Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-24
SOLDIER LEGISLATORS.
Some Gay and Pathetic Stories Told By and
of the Old Warriors.
rFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT. J

OF the Old WARRIORS
rFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT
HARRISBURG, February 23-In the absence
of the Legislature, soldier stories were one OF
the special orders of the day. There is a large
number of soldiers in the House, but the dis
cussion was confined to few. One of the few
was Captain Clay, of Elk county, and this good
story was told about him:
1t was after the war had ended, and Captain
Clay was stationed in Virginia town as Pro-
vost Marshal. The orders had gone out that
the Confederates might wear their uniforms,
but they were to remove from them all military
buttons and insignia of rank and were not per-
mitted to carry side arms.
One day Captain Clay sat in front of his Of
fee, when Confederate General Rosser rode
by, on his collar the gold stars of his rank, and
his uniform covered with buttons of gilt. AS
he passed he took occasion to curse the Yam
KEGS and show his contempt for the North gen.
orally. The rebel officer halted at hotel near
by and went In. Clay called an orderly and
told him to take squad of men, 60 up to the
hotel and tell the rebel General to remove his
stars and all the Confederate buttons on his
uniform. The orderly carried out his orders,
and returned to Clay with the information that
the General had refused to comply with his
request.
"All right" said Clay.
Toward evening rebel General Rosser came
out of the hotel, mounted his horse and rode
toward Clay's headquarters. AS he neared
them the Captain sent his orderly out to halt
him. Resser hadn't bargained for this.
What do you mean, sah?' he asked.
General" said Captain Clay, ''you received
my request, and knew that under the terms of
surrender you had no right to wear your in
sigma of the rank and the Confederate button
on your uniform?'
Eyes, sah."
"And you refused to comply. The first
duty of a soldier is to obey orders. This you
also know"
Rosser was abashed. He didn't say word.
Then Captain Clay told his orderly to cut the
stars and buttons from the Generals uniform,
and right there in the road the orderly
took out his knife, and one by one removed
the stars and buttons Clay looking on COM
placently.
When the rebel General rode away it was
with saddened heart He had learned a
lesson. To day he is a famous railroad man.
ager, and Friday night he made speech abus-
ing Sherman. Captain Clay ought to get after
him again.
Another fine soldier on the Democratic side
of the House is Captain Skinner, of Fulton
county One of his comrades said the gallant
Captain had pawned his watch, as though it
were an everyday occurrence, to buy tobacco
for his men.
A gentleman who was at the Erie Encamp-
ment said that when the encampment was dis
cussing where to hold the next meeting, an old
Potter county veteran arose and started off on
a speech favoring Williamsport. isvoice was
shrill and he did not make himself very plainly
understood, which made some of the boys tired,
aud there were cries for him to ''cut it short"
At this the old veteran straichtened up,
paused moment, and then in q voice that cut
like knife, he said: Comrades, 1 am Post
Commander of a post named after my son, who
was killed while fighting under his father"
No need for further appeal to the gallant
men who wore the blue. Eyes filed with tears,
voices we're hushed and the veteran was given
respectful hearing. SIMPSON.