Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-05-25
A VETERANS CAREER.


Leaves from the Chochcrod Life of an Aged
scotohman.
$50 you say that you have marched
in the ranks of three great armies, do
youP This question was propoundod
to James Craig, a veteran who is aged
over seventy, and who has been for
many years n resident of Woonsockct,
r. /. The old gentleman, though his
hair is gray and his face bronzed and
wrinkled, is still of stately step and
soldlcrlike bearing. He replied that
he had served in regiments in three
wars, and loved tho life of q soldier
He was born, he said, in Lanarkshirc,
Scotland, shire from which thousands
went forth to do battle with Wallace
and Bruce in ancient times, and from
which Scotch regiments of the British
army are still recruited. He went on
to say that he was imbued with the
spirit of war from earliest babyhood.
When aged sixteen he ran away from
home and joined the army in England
under General Evans, which was or
ganizcd for the support of the
throne of Spain in accordance
with the stipulatons in the quad
ruple alliance of Spain, France,
England and Portugal against tho
pretensions of Don Carlos. He fought
against tho insurrectionists in Spain
until the termination of that struggle.
Craig says he then returned to his home
in Scotland, and remained there in
peace for several years. His love for
the excitement of soldier life subse-
quently predominated, and he went
forth and enlisted in the Ninety-second
Highlandcrs of her royal majesty the
Queen of England's service. A short
period after enlistment the Crimean
war broke out, and the regiment in
which he was private soldier, and
which was then commanded by Colonel
Collin Campbell, aftcrward General
Sir Colin Campbell, was one of the first
ordered into active service. He was
in the ranks with his regiment when it
was drawn up in line of battle by Col
onel Campbell and repeled the charge
of the Russian cavalry at the battle of
Alma. September 90, 1854. He also
witnessed the celebrated cavalry charge
of the Light brigade, on October %,
1924, at Balaklava, and participated in
all the subsequent battles until the fall
of Sebastopol in 1856. When peace
was declared among the contending ma
tions he returned to his native high
land home" In 1857 he emigrated to
the United States, and came direct to
Woonsocket where he found employ
ment in one of the mills. When the
war of the rebellion broke out in 1861
the spirit of the soldier again mani
tested itself in him. He Joined the
ranks of the Fourth Rhode Island reg
iment, and with it served through the
campaign in North Carolina with Cen
eral Burnside, and also participated in
the battles of Antietam and Fredericks-
burg and other severe and disastrous en-
gagements of the war. When peace was
restored he returned to Woonsockct,
and has been resident here ever
since. He is ut present n worthy COM
rade of Smith Post, G. A. r. His
spirit is by no means broken. The fire
of his eye is still undimmcd, and should
another opportunity offer he would I'M
doubtedly shoulder musket and march
in the ranks of war. 1t appears that
the ambition of position never animat-
ed him, as he never rose beyond
the rank of private in any
of the regiments in which he served.
He was always content with his lot,
never shirked duty, and always was
and still is willing to take up arms and
face death on the battlefield for the
honor and glory of n soldier Death
on the field would be to him ms much
fame as he thinks himself worthy of
in this world. He wears the medal of
the G A. r., however, with greater
pride than he would the honors be-
slowed by any other country in the
world except that of his native land,
Scotland. - Chicago Globe.