Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1889-10-04
COMPANY F's SERGEANT.
A Typical Volunteer Soldier who Serve,
and Died for His Country.

A Typical Volunteer Soldier Who Served
and Died for His Country.
The following sketch was read by
Colonel Oran Perry at the recent re-
union OF his regiment, the Sixty-ninth
Indiana:
Kind hearts are more than coronets,
And simple faith than Norman blood.
! remember the first time | ever saw
him. 1t was at the mounting Of the
guard. He was a large-boned, angular
man, little stopped in the shoulders,
awkward OF mlen, and approaching
middle age. His hair had not yet been
reduced TO the regulation standard, and
a heavy brown beard fringed his plain
face. He was wearing his first suit OF
blue, and evidently had accepted every
thing issued TO him without protest.
His trousers were n little too long, his
coat little too short, and he had yet
to learn how objectionable was the sin
OF appearing at parade without 1t
buttoned up to the chin. An under
sized infantry cap clung timidly to his
head, while his loose belt was sagged
low down in front by the weight of the
misplaced bayonet. Awkwardly clasp
ing the trigger guard OF the gun in
futile attempt to carry arms and stand
ing at attention in a position entirely
his own, he presented a picture pain
fully bordering on the grotesque. /
was just fresh from the Army of the
Potomac, whore style was every thing,
and as looked at tho unpromising sub
ject before me, l wondered why they
enlisted him, and what they expected
to do with him. watched him as he
marched away with the guard, vainly
trying to keep step with the gay music
OF the band, and l thought never had
seen any one so completely out of tune
with all his surroundings Rejecting
upon it aftervard, l remembered that
when explaining the duties OF the
guard. he had given me the closest at
tention; that L never looked in his
direction without encouraging the visit
ful gaze OF his soft brown eyes, and /
recalled touch of pathos in his homely
face that made me curious to know
more OF its owner.
Wondered what had moved this man
OF peace. at his age. to take up line
OF life SO foreign to his nature, SO un-
congenial to his tastes. Had the world
used him illp Had he nothing to leave
behind or had he some sorrow which
he hoped to drown in the din of strife3
Else why did he enlist? / could ac-
count for myself, for was young. and
my patriotism was supplemented by
love OF adventure and the promptings
OF ambition. But this man puzzled me.
They told me he had quilted his farm;
left behind him wife and children,
and friends; taking on himself the
hardships OF an enlisted mans life, for
no other reason than a conscientious
belief that 1t was duty he owed his
country in her time OF need. could
hardly realize such sacrifice as this,
and it had to be proven before / could
believe it.
Evidently he had good standing
among his friends, for he was elected
sergeant at tho organization of his COM
pany. noted from time to time his
progress in the art of war, his uphill
contest with the tatics; his dishearten-
ing struggles with the manual. as vol
as his earnest endeavors to qualify him
self as non-commissioned officer. Al
ways on the side of discipline, he gave
his officers an uequestioned support,
while his firm but gentle enforcement
of all orders intrusted to him, won the
abiding respect OF those subordinate to
him. His eyen-handed justice in the
performances of his duty ms commissary
of the company is held in afTectionate
by all OF his comrades
to this day. The hardships OF the
the vexations OF the camp never
seemed to disturb his equanimity, while
duties both disagreeable and dangerous
were performed with unfailing fdel-
ity.
In spite OF my preconceived ideas of
what constituted u model soldier i
could see that they were being gradu-
ally undermined by this man. Day by
day he took new hold OF the profession
OF arms He was advancing by paral-
lels and each week found him little
further TO the front Then came the
great battles, the supreme test, when.
Ia a measure, rank is leyelsd. Style IL !