The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1891-12-01

To get in the company of half a dozen
veterans of the civil war, on a night when
the weather is too cold and otherwise diss-
greeable for street travel and when the
cheerful rays from a stove hesped with
blazing Goals cast brilliant hue upon the
glasses held in the hands marked with the
emblems of hard toll, is treat. Most of
the vets in town are poor story tellers of
war "reminiscences until well pumped and
well, until that which drives dull care
away has been we'll sampled Then the
stories flow. There was group comfort
ally seated in we'll known place the other
night. IAN old fellow came up to me
little boozy the other day" said one land
said his regiment was never STAN eded in
battle" but he struck the wrong customer
asked him if he recollected the second
battle of Bull Run, and he said he did, and
we'll too. | then told him of how his
regiment became demorslized and after
wards came inside of new line of battle
made up of fresh troops, in double quick
order. He acknowledged the corn.
don't want to say anything against the
regiment; it was one Of the best OF Burn
sides corps, but people in glass houses
shouldn't throw stones.
~
81 remember" said another, "when the
army left Harrison Landing in 62. 1t got
away under the coyer of dummies and
mounted Quaker guns and when the Rebs
discovered the trick they kicked them
selves But, anyhow, in crossing the Chic
ahominy the men of the Goth Pa. Regt,
stepped into the creek and waded it as
briskly AS if they were walking on dry
land. Gen. Mcclellan stood by as troops
passed and inquired of Gen Cake, What
regiment is thatY When told it was the
96th Pa. he said, 4 thought they were the
brave coal crackers" "
-
A third vet contributed this: II tell
you, boys, many a scheme was planned to
get home on furloIgh or discharged. re-
member we had marched through Virgins
so often that the soldiers of the army OF
the Potomac became discouraged One
beautiful moonlight night, near Thorough.
fare Gap, while Tom Houck and l were
reclining upon the grass, talking and think
ing of home, he proposed a plan to ge
home. Tom was tired of the Army--tireC
tramping over the same ground so often
He suggested rubbing our joints with bluu
ointment and then wetting them. Thi
would give us rheumatism and lead to GU
discharge But the plan ended at the sug
gestion. Tom, Houck died Mt his home il
Pottsvile from wound received in sub
scquent battle. He and Glenn Potts, Jo
Dengler, Ted. Smith and Bill Wesnd wer
whole souled and merry messmates.
80
1.-THE fraternal spirit burned in tn
breasts Of the comrades on the battle fe
as brightly as It has since in the Posts G
the G.. A, R." put in vet who ha
listened contentedly to his comrades. "
remember a member Of our company dy
ing at Harrison Landing. His name Wa
Madison and he was carried off by typhoi
fever. He was favorite and every men
Der in the company went down into b
poe Iet to help pay for embalmiug the bod
and sending it home to the bereave
parents"
="
did you eyer know Dan Hartline
, asked another He is living in Mt, Cai
! mel, OF near there. At least he was whe
! l last heard of him. have not seen hi
5 since the battle Of Champions Pass, 1
was another lively fellow. One day, viii
] charging through the pass and up Il
mountain, Dan was greatly amused by Il
antics of the Johnnies in trying to get ol
I Of the way of our bsyonets. He incre ass
g the merriment by giving the "rebs' with
" his reach a tantalizing prick with the pol