The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-12-13
A WAR Romance.
Chums of tho Old Days by Accident Find
Last Resting Place Side by Side.

Chums of the Old Days by Accident Find a
| Last Resting-Place Side by Side.
| EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Before the
war there came from Tennessee to Clinton u
man about % years old. He was rather
good-looking, with dark hair, black, flashing
| eyes, and a dark mustache. lie was COM
panionable sort of fellow, drank but little,
aud made everybody his friend. Yet he
was an enemy to society'by his calling for
he was n gambler-they used to call them
blacklegs In those days before the war.
Ben Brown was his name He had no
friends in Clinton, hut he just drifted in
here; and finding that even in those days he
could always find an opening for game, he
made Clinton his home.
When Sumter was fired upon and Father
Abraham issued his call for $4,000 men to
crush the rebellion, Ben Brown was one
among the first to fall into line the day Col.
George Il. Lemon made his war speech in
| the old courthouse, and John Stoker. Grin
HOyt, and Jack Robinson beat up for re-
crui,s with fl e and drum. Those were stir
ring days in Clinton, as they were all over
the North.
Ben Brown never thought that because he
was Southerner his place was in the ranks
of those who were committing treason by
firing on the flag under which he was born.
He was patriotic American, and the call
for troops measured up to his idea of
patriotism.
That same day James M. Hall, who was
mustered out" recently, ranged mp along
side of Ben Brown as they formed into line
on the courthouse square. Jim and Ben
were strangers. Jim came from his country
home down in Barnett Township. He left
the pillow i'll the furrow on that bright April
day in 81 and came to town to see what all
that trouble was about firing on the old flag
at Sumter.
Jim, like the rest of the boys, didn't know
anything about war. There was little
skirmish down in Mexico away back in the
40's, but Jim was too young to remember
anything about it,
No Drawer man than Ben Brown was mus
tered into the United States service on the
day when the Goth Iii. was organized at
Joliet Ben was every inch a soldier From
the first he took a fancy to Jim Hall. When
Co. E went into camp Ben and Jim became
fast friends, and as they marched 10 the field
of battle side by side that friendship became
stronger; they stuck to each other closer
than brothers.
On that morning, the 9th Of April, 1862
when the Goth III. was ordered ino the line
atShiloh, Ben Brown felt q presentiment that
his soldering days were over; that he would
be one among the first that would fall in The
leaden hail. He had been in other fights
and skirmishes but never ill that morning
did his heart fail him. Not that he was
going to show the white feather; Ben Brown
was too brave. How many n brave man
went on the battlefield with the same feel
ing, and in how many cases did the present.
ment prove true!
Before marching ont Ben took Lieut.. Sam
Denton aside, AID, pulling out fine gold
WATCH some money, aud few little trinkets,
said:
Here, Lieutenant, take these, and when
am gone send them to ray good old mother
in Tennessee Tell her they are from her
maynard boy who has made her heart ache
for many years. Tell her that the last
thoughts of her boy were of her and the home
in which he was SO happy dn his childhood.
Tell her that my last hours were spent in
praying for her, and for father, and for the
other children, and in asking God for for
giveness for my own slfort conings."
Sam Denton tried by words of cheer to
brighten up Ben, and to persuade him that
his were only the gloomy thoughts that
sometime Overshadow The bravest men. But
Ben could not be persuaded.
90 that morning at Shiloh only 43 Of Co.
L went into the fight, and when the sun
went down that night four OF the brave fell
lows were cold in death, and % were suffer
ing from CHASTITY wounds.
p Ben Brown was one of the four who went
down in that terrible storm of shot and
shell, and by his side fell Jim Hall badly
wounded.
Ben Browns body was brought TO Clinton,
and was one among the first inferred in
Wocdlawn in the little plot that surrounds
the snldiers' monument.
The other day Jim Hall was laid to rest |
side by side with his old comrade. There |
was no design in il. There is no sentiment |
about grave digger, but had to find a |
place for Jim's grave, and the one selected |
was merely by chance. The grave-digger |
knew nothing of Ben Brown and very little
OF Jim Hall, but when CO. f boys happened |
to look at the surrounding graves after they |
had lowered Jim's body into the earth they
saw the remarkable oincidence.-RICHARD |
BUTLER, Clinton, III.