The National tribune., 1882-07-01


truth compels his biographer to add that the
adiutant of the Sixty had so little &ppre-
citation of the aspirations of the youthful private
afetr military distinction that he henceforth
bore his name upon the roles as absent without
leave. While lying at Alexandria Paul was on
duty in the provost marshals Office in charge
of passes. The Sixty-eighth remained in ser
vice five months and on its return to Illinois
Paul, although mere lad, prevailed upon a
number of his comrades to Join him, and to-
gether they applied for admission to the Six
teenth Illinois cavalry stationed at Camp But
Ter. Their offer TO enlist in the three years ser
wee was thankfully accepted, as the number
completed the organization of the regiment.
In this regiment Pa1l and his companions
were assigned to Company NJ. On taking the
field in September, 1863, the Sixteenth Illinois
cavalry was ordered to guard Maj. Mcdowell $
pay train from CovingtOn, Kentucky, to Knox
vile, East Tennessee.
On its arrival at Cumberland Gap the Six
teenth was retained under command of Colonel
Lemert, who placed it on courier duty towards
Knoxville, by way of Tazewell. Later on it was
used in guarding forage trains in Powell's Val
ley, breaking up guerrilla bands and on scouting
duty.
On one of these perilous enterprises Paul was
captured and a council of war held by the
guerrillas as to the mode of disposing of him.
Death was lowering closely about the young
soldiers head when the voice Of woman
saved his life. He was sent to Bristol, Va,
where he remained one month; thence to Rich
mond, upon which occasion he came near being
l,,-H Co., r. mad OF
Belle Island three months whence he was re-
moved to Andersonville; six months after he
was transferred to Savannah, and q month
later to Millen, where on June 20, 1854 he was
paroled and came North on United States YES
sels to Annapolis Gen. Vandervoort's prison
experience which he has embodied in a lecture,
is of thrilling interest Out of 3l2 Of his regi-
ment captured 154 died of exposure and starya-
tlon at Andersonyille. During the entire period
OF his captivity at that place of torment when
hundreds of strong men died daily, and the
prospect of a lingering death Of scurvy and
all the train of diseases that follow lack of
food, there was never time when the starving
and dying men could not have purchased free
dom by taking the oath of allegiance to the
southern confederacy. They were not re-
quired TO bear arms against the United States.
1t was expressly stipulated that they should
only be used as bridge and depot guards at
points remote from active military operations
They were asked also to unite in a petition 10
President Lincoln to consent TO the exchange
of prisoners proposed by the confederates upon
q basis that did not include the cOlorCd troops,
but they turned deaf ear to all allurements
to purchase liberty at the price of soldierly
dishonor. Martyrs to the holy cause OF National
Unity, when shall their glory fade; when
shall Americans cease to venerate the record of
fidelity to principle that these brave men sealed
with their blood? When release came finally
to Paul VandervoOrt, he was took weak to
know much about it, A few days, however, of
careful nursing under the invigorating sea-
breezes at Annapolis restored him to par
tial health, when he arose from his cot
and commenced nursing his sick and dying
comrades. The stencil of the sick wards was
so intolerable that the men were actually suf- |
fering for lack of attention. On his return to !
Illinois, he made brief visit to his home, and |
at the end Of thirty days set out TO join his |
regiment in Tennessee. The final battle of |
Nashville had been fought, and Hoods army |
scattered through the South, was being picked
up in squads by the Union cavalry. He found
the remnant of his regiment at Pulaski, and
reported at once for duty, but being too weak
for active duty, was assigned to the provost
marshal's Office. Here he had the misfortune
to break his arm through misstep upon the
stairs, but had it bound up mounted his horse
and marched with his regiment in its attempt
to capture jeff Davis He remained in service |
until August list, 1865, when he was discharged |
for disability, and returned to his home. Paul |
Nandervoort was only nineteen years of age |
when mustered out of the service He had |
seen good deal of war from its hardest stand |
point, and had come out of it unscathed in |
mind and heart, although with health seri- |
ously impaired. As soon as he was of age he |
was appointed deputy treasurer of Mclean |
county, Ill, at Bloomington, and used his |
leisure time in studying law. He was admit |
ted to the bar, and appointed chief clerk of the |
railway mail service at Omaha in 1873, which |
position he still holds.
GRAND ARMY RECORD.
August 23d, 1866, Paul Vandervoort organ |
ized Post q, g. a. r., Department Of Illinois. /
In 1868 he visited Ohio, and organized Posts
at Owensville, Harveysburg, and Clinton. In
1868 A. d. c. Oh General Logan's staff. In
1901, A. d. c. on General Burnsides staff, /
The organization now sank to a low ebb
through the introduction of political questions |
and three comrades in Illinois, Gould, Hill |
lard, and Vandervoort, determined to rouse |
the old spirit. To this end they held rous-
ing meeting at Rockford in 1873. Hilliard was |
Dept Com, and VandervoOrt his adjutant. In |
1874 he accepted the position of chief clerk of |
railway mail service, and removed to Nebraska |
when he was appointed by General Devens |
Provisional Department Commander of Ne |
braska. The organization Of Posts was up hill |
work. The West was rapidly filling up. Few |
soldiers could be found in the same towns who |
had belonged to the same regiments; but men
OF the indOmtable pluck Of Vandervoort in |
Nebraska Walkinshaw in Kansas, and Bon
nell and GriswOld in Iowa, were not to be de-
TERED by obstacles. The three States were
organized with three Departments, and the
work was prosecuted with vigor. Four years
OF constant work with varying success followed,
there was neither sympathy nor help extended
from the East, where it was believed that the
mildew OF politics had fallen upon the organiza-
tion, and that nothing could resurrect if.
The best evidence Of the work performed is
the roster Of the three Departments
In Nebraska there are az pot. -:., . -oo !