Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-05-31
GEN. RoYsroNE.s WATER PLow
M. r. Moser's RecoiIections of the
Colonel of the Bucktails.

Colonel of the Bucktails.
To the Editor of the Esgie
see a statement in the EAGLE of Gen.
Roystone's water pillow whose name recalls
to my memory many stirring scenes in the
service under that brave man. Gen. Roy
stone was Il warm personal friend of mine
and if there is any man on earth that | have
warm place in my heart it is for Gen. Roy
stone.
/ was the first man that enlisted in bis
regiment in July, 1862. Keystone was the
major OF the old Pennsylvania Bucktails TO
which J. NJ. Steele belonged. In a battle
before Richmond under McClell en-
he distinguished himself so much as major
commandant of his regiment that Lincoln
sent for him and commissioned him TO go
north and raise regiment of the same class
of men as the "First Pennsylvania Rifles y
He came to Harrisburg, Penn, July, 1862,
and recruited two regiments, the 10th and
l50th. He was promoted TO colonel of the
149th, which regiment | belonged 10. In
about Thirty days following he was promot-
ed to general and commanded our brigade
until the battle of the Wilderness, when he
was wounded the second time. / believe he
was wounded about the same time his divi-
sion commander was Killed, who was Gen.
Wadsworth, of New York.
| do think a Drawer man never lived
than Keystone. AT the battle of Gettysburg
| saw him standing on a bank at the side of
the road, leaning against board fence,
watching the enemy's movements, when a
shell tell in our regiment, killing and wound
ing thirteen men of company b, and tearing
the fence to atoms, within three feet Of
where Gen. Keystone stood. He laughed as
though they were shooting pop-gun at
him. He was badly wounded at the battle
of Gettysburg. He lay in a stone house
south of town in the hands of the enemy.
| was taken prisoner that day, along with
about LOO Of our corps. The fourth day
Lees Acknowledgment came to parole us.
1t was my luck to make out the rolls and to
take the names Of all the prisoners that be-
longed to Roystone's brigade.
did not want TO accept the parole, be-
lieving it WAS contrary 10 the rules of both
armies to parole on the field. | gave the
rolls that had made out TO Lees adjutant
general. When he came to my name in
parcing 81 just simply lied a little,' l said
ale is out after water" OF course being
absent when my name was called off | was
NOT cbacLa1 of .c haipy p.rolIaJ opd 70
manned in camp with those who had ac-
cepted the parole. | wanted to get to the |
stone house where Gen. Keystone lay to |
consult him in regard to accepting the |
parole on the field. In the afternoon a rebel
captain came into camp where we were.
He was from Crawford counry, Pennsyl-
wanna, | am sorry to say, almost adjoining
counties to where was raised. | told him
that my general lay in that stone house,
pointing TO it, and said | would like to 90
TO him before we were sent TO Carlisle.
He says, well, | will go over with you, and
We went. was permitted to see Keystone
alone and he advised me to accept the parole
by all means; that if i did not they would
take me TO Richmond. lie gave me reports
and letters to Gov. Curtin and Mrs. Ray
stone, his wife, to take back with me, SO /
took the paper and letters and put them in
to my pocket and got my rebel captain and
went back to camp to get ready to start to
Carlisle. When we got to camp went up
TO Gen. Lees adjutant general and said |
was ready to accept tn" parole. He said,
Have you not accepted the parole yet!"
said, a have not, SIR He grabbed up Il
rock and said, What in the he'll are You
doing in here them | will break Your
Tanned head for you" NJ Pennsylvania
friend apologized for me or expect he
would have raised nav hair there and then.
He then said what Is your name" told
lim. He looked over hi, roll and found it
md the kind general checked me off as be-
ng parolled ANA next morning we started
or Carlisle and then to Harrisburg where |
net the governor and Mrs. Keystone ana
delivered the generals messages
| could tell you of many brave acts of
Zen. Keystone during his military ser ice
Will just say here if his River Plow is us
much of a success as his military service was
Is certainly daisy, and We ought to get
lin in the Arkansas river, with it he would
'ertainly plow it wide and Deep
NJ. X. MosER