Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1894-07-28
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
A WARTIME ACCOUNT.


How It Was Started Between Enemies ana
Settled Between Friends.
Gen. Louis Wagner, of Philadelphia,
is a conspicuous figure at grand army
reunions. On such occasions he some-
times exhibits to his comrades time
worn confederate ''shinplaster" Of the
denomination of twenty dollars.
Scrawled across the back of the bill In
q large flowing handwriting is written
in ink the autograph of an ex-confed-
ate colonel. If the genial general
happens so feel in the right mood he
will smooth that dog-eared old "shin-
plaster" out on table, remove the big
z 5-s hat from the dome-like brow
that crowns his fertile brain and tell
you a good story about tho "shin-
plaster" and the dome-lil<e brow.
Gen. Wagner a few years ago was
the director of public works in Phila-
delphia. He was the first man to en-
10y the honors and emoluments of the
position after it was created by the
Bullett bill charter und which the
Quaker municipality is now governed.
1t happened that during one of the
summer months of his incumbency a
lot of Picketts Virginia veterans
came north, accompanied by Gen.
Pickett's widow, and on the field of
Gettysburg, where they had made
their immortal charge, they held a
reunion and fraternized with the boys
of Webb's Philadelphia brigade, who
had so gallautly met and repulsed
their impetuous assuault. They
clasped hands over "the Bloody Angle"
and held prolonged mutual admira-
tion society on the spot where they
had once fought hand to hand. Doing
the fraternizing act'' was the way Gen.
Wagner characterized it, for he isn't so
much given to post-bellum sentiment
as are some of his fellow veterans.
The Pickett survivors, accompanied
by their wives and daughters, were
shown all the sights in Philadelphia,
too, among them the big white marble
elephant that blockades Broad and
Market streets-the city hall. Gen.
Wagner was sitting there in state in
his official capacity. AS he was intro
duced to the various members of the
Virginia party a gray-haired, but dap
per little ex-colonel stepped forward
and grasped Gen. Wagner's hand effu-
sively.
so this is Gen. Louis Wagner" said
the petite ex-colonel, and then with a
bow he produced from his wallet an
old twenty-dollar confederate bill,
and, holding it toward the general, he
said, in a tone loud enough to be heard
by the entire party: General, your
name is very familiar to me, and
have long owed you a debt which
have pever heretofore had the oppor
tunity to cancel. Permit me to cancel
it now. l think this sum will about
square the affair"
Pardon me-" Gen. Wagner retorted
pleasantly, but / really cannot accept
this note as collateral security unless
it bears your personal Endorsement
colonel"
Certainly" said the Virginian, en-
tering into the spirit of the peasantry
and seizing pen from the general:
desk, he inscribed his autograph across
the back of the bill and returned i
with another profound bow.
"And now, colonel" said Gen. Wag
ner, ''since our little debt is so pleas
antly cancelled, you must be sinC
enough to tell me how in the worlC
you came to be my debtor"
Nothing easier" said the little colo
mel. Don't you remember during th
Wilderness fight, that in certain
skirmish your lines were driven bacl