The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-22
bitter when speaking of friends in his prosper
ity who had deserted him when his money was
GOLD PAP" THOMAS.
A Recent Marriage Brings to Mind am Incl.
dent of War Days.

Sheibyville fTll.) special
Twenty FIVE years ago Father Holding" was
prominent member of the Illinois Conference
of the Methodist Episcopal Church He had an
interesting family-an invalid WIFE three sons
and two little daughters Mr. Holding was
Kentuckian By birth, and Democrat from
choice, but when the war of the rebellion came
on no one was more loyal than he and when
his two oldest sons--Jim and Bob--asked
his consent TO follow the flag he gave them his
blessing. and, like the old Spartan that he was,
he babe them go and serve their country They
enlisted in Company B of the nehundred and
fifteenth Illinois Infantry, and before the regi-
ment left for the front the father, to be near
his soldier boys, asked for and obtained the
chaplaincy of the same regiment However, the
experience of camp life was too much for his en-
feebled frame, and in few months he resigned
and returned to his place in the conference
Jim Holding became a sergeant and Bob
was detailed as clerk in the commissary depart
ment of the Second Brigade, First Division,
Fourth Corps, of which the One-hundred- and
fifteenth formed part But what of the lone
mother and little daughtersl Left at home, they
yearned for the soldier boys who had marched
away so bravely, and as the glad Christmas
times approached, the desire to see them, and
particularly Bob--for Jim had been home on
furlough--ncreased the intensity. By night
and by day their thoughts conferred upon
how TO obtain the desire of their hearts. At
last Rachel. mere child, hit upon plan and
the following correspondence explains it:
PARIS Edgar County, H., Dec. %, 1864
Dear Sir-I am little girl and have two brothers
My brother Bobby have seen for two years.
and Q, want to him so bad. Now, want to
ask favor of yon 1t is please let Robert s. Holding
come home furlough to spend New Years. We
have big turkey and want him to have of it,
and would like to give you piece, but you are so
far away Robert is now detached duty in the Sec
ond Brigade, First Division Fourth Army Corps.
Commissary Department Goodbye Ever your true
friend, RACHIE HOLDING.
The letter was Endorsed as follows by "Old
Pap Thomas
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT
OF THE CUMBERLAND, Jan. 10. 1865.
Respectfully referred to commanding officer First
Division, Fourth Army Corps with instructions to
return this paper these headquarters accompanied
by furlough blank properly prepared for the within
named soldier.
BY command of Major General Thomas.
HENRY NJ. CIsT, A. A. G..
HEADQUARTERS FIRST DIVISION, FOURTH
A. O., HUNTSVILLE. Ala, Jan. % 1865.
Respectfully referred to commanding q er Second
Brigade who will cause the furlough to lie made out
and forwarded as ordered from department headquar
tiers.
By order of Brig. Gen, Nathan Kimball
Ed d. MASON, A. A. Gen.
And Bobby got his furlough, though net soon
enough to help devour the big New Years tur-
Key. This incident of the old time is recalled
by the marriage last night at Paris, Edgar
county, of Miss Rache Holding to the Rev.
George III. Jeffrey, of Utah. Miss Rachie and
her sister, Miss Lizzie, returned in March last
from four years of service as teachers in Bishop
Taylor's South American mission. The invalid
mother lived just long enough to welcome her
boys home from the war; the father fingered bus
a few years and followed her, and few years
later the eldest son, Jimmy, died victim of a
disease contracted in the service. Bob is
pursuing the yellow phantom among the
mountains and canyons of Colorado, and the
younger son, Callie, is resident of Paris
and an honored member of the conference in
which his father labored so long and well and
with abundant success.