The Republican journal., 1882-02-02

ed it, too (althOugh as yet we know it not),
for the sacrifice Of our corps has saved
the position for the rest of the army,
which has been marching all day, and
which comes pouring in over Cemetery
Ridge all night long.
Aye, the position is saved-but where
general, who early in the day succeeded
to command when our brave Reynolds
had fallen, shed tears Of grief as he sits
there on his horse and looks over the
shattered remains of that First Army
Corps, for there is but handful of it left.
OF the five hundred and fifty men that
marched under our regimental colors in
the morning, but one hundred remain.
All our Field and Staff officers are gone.
OF some twenty captains and lieutenants,
but one is left without a scratch, while
of my own company only thirteen out of
fifty sleep that night on Cemetery
Ridge, under the open canopy of heaven.
Harry NJ. Kietfer, in st, Nicholas.
\ GETTY SBURG COINCIDENCE.
The incidents narrated in "RecOlec-
tions of a Drummer boy" by Harry NJ,
kletter, now running as a serial ia st.
Nicholas, have called forth letters from
veterans in various parts Of the country
who saw or took part in them, and all of
whom attest the accuracy of Mi. kietf6r's
descriptions. His account in the Jan
uary chapters of the battle of Gettysburg,
and the mention therein Of the capture
and recapture of the colors Of the 10th
Pennsylvania Regiment in hand to- hand
fight, has brought to the Editor the fol-
lowing letter:
FORT WAYNE, IND Jan A. 1892
To THE EDITOR OF ST. NICHOLAS: Will YOU
please send me Alr Harry Ketiers address | was
sergeant in Company of the 5)th BucktaIs (P
v and can testify to the accuracy OF his 'Recol
lectOns
headed that squad Of men WHO rocaptured the
10th coors but was badly wounded through the
head just before reached them and was left on
the field for dead VERY respectfully,
JOHN c. kENsrLL,
Lath Sergeant Co F, l5Oth P. V (Bucktails)"
1t is worthy of note in connection with
this incident, and as a remarkable turn
in the kaleidoscope of affairs, that the
artist who is illustrating these "Recolec-
tons served throughout the war on the
Confederate side, that his regiment was
Immediately opposed to Mr.. keitfer's at
Gettysburg, and that he witnessed the
scrlmmage for the colors so graphically
described in the text. 1t is indeed
strange coincidence that two soldiers of
the opposing armies should only eighteen
years later, be coupled as author and il
illustrator of an account Of the very battle
in which they fought against each other,
when the ranks were often not stones
th,n1X- tl\Na to
each other then" said the artist, grimly,
while recurring to the battle day, in the
office of st Nicholas, you might say
just across the fence from each other and
rather too near for comfort" and he
heartily assented to remark of the pub
Usher that "the kind Of cuts he was max
ING now was much better than those he
made then"
The only fault which Mr.. Keitters cor
respondents find with his narrative is its
modest failure to do justice to his own
very creditablc share in the events de-
scrlbed. For his army career was not
merely that OF a drummer and other
good authorities ascribe to him a gallantry
and tathtuness which he chooses to for
get in his own narrative, His "Recollec-
tlons,' moreover, eVlnce the true gen
erosty of Il good soldier. Though pre-
yaded by the spirit Of the army to which
he belonged, they contain nothing to
awaken or foster sectional spirit in any
part OF the country. But as picture of
the realities Of camp and battle field, they
have hardly been surpassed. The sue
ceeding chapters, it is announced, will be
fully equal in interest to any already pub
lished and the reader is soon to Journey
with the army through the campaigns Of
Virginia, and into the rifle pits in front Of
Petersburg.