The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-01-24
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
The Weeks D0ingS at the Ma
tiOnal Capital
RESIDENT VETERANS.


now at No. I3a3 WallaclIH street, and has been
O resident here continuously since he lett the
service. Born in Hampstead, Long Island,
June IL. 1887. he was educated IN the pubic
schools of Brooklyn, aud then learned the trade
of Matchmaking at which be was employed ri
the Walthaln Watch Factory when the war OF
the rebellion began. At the firing Of the inst
shot on Fort Sumter he dropped has tools, and,
returning 10 Brooklyn, enlisted ia the regl-
ment then being raised under the auspices OF
the pastor aud leading members OF plymouth
Church. The command was known at first as
the Brooklyn Phalanx, but with the readiness
peculiar TO soldiers the world over for nick
names, the B. p" that stood for Broo6lyn
Phalaux. the name WAS speedily changed by
troops Of other commands TO " Beechers Pups,
in recognition Of the fact that the Rev. henry
Ward Beecher was almost the father o! the
command. The writer has some personal recoi-
lection Of the wrath that peTVaded the men OF
that regiment when the name was first attach
ed 10 them. but with that strange perveTsIty
that attaches 10 soldiers twas less than year
before one could hear the men proudly ana
loudly declaring that We're the Pups On
one occasion the writer heard General OF d.
vision saw when the old Sixth Corps Was IN
rather a tight fix, WeUl Thank God here
come the Pups and CAasers lthe nickname
OF another regiment Of the same brigade, and
they n make IL hot Tor the.5Ounules.' Capt. PAR
fridge was already a Corporal when hiscomp&ny
was mustered into service; was a Sergeant
q week later and in the following November
was First Sergeant. For the fierce fight o. the
regiment the night OF CaautuIy, that closed
the second Bull Run campaign, he gained has
IieutenaBcy, but while be Won his straps
through the Maryland campaign sc South
Mountain and Antietam, and later at Burn
sides useless battle at Fredericksburg, he WAS
not mustered IN his new rank until early IN
January. 1863 Again. at Fredericksburg, IN
May, 1868 aud the June following, lie TOOK gai-
liant part with his regiment, and then marched
away nOrthward 10 Gettysburg. Ia the battles
that ensued when Grant led out tie Army OF
the Potomac against Lee, Capt. Partridge fell
victim May g, 1861, when Gems. Sh&.er aud
Truman Seymour, with almost q whole bri-
gade, were captured, and he remained prls-
Oner Of war until March j, 1865, being one of
the number kept under fire IN Charleston.
After his muster-out he settled here, and has
served ever since in the Commissary- Generals
Office, where he is now Chief of Il section.
Capt William Fletcher, L. S. Army, who re-
sides at No. 1922 Fifteenth street, put IL almost
IS years Of service IN the ranks before he was
promoted Ia October. 1861. to Lieutenant in the
1lth Inf. Born in New York, he driited West
ward in his boyhood TO Ohio, aud when the
Mexican war broke out he enlisted June 10,
1876, IN the lst Ohio, and when his first year OF
service was up re-eulisteG in the 2d Ohio, in
which be served az Corporal until July, loi5,
when the war was over. An iniatuation Tor
military life led him to enlist again in Deem
Der, 1913. in the lst T. s. Art, aud after serv-
ing 10 years IN that regiment went back to
service in 1859 in the Sth Inf, under Gen.
Worth. The IIth Inf, 10 which be was pro-
NOTED IN 1861, was " slow regiment" for
promotion; and while he had been promoted
70 First Lieutenant IN March, 1852, he still
held only that rank when the war Of the re-
belliou ended, although he had gained breyet
70 Captain Tor especial ga}lantry at the second
Bull Run battle. From july. 1868, until Sept.
q, 1866, when be was transferred to the goth
Inf, I'D battalion, lIth Iaf.,) he was Quarter
master Of his battalion, and in November, 1866,
he gained lis Captaincy by lineal promotion.
Mearying Of the dull routine Of frontier sery-
ice from the Rio Grande 10 the British bound
AIRY, he awaited himself IN lsS7 OF the retiring
laws, and went on the retired list al his own
request, Tor over 40 years OF almost continuous
service.
FISHING WITH THREE HOOKS.
A stroll around Washington could not fail Of
incident, aud lettering on the bank Of the river
at the Navy Yard last summer / met with
one that is sure 10 be Of interest 10 the com
Tades who read this paper.
IL was a lovely day, and in Washington at
that season such days are rare ! had for my
companion Mrs. Eliza Archard Conner the war
editor Of the American Press Association Of
New York 10 whom l was exhibiting the
sights Of Washington, and she declared the one
OF which am about 10 10 tell you, though not
down IN the program, the most pathetic and
most worthy Of note and the great tears welled
mp into her eyes as We talked o. il after we
had left the Yard.
;. ID. Decker is a messenger on the Soldiers
Roll CT the House Of Representatives. He at
tends one OF the doors IN the Press gallery. He
has beeu there for years and years and IS likely
10 stay there, for cannon-bail took OF both
his hands during the war. and though he can
open doors and do many such things by means
OF the two hooks that serve him as hands he
could hardly be expected 10 handle tools OF
anything Of that kind, IN pursuit OF a liveli-
hood As we sat on a pile Of iron weights
used probably as anchors for the little boats,
was absolutely astOunde3 at seeing Mr.. Decker
approach with a pole on his shoulder. He
had evidently been fishing, and intended TO re
sumo the sport
Well! said ], you are about the last man
should have expected TO see handling pole
Oh! come down here every day When
the weather IS favorable" said he; and tht
bright look on his face, that had grown weary
during the long session OF Congress, proved thu
assertion.
do not see how you manage"
Wei, VIII show yOu" be replied giviDi
his pole dextrous jerk that sent bis line fly
ing far out into the wafer by means partly O
the two iron hooks that are concealed unde
his coatsleeves, and partly by the crook Of hi
elbow
1t was curious to watch him as he stood j.
the vigor Of manhood, perfect embodiment a
physical strength In all but the one Iael. an,
even with that disadvantage 10 see how * m
fully be manuyered his line. and as looked q
him the thought came into my mind that
would tel his comrades all about it.
ii there is such a thing as this new doctrin
Of miud-reading, blT. Decker must be am ex
pert in that line, for on the heels of tina
thought Of mine be Turned his head suddenly
and fixing Oh me pair Of the blacklist ewes
ever saw, he said:
Now, don't you go and make an item 0
me"
Indeed, but I viii though" said 7. Iauob
ing, for you are too good an item to lose
and know he would never object to becornin,
an item Tor his old comrades.
be had been very lucky that morning an,
one Of the sailors drew up by a rome tbat al
tached 81 % the dock a wooden box with hole
bored ~ various places to let the water In. an,
opening the lld on top showed US the frnits n
his labor for that morning; he had only bee1
fishing for 2 short time and there was half
dozen beautiful yellow perch in ii that he Ia,
caught with his three h0oks-the two on III
arms and the other on his line He did mo
bait his hook while we were there. So 7 an, a.
loss 70 imagine how he did that: but If h
could not do that at all he wonld not be mt I
much disadvantage, for the bluff old sailors dow