The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-06
SEVEN SONS, ALL SOLDIERS.
The Story Of a Widow Whose Sons Served In the
Civil War.

In the Ledger of September 22d appeared
the obituary OF Mrs. Mary Callahan, widow of
Andrew Callahan, who had sent seven sons
to the late war A surviving member Of the
family has sent to this Office letter
in which it gives an interesting account
of these boys and their patriotic father
The letter is given just as it is written.
John, the oldest. served in both the army
and navy, and was wounded twice. Will
lam served in the army and was wounded.
and died in the hospital. Anderson served
in the army, and at Camp Curtin he jumped
into the river TO help rescue comrade who
was downing and contracted a cold, and
| he was discharged at the end of two years
service. James served in the army and was
wounded quite early in the war and put in
the invalid corps. He enlisted under an as
sumed name of McCauley, l think. Andrew
served in the army and was killed at
Hackers Run, va. Stewart served in the
navy and Robert served in the army. All
are now dead but Robert.
Here is an incident that happened early
in August, '61. John, William, Anderson
and James had just got home from the three
months service, and Robert and Andrew
! had enlisted for three years, and one even
ing all six had sat down to tea with their
| father and mother After supper the old
man says: Lads, get your coats on, and
We'll 90 and see James, for perhaps we
may never be together again, James being
ed, and as they passed along one of the
neighbors remarked TO friend that these six
| soldiers were brothers. He SAID the same
| TO some one else and it passed from one to
| another until crowd began to collect. Men
| surrounded the old man and the brothers,
| shook them bv the hands and rheered them.
| The women folks-some OF whom knew the
| boys-kissed and Rugged the old man. The
| excitement became so great that the boys
| went into store on South street, near Fiji
teenth, and slipped out the back way, sepa-
| rated and returned home.
The old man was well known to many
| OF the crowd. so they picked him up and
carried him home on their shoulders. and
| then demanded q speech from him when
| they had landed him on his own doorstep.
l think can see him now, good, old, honest
| man, in an old-fashiOned hat, with tears
streaming down his face. as he told the
crowd that he had six boys in uniform ready
| to go, and younger one he would send il
| his country needed him. And he kept his
| word, for the boy enlisted in the 1881
Pennsylvania, and was killed at Hacher's
| Run. The old man made ringing speech,
and urged the younger men to rally to the
| support Of the flag, ana many Of them that
were there enlisted through that old mans
earnest, honest, burning patriotism.
While he was talking the bows reached
home and brought the mother out on the
steps, when the crowd broke out afresh
with cheers for the old couple and the ex-
element was so great that her windows had
to be closed before the crowd would dis
perse, and that was the last time these
brothers were together; two went to the
front the next day, and before the end of
thirty days all were at the front, each help
ing little to save the Phil
adolDhia Ledger.