor of Pennsylvania, and was
given Captains commission. On the
18th of April Capt. Yeager, with AZ
men. left for Washington. Among these
was Comrade n. II. Cole who now lives
at 1884 street southeast, Washington,
ID. c. The men were armed with the
old-fashioned fint-lock guns with bay
onetS. Many of the guns were not pro-
vided with fiints even. The five COM
panies succeeded in getting thru Balti-
more. and were the first to arrive in
Washington, where they were warmly
welcomed by President Lincoln and Civ
en- Harpe1'S Ferry muSkets with am
munition.
Made His Escape From the Train.
C. W. Rumble, Sd n. Y. Cav, 1144
Eddy street, San Francisco, Cal, says
that he was in Andersonville about five
months, and was Sergeant of Detach-
ment No. 81. He made three attempts
to escape. One was by jumping from
running train near Augusta on the
way to Andersonville. He was in the
woods two days and nights, fed by ne
gro slaves, but was treed by hounds
the third day, and taken to Augusta
and put in a cell in the town jail. After
a few days he was handcuffed as an
extra bad Yankee and sent to Ander-
in 1864. He will send a printed story
OF his escape gratis to anyone who will
write to him.
The Explosion at City Point.
Roscoe Wolcott, Waterford, o., be-
longed to the 11Sth Ohio, and was with
his company at Point of Rocks, Bur
muda Hundred and City Point. He was
holding frying pan of meat over
fire at the time of the awful explosion
of ordnance stores at City Point, on
Aug. 9. 1864, about IL o'clock. His
regiment was camped near the brick
church by the long row of cedar trees
fragments of mems bodies and the
them, and the destruction of property
was terrible. 1t was a sight to be al
ways remembered.
Says He Didn't Say 1t.
| j. P. Greed, South Bend, Ind, thinks
that The National Tribune did not quote
him correctly in his defense of Mr..
Peary. He says The National Tribune
harm in using the Flag as an adVertis-
ing agency" etc. Now. Mr.. Editor, L
said nothing of the kind nor used words
| from which it could be inferred, and I
ask that you explicitly withdraw your
| garbled statement or publish my letter
! in full. Comrades in my Post have no.
| ticed it and have spoken to me about
it. ard In publishing what you did you
| did me a great injustice and caused ad-
verse comment by my comrades here"