Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-05-18

My daughter Maggie fixed me up bit
so as I'd look sort o respectable in the
crowd O. fine people that's coming.
Maggie wanted to come, too, but we're
not very we'll off, and she hasn't any
cloak; she said her hat was out of style
and she was afraid that some people
might laugh at it; you know there are
people who will laugh at other peoples
clothes. Now, never cared for style
myself, no more did the general. I've
seen him when he wasn't dressed as
we'll as am now, and I've had this
suit four years, but thousands of men
were cheering him as he rode by and
ready to follow him right down into
the valley o. death. told Maggie not
to mind If she wasn't in style; while
she amt got any cloak she's got good
warm shawl that belonged to her
mother; her hat is only little faded
thing she bought winter before last,
but she looks purity in it. But she
wouldn't come; she said could tell her
about it when 1 got back. Maggie felt
bad because she couldn't come, for she
thinks almost as much of the general
as do ever since I told her how he
once did me and the boys in my regi-
ment great favor-saved us from dis
grace.
Eyes, sir, I'll tell you about it. It
was the Second Iowa infantry-Col.
Tuttle. You may have heard of the
Second lowa-hrst regiment over the
breastworks at Donelson. l was in
company A. first rank, going up the
hill; hard hill to climb, sir, but that
charge was something more than life
and death to us, the reputation of the
Second Iowa was at stake and Grant
was watching us.
Before we went to Donelson we
were in camp near a medical college.
There We're some wild boys in the Sec
ond Iowa and l was one of them. We
got into that college one night and we
raised the old Harry. We unjointed
some of the skeletons and the others
we stuffed full of baled hay. We put
soldiers clothes on some of them, with
caps cooked on the side of their heads,
and stuck pipes in their mouths and
had good time generally. The next
day we We're off for Doneison, but we
hadn't gone far before we discovered
that something was wrong. All the
other regiments were marching with
their flags flying and bands playing,
while we were tramping along with
furled colors and muffied drums. The
doctors had reported us to Col. Tuttle
and he had ordered us to march that
way to punish us; we were disgraced.
The other regiments heard of it and
made sport of us. We felt pretty bad,
but we laughed among ourselves over
the way we fixed those skeletons.
''The Second Iowa wasn't in the first
charges on Donelson that were re-
pulsed. We were sitting around like
schoolboys with ounces caps on their
heads, and we were getting Dadder
and madder all the time. Something
had to be done to redeem the honor of
the regiment. We hit on a plan that
pleased all the boys. 1t was to send a
delegation to Col. Tuttle with a re-
quest to allow the Second Iowa to lead
the next charge on Donelson, and we
told him we would take the fort or not
man would come back. The colonel
didn't approve of it; he said it was
throwing away human lives, but he
agreed to send our regiment to Brig.
Gen. w. f. Smith. The brigndier said
he couldn't do it; that he would not be
responsible for ordering another
charge on the works, but he was will
ing to submit the request to Gen
Grant
"a courier mounted his horse anG
started for Grants headquarters, ant
we were on the anxious seat till he GO
back; our blood was up and we meant
business Among ourselves we threat
ened all sorts of things If our reques
was denied. But Grant did not disap
point us; he never did; you could al
ways rely on Grant when it came to
question of fighting.
when the courier came riding bacl
on the dead run he waved piece O
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