The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1892-02-11
WAR RECORD OF j. ]. CLARK,
As Written by One who Served With
Him in the 115th o. VI.
CANTON, o Feb. 9Th, 1892.

CANTON, o Feb. 7th, 1892.
ED. NEWS DEMOCRAT In last nights
NEWS DEMOCRAT you say you have re-
ceived many communications attacking
Mr.. j. ]. Clark, which you have declined
to publish. Now, while you have received
so mADy denouncng him, is it possible
you have received none defending him?
You occasionally, in your editorials, en-
deavored to belittle Mr.. Clark's military
record, but you have never published it.
AS you may not possess his record, let me
furnish it; as 1t is honorable in high de-
gree. j. j. Clark served as Orderly Ser
geant of Co. "B," tl5th Ohio Infantry
Volunteers, Orderly Sergeant is the high
| est possible position for an enlisted man
| to attain. To be an efficient "Orderly,"
soldier must be brave, commanding,
| intelligent and educated. Stark county
| furnished but one Eoldier who had the
right to sign General to his name, and he
| had no. the ability to become even an
| ordinary orderly sergeant. You say
that j. j. Clark never saw "rebel in
| arms" Now, TO read the history of the late
| war in the newspapers of the present day,
! one would infer that about all the real
| fighting was done at "Gettys5urgh", and
| yet let me make this little comparison.
In one fight, in q stockade at Smyrna.
Tenn, Mr.. Clark's company left greater
percentage of men killed dead in the
| ranks, in proportion to the number en-
gagged, than the percentage OF all Ohio
troops killed in the three day engage
ments at Gettysburg, where all the fight
ing of the war is supposed to have been
1 done? But Mr.. Clark only claims TO have
done his duty as soldier, and never
boasts of that. But If you think there is
! no "hghtn in him, "tlcklen him some day
! when you are feeling well. 2fr. Clark
l realizes that his regiment enjoyed a sort
of a SNAP, and lived on cold turkey and
l pie, while other regiments crimsoned the
| soil of many southern fields, with the life
| blood Of brave boys and dear friends,
l and he never hesitates to say so. He
1 often referred to this in pleasant talks to
the G. A, II. Post; q post that he brought
\ from the ordinary, to one of the first, IL
| not the foremost post in the state. l be-
lieve thstno other ex.soldier in the county
could have done, or If he could, he would
not. He did it through. his ability, untiring
energy, and devotion to The canse. Pos
L SlbAy IL hS ihu IlhICuSI OVER
| southern states, eaten fewer turkeys, or
fought in more battles, his enthuaia SIN
would not today be so great but enthusiasm
like his is just what the post now needs.
1 Many of your communications are signed
Veteran but doubt il any one Of them
was written by a soldier who was o wet
eran" by the rule. "A few days ago the
/ Post Commander issued call to attend
the funeral of comraGe and said, "All
Veterans are invited, ,n'&c. The TACT is il
none but veterans, by the rule, had attend
ed, he would not have had corporals
guard. But there is too much of this.
LET us have peace" and don't, for
heavens sake, don'tuse the influence of
your excellent newspaper to, assist one
who had no single relative in the war, on
either side, Gor i was nobler to have
fought on the wrong side, than not tc have
fought at alD to destroy a noble order, and
with it wreck the. Grand Army Post, sim
ply because it was decided that the order
would be purer purged of her member,
ship. lam, very truly,
A VETERAN.