Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-05-18
$3.50 IN ADVANCE.

Iannahlll, NlSner and Nye, and TIA
Ken over the river and put ON "a wharf
boat at Columbus, and YOUR brother
dled ON that boat. Your brother and
the rest of the boys ] have named. to-
Sether with some of the bOys of Com
pany ii and Company A were with
Lieu Col. W entz when he ordered
us TO bring of one of the brass pieces
belonging to the rebel battery. We
were then at the point of land where
the river makes a bend opposite Col
lumbus. We had captured a large
number of rebel prisoners who had
thrown down their arms and had ia
ken refuge under the river bank. A
guard was sent to the rear with the
prisoners, and if we had all hurried
back TO the boats, we might have es-
capped with them. We saw p steamer
coming across the river loaded with
troops and our boys fired the cannon
at her and Int the smOke-stack and
the steamer went up stream toward
our boats and was soon hidden from
our view by the timber. 1t seems
they landed their men between us and
our boats, and while we were trying
to haul off the cannon they rushed
upon us and fired. You remember
there was one of our regiments in the
grey state uniform and when they
fired we yelled at them not to fire
that we were 7th Iowa men. Not
till they We're within 100 feet of US
did we discover that they were rebels.
Then we did not know enough to
throw up the sponge, but fired at
them and they blazed away killing
Lieutant Col Wentz, wOunding Ad-
jutant Bowler, killing many and not
one of US got off without a bullet hole
in his body or in his clothes. 1t was
all over IN less time than it takes to
write this. The boys were all cool
till the rebels gathered round Us hay
ing one of our own flags riddled with
bullets, then every man wept like Il
child
I realize fully what you so forcibly
say about the duty devOlving upon
our boys. God bless them and give
them nerve and patriotism to per
form every patriotic duty faithfully
/ and we'll. My eldest boy is at Wash
/ born College, Topeka, a member of
! the Sons of Veterans and he Is Presi-
/ dent of the Young Mems Republican
Club at the College, and he and L sat
| together as delegates at the recent
State Convention Of Republican
Leaguers, in Topeka. q: * s.
Soon we shall have gone over TO
the silent majority and our names
will be forgotten, but it is q great
consolation to know that when all Of
earth IS done we can say we did our
duty as faithfully as we knew how to
do, and IN our good intentions and
the good name we leave our children
we may die content Ii the Republic
shall be preserved, if the future shall
/ prove that this is indeed a Nation
with capital n, reaching across the
continent and stretching out over the
oceans east and west; if those who
| shall come after us viii fully realize
/ that this is indeed and in truth as
MIR. Lincoln said at Gettysburg, "a
government of the people, for the
/ people and by the people, then those
brave commanders of ours who died
/ at Belmont and IN starvation pens in
Dixie will not have suffered In vain,
and your poor aching bones and my
own shriveled frame viii not be
counted mere dross:
Faithfully and fraternally
Your friend A. j. FELT.
To B. Z. MORTON ESQ.