History of Washington County, Iowa from the first white settlements to 1908. Also biographical sketches of some prominent citizens of the county, Vol. I, Part 32

Author: Burrell, Howard A
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 558


USA > Iowa > Washington County > History of Washington County, Iowa from the first white settlements to 1908. Also biographical sketches of some prominent citizens of the county, Vol. I > Part 32


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35


COMPANY K-THIRTEENTII INFANTRY.


Jas. W. Atwood, killed July 24, '64, near Atlanta ; Levi M. Roberts, killed July 21, '64, near Atlanta ; John W. Stanton, killed July 22, '64, near Atlanta ; John Ashworth, June 11, '62, Monterey, Tenn. ; Jos. W. Atwood, killed July 21, '64, near Atlanta ; Elisha Brown, June 8, '62, Monterey, Tenn. ; J. R. Beas- ley, captured July 22, '64, near Atlanta, died October 15, '64, Florence, S. C., while prisoner ; Patrick Casey, June 8, '62, Monterey ; Owen M. Creath, cap- tured April 6, '62, Shiloh, died April 11, '62, at Savannah, Tenn., prisoner ; Martin Casey, killed July 5, '64, at Atlanta ; Daniel Coriell, wounded July 1, '64, died July 27, '64, of wounds, at Atlanta ; Walter Dillon, April 7, '62, at Pittsburg Landing ; Geo. Hutchison, July 27, '64, of wounds at Atlanta ; Wm. A. Hart, killed July 21, '64, Atlanta ; Michael Kelly, June 10, '62, at Mound City, Ill., of wounds at Shiloh ; David Kanausse, killed April 6, '62, Shiloh ; B. F. Lamb, died April 28, '63, at Vicksburg, badly wounded at Shiloh ; Felix L. Lindsay, wounded July 22, '64, died next day at Atlanta ; L. C. Neagle, Feb- ruary 23, '65 ; Newman J. Ohmart, May 19, '62; John Pinkering, February 19, '65, Louisville, Ky. ; Wm. Quingley, February 19, '65, Hilton Head, S. C .; George G. Robison, killed July 22, '64, Atlanta ; L. M. Roberts, killed July 21, '64, Atlanta : Jacob Spainhower, January 30. '65, Washington ; M. T. Snyder, wounded April 6, '62, Shiloh, died September 16, '62 ; Wm. H. Smith, January 19, '65, Huntsville, Ala. ; John M. Wood, October 2, '62, Jackson, Tenn. ; W. L. Wilkins, April 4, '65, Nashville.


COMPANY I-EIGHTEENTH INFANTRY.


Wm. B. Green, October 8, '62, of wounds near Newtonia, Mo .; Wm. H. H. Morgan, September 5, '62, Jeff. City, Mo .; Jas. E. Vore, at Tyler, Texas,


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prisoner, September 6, '64 ; Jos. R. Winders, November 20, '62, Springfield, Mo .; Henry R. Blankenship, April 30, '65, Van Buren, Arkansas ; A. D. Cor- dell, killed, May 7, '64, Van Buren, Ark., by bushwhackers; Jason L. Ellis, February 28, '63, Springfield, Mo .; Harry Hunt, September 16, '64, at Tyler, prisoner ; Joseph A. Jones, November 18, '62, Springfield, Mo .; Chas. John- son, July 22, '64, Ft. Smith, Ark. ; David K. Patterson, November 15, '62, Springfield, Mo .; Geo. S. Perry, August 10, '64, on march between Clarksville and Ft. Smith, Ark .; Wm. W. Raney, Nov. 1, '62, Fayetteville, Ark. ; Kelly Shadden, February II, '63, Springfield, Mo .; Nathan Thornton, September 21, '62, Sedalia, Mo .; Josiah Wilson, December 3, '62, Springfield, Mo.


COMPANY C-NINETEENTH IOWA.


John C. Ritchie, killed at Morganzie, La., September 29, '63; Robt. M. Glasgow, wounded September 29, '63, at Morganzie, died January 29, '65. Vicksburg ; Geo. Temple, wounded September 29, '63, at Morganzie, fell on the colors, died October 10; Aaron Abbott, died March 11, '63, at Forsyth, Mo .; Samuel P. Beard, killed September 29, '63, Morganzie, La. ; L. W .. Car- son, December 1, '62, Ozark, Mo .; Jacob Bowman, November 5, '62, Spring- field, Mo .; David Gilleland, October 25, '63, at Washington, of wounds at Springfield, Mo .; Amos Helwick, April 3, '64, Brownsville, Texas; Richard H. Lewis, October 16, '63, New Orleans ; Wm. N. McConnaughey, July 22. '64 New Orleans; Geo. M. Stultz, drowned March 2, '63, at Forsyth, Mo., in White river ; Elias Worthington, Nov. 22, '62, Springfield, Mo.


COMPANY A-TWENTY-FIFTH INFANTRY.


Robt. B. White, June 20, '63, at Vicksburg ; H. M. Robertson, killed July 12, '63, Jackson, Miss. ; Daniel Jayne, January 18, '63, Napoleon, Ark. ; Samuel S. Cherry, February 4, '63, Vicksburg, Miss. ; Jas. A. McCorkel, August 26, '63, Monmouth, Ill. ; Wm. C. McClelland. died September 12, '63, Goodrich Landing, Miss. ; Jerome Beach, April 2, '63, Millikens Bend, La .; Wm. P. Bishop, May 25, '65, Washington, D. C .; John W. Cherry, May 24, '63, Young's Point, La. ; Elisha Coon, January 30, '63, Vicksburg, Miss .; Geo. T. Cavit, June 10, '63, on steamer ; Eugene Dunlap, July 30, '63, Jackson, Miss .; Jacob M. Hatcher, February 23, '63, Young's Point, La .; Jno. A. Hamilton, April 6, '63, Memphis ; Jno. A. Hammond, August 12, '64, Rome, Ga .; Joseph B. Lane, February 24, '63, St. Louis ; Geo. McDonnald, March 16, '63, on the steamer ; Matthew S. McDowell, November 27, '64, at Wash- ington ; Jas. T. McKee, May 29, '64, Dallas, Ga. ; Moses M. Messick, Decem-


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ber 2, '62, Helena. Ark. ; Michael O'Koeff, August 20, '63, Vicksburg : Hiram Payne, August 25, '63, Vicksburg; Jas. T. Patterson, killed May 27, '63, Vicksburg; Wesley Ritchie, December 3, '62, at Washington ; Richard H. Roach, October 18, '63, Vicksburg ; Wm. H. Shields, July 5, '63, Vicksburg ; Jno. W. Swift, died July 22, '63, St. Louis ; Wm. Steedman, July 8, '63. St. Louis ; Jos. Wallace, February 17, '63, Vicksburg ; Cyrus L. Woods, killed July 12, '63. Jackson, Miss. ; Jos. P. Work, March 9, '63, Young's Point, La.


COMPANY I-TWENTY-FIFTH 10WA INFANTRY.


L. B. Carll, December 16, '62, Helena, Ark .: Jno. J. McClelland, killed September 4, '64, Lovejoy Station, Ga .; Enoch F. Baine, September 8, '63, Camp Sherwin, Miss. : Hiram Alexander, wounded May 19, '63, at Vicksburg, died June 10, '63, on steamer, of wounds; Wm. V. Alexander, April 3, '63, Memphis ; Thomas M. Brown, May 5, '63. Millikens Bend ; Wm. P. Carlon, September 27, '63, Memphis: J. G. Cummins, December 17, '62, Helena ; Jos. Chiquet, August 31, '64, Marietta, Ga. : Geo. W. Gates, February 29, '64, Cleveland, Tenn. ; Jno. M. Johnson, February 12, '63, on steamer ; W'm. John- son, September 2, '62, Camp Sherman ; Wm. H. Morehead, February 4. '63, St. Louis ; John H. Neal, December 29, '64, Chattanooga : Warren I. Neal, August 12, '63. Camp Sherman, Miss. ; Robt. A. Nickell, August 18, '63, Camp Sherman ; David A. Porter, March 2, '63, St. Louis ; G. M. Springston, March 3, '65, New Berne, N. C .; Samuel Strain, April 18, '63, Memphis ; Alexander Seber, killed March 20, '65, Bentonville, N. C. ; Samuel B. Slaughter, wounded May 19, '63, at Vicksburg, died December 5. '63, at Pleasant Plains ; Wm. D. Twinam, August 29, '63, Vicksburg.


COMPANY E-THIRTIETH INFANTRY.


R. Baty, died November 9, '62, Keokuk ; P. F. Hemmenway, July 29, '63, on steamer : N. R. Cole, died January 31, '63, Vicksburg ; P. Thompson, De- cember 12, '63, at Chattanooga, in battle Taylor Ridge, Tenn .; J. M. White, November 3. '63, Memphis ; P. Ellis, killed in battle, May 22, '63, Vicksburg; B. F. Wright, March 2, '63, Memphis ; Jas. L. Bales, August 19, '63. Black River Bridge, Miss. ; B. Bowman, May 12, '63. Millikens Bend : Jas. Kree- gan, June 25, '63, Jefferson Bks., Mo .; H. G. Conner, February 26, '63. Vicksburg : D. Clapper. December 21, '63, Helena ; Wm. C. Donovan, August 4, '63. St. Louis ; R. E. Drake, February 26, '62, Young's Point, La. ; Amon Ellis, April 11, '63, on steamer : Samuel Fox, April 11, '63, on steamer ; Geo. Fowler, May 27, '63, Millikens Bend; M. Graham, killed October 21, '63,


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Cherokee Station, Ala. ; Geo. W. Hall, killed October 21, '63. Cherokee Sta- tion ; Charles Hug, July 19, '63, Vicksburg; Wm. C. Heston, November 5, 1862, Keokuk ; E. McEntire, October 14, 1862, Keokuk ; Geo. D. McCarty, December 14, 1863, Helena ; Samuel McCulley, killed May 22, '63. Vicksburg ; E. W. Nicholson, October 23, 1863, Keokuk ; Wm. M. C. Painter, missing, supposed to be dead; James Smith, November 14, 1863. St. Louis ; Jas. B. Shover. March 21, 1863, Vicksburg; Perry Stoker, August 1, 1863, on steamer ; J. P. Smith, December 9, 1863, Memphis ; Wm. M. Snyder, October 21, 1863. Cherokee Station, Ala. ; Ben. B. Swisher, killed November 27. 1863, Taylors Ridge, Ga. ; Josiah Smith, killed September 4. 1864, Lovejoy Station, Ga. : Robt. Shaw, August 9, 1863, Vicksburg; W. E. Townsend, January 10, 1863, Helena ; J. Wilkes, killed April 10, 1864, Clayville, Ala .; Harvey B WVissinger, killed September 5, 1864, Lovejoy Station, Ga .; Enos H. Whit- acre, March 9, 1863, on steamer : B. Wikoff, April 16, 1864, St. Louis.


COMPANY K-THIRTIETH INFANTRY.


Leonard Benn, died February 27, '63, Memphis; W. M. Stover. August 7, 1864, Rome, Ga .; Hiram Brown, March 4. 1863. Young's Point, La .; Ezra Bartholemew, killed November 27, 1863. Ringgold, Ga .: Chas. H. Davis, May 20, 1864, of wounds, at Resaca; J. G. Duvoa, killed June 17, '63, Vicksburg ; Jas. L. Davis, August 23, 1863, Black River Bridge, Miss. ; Chas. S. Edmondson, April 9. 1863. on steamer : Lorenz Escher, February 12, '63, Vicksburg ; David C. Frits, November 9. 1863, Memphis : Thomas J. Foster, killed January 11, 1863, Arkansas Post : James Gilbert, March 3, '63. St. Louis : James Hole, March 30. '63, Memphis : Samuel C. Loomis, killed January 11, '63, Arkansas Post ; Levi Lane, October 25, '63, Memphis : James M. Louder, October 23. 1863. Memphis ; Joseph G. Louder, March 16, '63, Millikens Bend; Wm. Merchant, August 28, 1863, Black River, Miss. : Alexander C. Miner, February 5, 1865, Keokuk ; Murat Rickey, December 24, '64, Annapolis, Md. ; Thos. Rickey, November 16, '62, Helena ; F. C. Rob- inson, wounded May 14. '64, Resaca, died May 16 of wounds ; Jasper N. Stattler, July 3. '64, at Andersonville, a prisoner.


COMPANY B-FORTY-FIFTH INFANTRY.


Geo. D. Brink, died September 8, '64, Memphis ; Henry Harris. July Io, '64, Memphis.


These names, together with Bert Huff, Ralph Conger and Fred Crawford who died in the late Spanish war, make up the entire list of those from Washi-


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ington county who have given their lives in the service of their country, as shown by the official records.


OPERA BOUFFE WARS.


The story of the forlorn hope squad that went in '42 to Wassonville to rescue a white girl from the Indians, is told elsewhere in this veracious history. One can see that kind of war almost any night in a tuppeny theater. A war of more dignity, size, gore, excretion, etc., was known as the "South English," or "Skunk River war," of August, 1863. The bush in Keokuk county was a jungle for frogs, mosquitoes and rebel sympathizers. In '48 the Tally family came here from Tennessee. The son Cyphert was a brilliant preacher, but he marred his career by voiding disloyal sentiments. At length Mt. Zion church was closed to him, but he spoke in the timber. He was lionized, his head swelled and turned, and he kept enlarging and aggravating his mis- takes, cutting Gospel fat with pro-slavery alcohol. On August 1, '63, he was the chief speaker at a democratic mass meeting. Arms were secreted under hay in many wagons. Republicans were hot, and erred in so tearing butter- nut badges from two women's dresses as to reveal their alleged charms. It probably improved their looks, but they and their friends were mad just the same. A republican meeting was being held in South English and the dem- ocrats went there, hunting trouble. Tally was shot dead, hit in the head, stand- ing in a wagon, revolver and bowie knife in his hands. Some one hundred and fifty shots were fired, but only Mr. Wyant was wounded. Two of Tally's gun chambers were empty. The funeral was to be held next day, Sunday, and the martyr's friends sought revenge. Wagon loads of men came from Wapel- lo, Mahaska and Poweshiek counties, and this motley mass formed the famous South English Army. Monday night two Sigourney men rode horseback to Washington, thence by hand car to Wilton Junction, thence by train to Daven- port, to see Governor Kirkwood. He ordered three hundred stands of arms forwarded, then concluded to go himself to the seat of war, and he went, minus collar and tie. Troops and cannon followed. He made a sensible speech, and the warriors slunk away like mist before the sun. The fire-in-the-rear army was estimated from five hundred to four thousand. On the Union side, according to the Adjutant General's report, were the Muscatine Rangers, Washington Provost Guards, Brighton Guards, Richland Home Guards, Fair- field Prairie, also Union Guards, Abingdon Home Guards, Libertyville Guards. Mt. Pleasant Artillery and Sigourney Home Guards-eleven companies. Nearly every body went from here, on that lark, in wagons, horseback, afoot. Mr. Rose, of Kilgore & Rose, foundrymen, "drug" a three-foot-long cannon he


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had forged. Sedate men, like the late Senator Wm. Wilson, joined this picturesque piece of chaos. Nothing equal to it since "Our army in Flanders" won the belt and championship as swearers. There was no commissary-how they lived is not known, and perhaps it is best not to inquire. No train of women followed, with bread, beans, sow-belly, eggs, pies, cheese, coffee. All afflicted with sea-sickness-reversed. Selah. No one was indicted for kill- ing Tally, and his slayer is not known to this day. C. J. Wilson denies this, saying the soldier slayer was well known.


From jocose tradition, one gets the impression that this was a Quixotic campaign. Judge Brown and McJunkin, two of our amateur warriors, for years gibed each other about their prowess, accidents, valor and things. The most salient features of the war were universal cases of summer complaint. It was August, and hot, and the change in water, diet and habits, the excite- ment, dust and unaccustomed exercise, put most of the troops hors de combat, that is, it was a "horse" on them. For many years the South English war was an active, transitive joke.


Our Col. C. J. Wilson saw Tally shot, throw up his arms and topple out of the wagon. Charley was a lad of thirteen years at the time, visiting rela- tives up there, and when firing began, he was, boy-like, scared, made a mis- step, and as he was falling, got a flashlight of the murder.


One of the funny incidents of the war was this : Several Washingtonans, including J. C. Conger, were hauling a cannon by a rope, as if it were a sulky mule. Perhaps there was a string of cannon. But by a ludicrous mistake, the ammunition train had gone round another way, up north, so that in any event the battery would have been useless in an action. Conger's witticism was this: They say we of the north are not strategists, but this separation of ammunition from ordnance disproves the unjust charge. For suppose the enemy should capture the artillery train, or the ammunition train, it would do them no good. It was a very happy mistake, at least. It was on this cam- paign that he made his invective against the moon. It was no fun to toil at a rope hitched to a cannon, and haul it thro' the mud in the dark, so he said that the moon has been vastly over-rated-all it is good for is to spoil fish thrown out in its beams, and to write sickish love poetry to, while its practical utility is very small-the confounded thing will never shine in a dark night when we want light. To this very night, fair Luna has hardly recovered from the effect of his gibe at her as an astronomical asset.


On Governor Kirkwood's trip to South English, he spent a night here, and while sitting in J. R. Davis' store on the Klein corner, a citizen whose loyalty was suspected, asked him if the men he was sending would shoot, really. He replied, "my friend, if you have friends among those rebels in Iowa, I advise


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you to send them word that no blank cartridges will be fired in this war." The man sneaked off, cowed.


The Union element in the county-the bulk of the population-was set on a hair trigger all through the war days, and men were as quick as gun- powder, and got mad and ready to knock at a breath of criticism or sarcasm or scorn. Even a humorist like Dr. Chilcote drew his cane on a man for "remarks made." Col. Palmer's father was as quick to smite a spouting rebel sympathizer as was the impulsive St: Peter. An unnaturalized Irish democrat challenged his vote and just missed the flight of both of Uncle Sammy's "dukes." Everybody was full of tobasco, red and green peppers, lemon extract, ginger and other bitey things.


If news came here, the country was to be signaled by firing a cannon in town, and when farmers heard it, they'd come tearing in on any old plug of a horse that was handy, a lot of Paul Reveres reversed. One morning, Mr. Joe Meek, living out five or six miles, went lickety-split by Mr. Palmer's, and was hailed and stopped and milked of his news. He had heard the gun, and was coming in to feed his ears. Palmer came along, and they got wind of the South English war. Palmer ran back to get his squirrel gun, and off he went in James Galloway's rig. Town teams and country teams were im- pressed to haul cannon and extempore troopers. Probably, Vint Andrus, home on sick leave, commanded our boys, or it may have been Chris. Jones who had been discharged for sickness. No enemy could be found, and as nothing was doing, Galloway said he'd go home. Palmer was amused and said "you can't leave without a permit." "Why not, pray?" Word was slipped to Andrus, and soon an orderly galloped there to forbid Galloway- "martial law prevails here, sir." But Galloway never saw the joke.


There were plenty of festivities to help the women's aid societies. Chris. Jones was a genius at such things. The first U. P. church (now Music Hall) was ever open for war doings- they would have let it for a pay dance, I guess. Jones once set up a mush and milk party in there, and it was a jam. The first course was a tin cup and a pewter spoon. After a while, they drove up a muley cow and milked her, and her out-put was poured into the cups as far asit would go. Another cow with a bell on was drafted and extracted. When all cups were full, copper and tin boilers of mush were toted in. After the meal dope had been landed, cartoonist Jones exposed a series of pictures of South English soldiers, McJunkin, Brown et al, in ridiculous attitudes. The receipts bought a lot of arnica and court plaster for the boys at the front. Money was poured out like water for them. The board of supervisors at one time ap- propriated five thousand dollars to care for the families of soldiers that were on short commons, and named Dr. Chilcote, Judge Ross and C. H. Wilson a


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committee to administer the fund. Learning that flour was soon to advance in price, they bought all the flour in town, and it and other food stuffs were stocked in Chilcote's drug store. Mrs. Pat. King applied for a sack of flour, and that near-sighted man sent one. In a few days she complained to him that she could not make nice white bread. He said, "my wife makes fine bread from that same brand-try again." She did, and the bread was as black as one's hat. She roared. Doctor said, "bring it back and get another." He had given her shorts, by mistake. Folks were merry even at the most pinching crises-had to have fun to relieve the tension. That's why Lincoln told funny stories and read Artemus Ward and Petroleum V. Nasby. That's why Parisians sang, danced, feasted, thronged theaters during the Reign of Terror, as if grimmest, bloodiest tragedy were not a-foot. But probably Washington, and the surrounding country dumped in here, never had two other such days and nights of fun as at the reunion of soldiers here September 30 and October 1, 1879. County companies mustered two hundred and forty-four men, and there were representatives of fifteen lowa infantry regiments and four of cavalry, and boys from Missouri, Colorado, eleven Ohio regiments, six of Indiana, eight of Illinois, one Wisconsin, two New York, one each from Pennsylvania, Virginia and Michigan, one United States and four United States Colored Infantry, Kirkwood were here, and fifteen thousand to twenty thousand people. I cripple myself, laughing, every time I re-read the Press account of the antics cut.


Floral Hall at the new fair grounds was used, and there were tents galore, and barracks on the north side of the grounds. Lush Teas and Capt. Kellogg were the chief romancers. Lush, son of a preacher, got off a sermon to a mob of yelling bummers, and related the story of the little bald-headed deacon in his father's church, who called folks to meeting with a horn instead of a bell. Some boys on Saturday put a lot of asafoetida, or its equivalent, in the horn, but the deacon could not blow it, and discovering the quality of the strangulated hernia, remarked that, though he was small and had always tried to be a meek and lowly Christian, he'd be - if he couldn't whip the infernal cuss who stuffed that horn. Two years later, Lush and two unre- generates were at camp-meeting. When the deacon invited them to the mourning circle, Lush was too vile to go. "You have sworn and stolen, I sup- pose," queried the deacon. "Worse than that," groaned the sinner. "You, perhaps, have committed burglary, or greenbackism, or arson, or fusion, or fiction," said the devout man. "Ah, worse than that." "Can't be possible you have murdered ?" "Worse yet," said Lush. The deacon laid his hat on a stump, shucked his coat, and said, "I've found the son of a gun who fixed that horn." Lush came away then.


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The first night was as rackety with dare-deviltry as Pandemonium. Com- mander Cowles was captured in shirt-tail evening dress at a very late hour and given a break-neck sulky ride. The Muscatine Guards were attacked, and prisoners taken. Fellows would sneak in behind the skirmish line, grab a soldier and chuck him over the fence amongst the beggar lice. No one could sleep, the din was so fierce and the graybacks bit so. Kellogg imported a.few graybacks, enough to go round, and he said they enjoyed the reunion as much as anybody. There seemed to be regiments of owls, Tom cats, whip- poorwills, and bull frogs. They sang, played cards, danced, screeched on fifes ; Sherman's bummers came in with setting hens under their arms ; most of the poultry in West Washington was foraged ; one fellow towed in a reluctant Wm. Goat to waste its fragrance on the desert air. Along toward dawn, Alf. Chilcote was so tuckered, he sneaked with straw and blanket to the north side fence, to sleep. A soger saw him, jumped outside, stuck his musket under the fence and the straw on which Alf. was already fast asleep, and blazed away. Raise him? You know it raised him. Don't you forget it. He jumped into the air about twelve feet, and lit out half way across the grounds before he discovered he was not massacred. The soldier lay half an hour in spasms and convulsions of tickle. Alf. next tried the lee side of a woodpile, that was tipped over on him ; he was not hurt, but fancied he had stepped on one of those infernal torpedoes, and was convinced he bore a charmed life. Capt. Kellogg, when he got all those sterilized and disinfected stories out of his system, lay under an oak tree asleep. An old vet. stole up with a musket that had had a charge in it since the war of 1812, aimed at a zenith star, and ex- ploded the dynamite up the tree, and brought down four bushels of acorns. Kellogg faintly murmured, "Wake me early, mother dear, for I'm to be queen o' the May."


City guerrillas adulterated the tank of drinking water with personal cards.


The spree was getting old toward dawn, when the coming of a circus from Brighton socked in the needed spur. It was halted, wagon by wagon, but none of the sleepy drivers could give the counter-sign, which was "sow- belly," and each was so bedevilled that the procession was an hour and a half passing a given point. Finally, the elephant came swinging along, his trunk checked through to Columbus City, and the boys stampeded him by firing shots, till he was probably the most bughouse 'phant ever seen on this continent. Surgeon Parkinson's sick call was very healthy stuff. The boys were in no shape for a sham battle that day, but Moothart's two hundred and sixty gallons of stout coffee set 'em up, and the arduous day went through as slick as if greased. The late Capt. T. L. Montgomery, a sedate man, and


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Col. Welker said that night escapade was the fastest fun they saw in three years of service.


MARCH TO TIIE SEA AND IIOME-COMING.


For our boys in the western armies, the march to the sea, and up to Wash- ington, and the grand review and final discharge, to come home, crowned with glory their martial career. Such mileage as their legs had done! They went out as boys or youths, glad of the adventure, glad of the chance to see the world, glad to have a share in saving the Union, glad even of the danger, and careless of death. A noble pride was in their hearts. They had had a career, had seen much, felt much, learned much, and were broadened by their rare experience. They came back, sure that they would be held in honor and love by the home communities. Probably, it did not occur to them that their records would be passports to preferment, the richest kind of political asset. So it proved. The electorate of the county has been no end kind to the old veterans, but no kindlier than they deserved to be treated. Other things being equal, offices and honors have been freely given by preference to our boys in blue. Most wonderful of all, they cheerfully took up life in shop, on farm, where they had dropped it at the country's call, the soldier lapsing into the citizen. Just so dissolved Cromwell's omnipotent army in England, to the astonishment of all, says Lord Macaulay, relieving all fears. Peace and industry were larger spheres than war. From 1865 to 1898, we basked in peace, as a prairie soaks in sunshine and rain. Over a generation of quiet, then




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