The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-08-28
, = III DH4 TII
FOSTER AS A ID
How He EnteEed h service and How
FAC Got Ont-Haw he W as Forces TO,
fhe Front and lGaot TO the Rear-A Stay
Rad Festive Home Gnard Taken To
J~ohnsoa's island. !
f1Marie,ta Resfsterg

The Front md lGOt 10 the ReRr-A Shay
and Festive Home Gnard Taken 10
yohnsoa's. lsland. >uiaes
Marietta Regfarerl
As the history of Generals Ewing and
Rice's services in, the defense of the country
has been ,written and given to the public.
aud as the Republican party through mod
OF their Candidate for Governor. Charles
Foster, have failed TO give him due credit
Tor his ..heroic'' sacrifices, We deem it our
duty to recount the deeds oil daring he per
formed-in Fostorla-during the late bloody
unpieasant,ess, and ii our history should be
|lbrief in that respect, it must be remembered
that it is Mr.. Fosters fault, as his services
were very short,
AT the breaking out of the war, Mr.. Foster
was a resident OF Fostoria, engaged in the
peaceful pursuit OF a mercantile business.
AT that time be was aged about thirty-two
years, anu was considered a healthy amt
~able-bodied citizen. When the first call for
troops was made, and
'N men Dautle .Uused each war like,
And carnage liud ner trumpet 0lew; s
Young Foster left-
No he didn't. Poetical license will not
allow us to go further. He failed to. hear
the call of his country, or If he did hear it,
ne failed to respond.
: Vel, other calls were made for
Three .hu. died thou and moref
But he was deaf to invitation, not having
recovered his hearing, but made up his mind
to stand the draft, If he euuidn'tget Fostorla
credited with the boys who enlisted from
Big Spring Township. In fact, be had q .hur-
ror for the battle shout; the muFderous
gum" and was determined 70 keep away.
from theIn if it cost $500 as commutaton. or
a substitute.
Some time after the war. had commenced
Ohio determined to form a reserve force,
which was Called N. G.s, which meant
National Guards, but which Mr.. Foster con
strucIed Us meaning mo go" and be acted
on that idea.
But all this time he was very patriotic and
urged his neighbours and his neigtibors' SONS
~ go to the frunt to stop the rebel bullets.
Blu at this point Mr. Foster did u thing
that actually took his nelgilbors by surprise.
Whether herdid tito decoy his neighbors
into the fanks of the N. q. we can not say,
but he actually went. and signed his name to
the rolls OF Captain Roger Alcott's Com
pany, Eortyfninth @. N. g. 1t was a gen
Grad irumvr at the time that the N. g.
was being recruited that its members would
not be Liable to be drafted, and this
may possibly account for this strange
freak. And thelhiIt was further understood
thai. the N, G.'s were TO be u Home" Guard,
and. in the very nature Of things. a "humele
guardawOuld have O. stay at home, and They
all ielt very happy at their luck. But
imagine thelr surprise one seeol morning III
the TALL OF 1863, TO learn that their regiment
had been ordered TO report at iJohnson's
Island to prevent N~ailandighami from enter
ing Ohio by means, OF Q tunnel be was re-
ported to be digging under Lake Erie toward
Johnsonps Island. Well, the boys packeu
their hayersacks and baggage and landed on
the island, and when the roll was called to
learn If all the enlisted MEN We're present,
10. and beholdl II was found that several
members .of, Captain ,Alcott's Company had
failed to respond, and apiopg them was Char
lie Foster, the subjectof this history, and tn
present Republican candidate for Governor
OF Qhip.
This was astounding news. That one 80
patriotic, 81 Loyal, 81. brave, and 50 anxious
to whip the rebels, should fail when the op
p%ortunity, offered, was as unexpected as was
the call to, go 10 the Island. The result was
that Mr.. Foster WAS waited on by a Com
mittee" OF gentlemen in blue" from the
Island. and with the compliments OF tn,
Forty-uinth .. N. q. for tea" Immediately.
Mr.. Foster went. and returned again in a
short time, and never again entered tht
known to this day. He was excused, how
ever, and while The. others who enlisted
served out their time on the Island. as u
guard. Mr.. Foster returned to his business.
and by virtue Of his services III the late Wal
ia now .slapping such soldiers az Ewing anu
| Rice in the lace with the bloody shirt
Hereafter, when. il is charged that Mr..
Foster was not. u soldier in the late war.
this history car be used to prove that he
was. He was Q high private in the rear
| ranks.