Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-08
THE STORY OF A TURTLE.
An inscription Put on its Back il
War DAYS Has a Happy Geuucl

An inscription Put on its Back in
War Days Has Happy sequel.
short time ago terrapin was found
near Middleton ga. with u. s., 1865,
j. 10Th O. Vol" cut on its back. A notice
OF the TACT was published, and soon after
wards the Postmaster received letter
from Pr, +. K. Monfort, of Cincinnati, in
which he expressed a desire TO obtain
possession OF The terrapn for the purpose
OF placing it on exhibition at u reunion of
the SeVenty-ftth Ohio regiment. J. NJ.
Gam replied to his letter, and received
response, which, by reason Of the kind
ana fraternal sentiments therein ex-
pressed, and also on account Of the
prominence Of The writer, 10 given in part
below:
Let me thank you for your prompt re-
Spouse TO my inquiry aud the beautiful
and touching sentiments at the close of
your letter. There was during the early
DAYS or the struggle very warm senti-
ment in the SeVenty-fifth Ohio regiment,
also IN the Twenty-tifth Ohio, for the boys
OF the Twelfth Georgia. We met them
lace to face in many OF the early battles
and skirmishes of West Virginia, and we
always found foemen worthy of us. There
are many instances OF kind treatment OF
SeVenty-ftth and Twenty fifth boys who
Tell into their hands and any Twelfth
Georgia man who fell into our hands will
verify what | say. In the battle OF Nc
D0well L can testify with hundreds OF
others that they occupied an exposed
place and did the hardest fighting of the
battle and suffered the loss of eiE bit officers
and y men killed and IL officers
ana l29 men wounded. | saw them
with my own eyes stand up to the
work with indomitable courage and
herolsm unprotected for four hours and
bali. When we charged up the ridge
they fell back about one hundred yards
to another ridge ana stayed there until
the close, when under the cover of dark
ness, being unable to dislodge them, we re-
Tired. L venture 70 say that the Twelfth
Georgia, nor any other regiment in the
Confederate service during the entire war
did any more brilliant lighting, and after
the battle which occurred May g. 1862,
the herOism and noble courage OF that
regiment was a subject OF favorable CON-
ment in the Twenty fifth and Seventy
nth regiments for a long time;
and at our reunions since the
war the question is often asked, have you
ever met any Twelfth Georgia men? In
response to your generous sentiments, |
rejoice with you and with companions of
the conflict on both sides that those days
of watching, nights of sorrow and anx-
iety are forgotten. Passions that ruled
then have faded into tenderness, and the
traditions of the war have been soltened
by the lengtbening shadows of kindly for
getfulness so that the rehearsal of incl
dents of the campaign seem like historic
romances. | am glad that those who met
on fields OF carnage and death can now
treat each other with tenderness. You
| will agree with me that such an attitude
is only possible to honest, courageous and
patriotic men. The Seventh Ohio was not
in Sherman's campaign, but in the
spring and summer of 1866, until
Aug. u, 1865, were distributed
! through Georgia, doing guard duty,
having been reduced by the casual
ties of war to less than 100 men. We
would be glad TO have the terrapin be-
cause OF its historic inscription, and if
you will obtain it and send to me by eX-
press l will pay all expenses and present
it to the Geological garden in your name
or the name of anyone you say. There
the old Seyenty-ffth boys can see it and
there it will be taken care of.
Please remember me TO any OF the
Twelfth Georgia you may know, and tell
them if they ever publish history OF
their regiment / will be happy to con-
tribute my impressions of the regiment
from Federal standpoint.