Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1890-06-05
coLMAN R. APPERsoN POST
The Name of the Grand Army organi-
cation in this City

One bright morning in May 1854. among
the green fields and forests. and ON the
hills and in the valleys of far-otf Georgia.
near the village Of Ressaca. he two mighty
armies of the north and the south were
ranked in grim array before each other In
the center OF one Of the Kentucky federal
regiments stood two young soldiers. one
the sergeant of the colors. bearing the
nationa. fiag. the other a handsome. rosy
checked. hright-eyed boy Of eighteen. the
quarter masters sergeant. "A non-cOm
Blatant had he chosen to remain az the
rear in charge of the teams and camp
eQuipage. lie was. however. brave to
fault. ambitious for military glory aud
patriotic 10 the core. Those two. one in
his eighteenth year. the other in his nine
tenth. loved each other as did David and
Jonathan. even with a love almost sur
passing that Of woman. As they stood
upon the brink Of battle the soldier of the
colurs said 80 often men who do not
belong in the line seem To get killed or
badly hurt. wish you would go TO the
rear where yon belong" Often the young
sergeant had left his horse and teams to
take musket aud go into battle,
and this time he said. Il want To go
through one more big fight. like Chica-
maugua. and then Will be- satisfied. per-
hapS. IL | am killed today will fall be-
meath Old Glory u the dancing shadow
Of my eountry's tag. aud that will be all
right. Al that moment the bugles
sounded the charge: general officers. field
officers aud line officers shouted
words OF command. and ON went the
hosts into the blaze and smoke
the roar and carnage Of battle
The >erried ranks We're torn apart and
the Zig-Lag lines OF men in little knots
went ON. leaving here and there ON the
field cOmrade whose spirit ii0ated above
the war cloud and then Joined the patriot :
tod. StreWn in scores upon the field
were the stricken and groaning MANNED.
for the care Of the surgeons. Down hill.
across brook. through field green with
growing wheat, over a line Of rifle pits
from which a few moments before sheets
Of musketry flame had poured. and from
back OF which red breathed cannon had
roared and sent their hurting shot-Over
/ this line went the line of blue. stubbornly
/ following the backward marching and
f sullenly lighting line Of gray. Then the
gray line sank into another. reserved line.
Of riiile-pits, and there was a panse of the
blue line which trembled from a terrible
shock OF war. From the gray line went
up the appalling rebel yell. but follow
ing the shouts of gallant officers and the
fash Of their swords in the sunlight strug-
Cling through the clouds Of sulphurous
smoke. on with great cheer went the
broken. line of blue again. and the gray
u
gentle. gravelly declivity. slopng toward
the line of blue. and there such a terrific
cross-hre OF minnie balls. grape-shot
>hrapnel and canister that the blue line
fell Hat upon the ground. the younl
quartermaster's sergeant lying beside hi,
friend and almost upon the drapery Of tbs
torn and dear old flag The men of tina
regiment had by-word. which they hat
caught three years before at Shiloh. wheI
with Buel> reinforcementS on the secont
morning Of that dreadful fielt
they had met men from Grant
shattered army inquring the way TO tn,
landing -Pilisburg Landing. The by
word was where's the Landing" Il
the death hail Of thai decliVity at Res
SAGA. the dark-haired, blaek-eyed boy
sergeant inr the quartermaster. raise,
himself on his knees and. with laugh
shouted out. Where's the Landing?" Al
ounce Of Head tore through his gallant an,
patriotic heart and he went to the landin.
with smile on his face and without tn,
knowledge thas he had been struck, ;,
/ suddenly did the tiod Of battles take ava,
his Young and peerless soul. The battl
was shortly aiierward Won. and on tina
held. not far from where he fell. tn
youthful hero was buried by his lovin
aud weeping comrades the next morning
and when the war was ended two OF then
went To Georgias still pit-ribbed, bu
weed grown fields. and brought back I
his native state all that was left Of tn
boy who had fallen on he dancing shade,
Of Old Glory. Today, in Cave Hill GENE
terry at Louisville. white shaft mark
( the last resting place Of Colman Roger
( Apperson. the quartermaster's sergeant
/ who. had lac lived. wonld have won a hig
place among his fellow men. but who o
the battlefield won higher place in III
a heaven Of those swho give their lives /
r defense Of the starry old flag and II
eagles.
: Last night in Fairhaven. when the ban
y OF old soldiers met at Col Christopher
I Office. they selected. unanimously. frol
/, among many glorious names which ha
been thought Of as the name OF their me-
q post that of Colman r. Apperson. an
!. may the post make. In peace. a. proud
4 name as did, in war, he for whom il
u / called