Cooperstown courier., 1883-09-21
War Relics.

IN. Y. Tribune.
War Relics.
Few veterns, says the Pittsburg Com
mercial Gazette, can show more inter-
esting collection than can General A. L.
Pearson. His opportunities were wld-
ened by his active career in the war,
and his friendship with other officers
enabled him to add to his store, until it
grew to goodly size. In the corner of
the room a silk guidon was standing, 1t
is tattered and torn, the blue field is al
most all gone, and the stripes can scarce
ly be distinguished. It YVES the first
Union flag carried into Richmond after
the surrender, and was presented to
General Pearson at reunion held in
Washington after the war. At the same
time he was given another guidon, which
stands facing the one mentioned. 1t is
a plain bunting flag, on pole surmount-
ed by a wooden acorn. Black with dirt
and full of holes it looks commonplace
enough, but when the remains Of Presi-
den Lincoln were borne out Of the White
House for the last time, that guidon
moved on the right of the line and on it
the column dressed. Above the gaid-
ons are two artillery sabres
crossed. One of them Gen. Griffin, as
gallant soldier as ever threw his legs
across saddle, carried at Malvern Hill,
when, with his artillery, he fought that
famous battle. It is plain sabre of
the regulation United States pattern,
| n c<oo1 h1olo loo thur ho f. nd
/! brass handle, with an iron scabber. Gen.
Griffin wore itthrough the battle and af-
ter it was over presented it to Gen.
Pearson. The other sabre was taken
from one of Lees wagons after the sur
render. Below these sabres are two
crossed muskets, illustrative of the old
and the new. One of them, flint-lock,
was used against the red-coats in the
war of 1912, the other is breech load
er with all the improvements. A car.
tridge-box and bayonet picked up at
Gettysburg complete the group. Stand
ing against the mantel-psce are two
guns, one a Spencer carbine, the other q
Sharpe's rifle. The Spencer was surren-
dered at Appomattox, the Sharpe Cen
eral Pearson captured himself on a
rifle" the general said, "while obeying
orders to feel the enemy considerably.
The adjutant general told me to throw
my men out as skirmishers, giving me
certain points as boundaries. !
went out and found the ground
covered, SO fell back to
hold my con- mmand for an emergency,
We laid there all night, and in the
morning 1 was on worm-fence, wish
ing that the cold rain that was falling
would cease. Just then up rode 9
group OF officers, and one of them asked
me, "Whose men are tbese?" and
answered my men" "What are you
doing here?' 81 Sitting on this fence" Do
you know who am?" "No, and |
don't care" He was pretty mad, and
was general officer. He told me he
was General Sykes, and Icrawled off the
fence. We bad just been assigned te
his division, and so did not know hin
even by sight, and explained to him
why we were there and how saw nc
use in covering ground other troop!
were on. He answered sharply: '''l
do the thinking; take your men ant
feel the enemy considerably, and keel
on feeling until l tell you to STOP"
was as mad az lie was, and l started
! The enemy was retreating, and we KEEP
gobbling up men and sending then
3 back until hadn't handful Of me1
, left. l rode up to a house, and three
,, rebels sprang to the door: One of then
! had that gun and pulled it at me. III
had it cooked and up, but l calle'
4 out if he fred he was
8 for my revolver, and one of the me-
: with him knocked the rifle down, sayin
4 they surrendered. Just then an aid
= rode I'm on gallon and asked what
!: was doing. l told him Sykes had tol
me to feel the enemy considerably, an
J, was doingit. 'Where'syour regiment
r he demanded. Most of it's gone bac
e with prisoners How many have yo
8 with your Half dozen well Quit, *
h you're too far ahead.' That did me, md
a went back. The rifle I should hay
r turned in, but it had been pulled on mi
It and gobbled it." As he finished tn
= story Of the Sharpe's rifle, General Pea
e son produced sand-box. 1t vas
r little tin box, showing traces ofthe gree
r. paint that it once bore, when sand-boxe
e were used instead of blotting pape
/, ''That box" said the general, "was use
y at the surrende of Lee at Appomatto
Is General Griffin, who was one of the thr,
II officers appointed by Grant to arran,
r. the terms of capituation, gave it to me
D. With the sand-box was pair of silv
!; epaulets found in his headquarters' wa
- - on. They are very handsome, al
- - probably the only thing of the kind
=" America.
20 20 Chaff of the Exchanges.
vs. A certain little Pharisee who W
1e praying for his big brother, had go'
.e S,o HI