The National tribune., 1889-02-21
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What0Br Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns
oHIO,s RELIC-ROoM.
Eemeutoes from BarIeaelds and of the oldel
Time.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The cases /
described in my last letter arc situated on the
south side Of the room. These are the only
permanent ones, as the others are movable,
and those two against the wall at the east end
are only loaned TO the State, with the coiIec-
ton, by Andrew Diehl Of Bucyrus, .. The
largest case is eight feet high five feet wide
and - inches deep. The other one is smaller,
being four feet high three and half feet wide
and nine inches deep. There are but few relics
in these two cases. but they were collected
from the battlefield Of Gettysburg. 1t is one
of the finest, and we think the finest, private
collections from the above place, and one of the
best war relic collections in the country TO
have been collected by one who was not IN the
late war
Mr. Diehl has some few family relics that
are very interesting also in the cases, such as
an old def plate, with the picture Of the old
United States Bank at Philadelphia, Pa, print
ed ia dark blue. This plate was handed down
from the great great grandmother, with sew
eral Others of the blueprint style. Some old
linen, spun and woven by bis mother; an old
fashioned lard-oil lamp, with loose wick, with
chain and pin attached, TO fasten in the log or
side Of the room; an old candlestick OF later
date; an old bread basket, used to raise bread
in before pans came into use: a sword carried
by his grandfather Col. Jacob Smyser, in the
war Of 1912; papers and, few other things we
viii not mention at present, but will tell you Of
q few things Of the late war that are in the
cases. There are several cavalry sabeTs, swords,
hayouets, Tamrods, bFidle-bits a spear-head
from a rebel flagstaff; an old gun that was
dropped in the road and run over by the teams
OF both armies until it has hardly the SEM
blance Of a gun; piece Of fence post with bull
Jet imbedded TN cup with bullethole through
it; cartridges cartridge-bOxes, bullets by the
score, belt plates, shells, fragments Of shells,
Solid shot, grape and canister, and pistol hol-
sters. Here is 3 small cannon. made of bullets
picked up by AlOnzo Plank about half a mile
from where Gen. Reynolds fell. The trail, or
wood part OF II, Is made Of gunstOcks. 1t is
very complete, and a very nice way to keep
such trophies. This cartrldge-box was found
under barn by Chas. Hull. 1t was left there,
with the musket, by a rebel deserter. He was
seen TO crawl under the barn by some women
Of the house, who concluded TO say nothing
about il, for they argued that he would be one
less 70 fight. After he got away they told of
IL, and few weeks after the gun and car
tridge-bOX were found and brought out. The
latter was full Of cartridges, and all have been
given away except two.
Here is an old butcher-knife found by Mr..
Diehl himself near DEVILS Den, and looks as
though it had done good service in its time.
There gre only few things in the larger case.
There are altogether about 800 articles.
The smaller case has swords. bayonets, shells,
fragments Of shells, an old gunstOck, carbine,
c2nnon-sWab (brOken), an cid gunlOck, C. s. A.
belt-piates, and a canteen picked up by Mr..
Diehls father, who lived at Gettysburg and
was there during the battle. The canteen has
q bullethole through it; some poor fellow
caught the bullet no doubt, from the way the
holes are pierced in the canteen. Here is small
inkstand, such as we used 10 carry with us,
that was taken out Of Union soldiers pocket
when the remains were taken up TO be rein
TERED two years after the battle. This piece
OF wood that has the ball in two parts in ii was
cut "A years after the battle. 1t was not known
that the bullet was imbedded In the tree, as it
was grown over, until in splitting the stick the
ak passed through the ball and cut it in half,
as you see IL. This case contains not less than
100 pieces.
On the top of the large case are three guns.
stacked, with cartridge-box and canteen hang
ing beneath, with cTOss-sw0rds and Surgeons
medical saddle bags and small solid shot Over
the small case is a shotgun captured by Mr..
D1ehIs cousin while with Sherman on the
march to the sea, and between the two cases
hangs an old battered-up Canteen carried by
the cousin on that grand march
There are other things here that belong to
hT. Diehl, as be is great man for relics, but
ne does not want them unless they are relics
and not frauds. Here is an old apple-peaIer
that his mother says she has known to be in
existence since she was little girl, and she is
now living IN Pennsylvania at the age of 81
years, and she says it was an old machine then.
SO lt must be at least 100 years old. Tt is a
board, long enough to place on chair and sit
on one end, while at the other is an upright.
about IL inches high, with piece through the
top, made TO turn with a crank the onnosite
end having fork on which TO stick the annie
a short distance back is another upright that
has a piece through It. made to turn and be
guided over the apple with the left hand The
knife is about two inches long and half an inch
wide.
Here is apple butter made by Mr.. Diehrs
aunt % years ago, and is about as good now as
the day IL was made. His aunt made the butfer
when girl, and in some wav il was lost siobt
o.. After several years it was discovered. and
she concluded TO keep il as a relic as long as
she could Knowing her nephew had q mania
Tor relics, she sent him iarof the butter and he
has placed pint fruit jar lnI Of il here with his
other relics. lie also has two old fax spin-
nlng-Wheels and reels. One Of the wheels have
appropriated TO our own use. and have trained
parlor-lFy to run over il, and have IL on fbe
WindOw-sIll near my desk, with other nlants
and the canary-Ben-has a fine time sitfipg
Oh the wheel among the vines singing To the
hundreds OF visitors who come to the room. as
he has his liberty TO &C and come about the
ROOM as lt Is often said by many: Once a
most useful piece Of machinery, but now
made into beautiful ornament IL anv Of
myyoung readers have, or can get, an old spin
nlng-Wheels train vines over It and see what a
beautiful ornament il viii make.
The last thing we viii mention of Mr.. DiebI,s
IS an old German Bible over 300 years old. II
was a one time the property Of George RIetzger
Of Hanover, Pa. It has long family record
in il.
On the wall above the cases are some Of the
captured hsgs. The large one was taken from
the rebel gunb0at Gen. Bragg, at Mempbis.
Tenn, June 6, 1852. If my young readers will
JOCK Ia the history Of the war. they will find
that the citizens of Memphis went 10 the river
bank TO see the Yankee feet blown out Of the
water" They found il was lust the reverse
This flag is about Il feet long bv six wide
Three strlpes-red, white and red with bIue
neld ln the corner, with y stars in circle. and
the 18th Ia center. The white stripe is almost
Diack from the smoke Of the boat and ACE II
is made Of bunting. Just below the above.
mentioned nag Is one captured by Solomon
Fisk Of the l2lst Ohio, in Chickamauga VALLEY
Ca, Sept. 20, 1863. It belonged TO the 22d Ala
There is quite history connected with this
flag, but having been told two different ones
and not knowing which is the correct one VIC
VIII not repeat either. The flag is dark blne
often taken for black, with white strine RIM,
ming through the length, and one from ton n
bottom. il has T22d Ala. Regiment Sbiiob
Murfreesboro," worked in small letters on the
blue 1t is about Ike feet
The next flag was captured by the slst Obi,
at Atlanta, Ga, and belonged to the lst Regn