The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-23
SHAWNEE co. HEROES.
Men Who Fought at the Battle of
the Blue
END THEIR REUNION LAST EVENING.

stories Told by Col. VeaIe, Senator
Martin ana Others-SOme OF the In
cLdents.
The after-dinner programme of the
servivors of the battle consisted largely OF
speeches and the relating of war rem
iniscences.
Ex-senator John Martin gave at great
length an entertaining history OF the
battle. the causes which led up to it. and
incidents of the fight G. G. Gage was
SO pleased with Senator Martins speech
that he announced at its close that he
would have given any stenographer VINO
would have taken it down 500.
Colonel Veale acted as master of cere-
monies and called for Mr.. Gage to fol-
low Senator Martin. Mr.. Gage told how
the Kansas soldier would fight but did
not know how to run. He also told OF
the memorial monument and thanked
those present for the cane and clock pre-
scented.
The inscription on the gold head of
the cane presented Mr.. Gage read: sc.
G. Gage. from comrades at battle OF
Blue, Oct %, 1891"
One lady expressed the hope that Mr..
Gage would never feel old enough to
have use for the cane presented.
Judge Morton, assistant adjutant gen
eral to General Ditzler. spoke of the
the fight as he remembered it.
Dr. h W. Roby read an original poem
appropriate to the subject which was
well received.
Captain A J. Huntoon related num-
Der of the most interesting anecdotes of
the day. While told in a modest, unas-
suming way it showed the captain to
have been in the thickest of the fight
from the start.
Colonel Veale also related number
of incidents in a happy manner.
The youngest soldier present that was
at the battle of the Blue was Frank
Wolff. His mother carried him in her
arms while searching the battlefield
after night for her husbands body.
The two oldest men who sat down to
the reunion dinner, were John Branner
and A. Porter. They are both men three
score and ten.
John Cope of Company D. from Joe
Shelby's Missouri home, was present.
Mr.. Cope at one time lived at North
Topeka.
Senator John Martin sat among the
veterans relating incidents connected
other John and Bill and jim" and spoke
just like it was yesterday rather than
thirty-one years ago.
John Armstrong related this incident
of Senator Martin: son the Price raid,
or just prior to the battle of the Blue, a
number of men, principally from Leav-
enworth, Lawrence and Wyandotte,
thought it best not to cross the Missouri
line on account of the states rights ques-
tion.
John Martin arose at a conference
one night and said: When man throws
dirt at my house l am going after him.
They have come on our side. favor
retaliation Like Pizzaro of old, they
crossed the line. and the results are mat
tiers OF history"
S. j. Reader showed a large pruning
knife that had been taken from him
when captured at the fight, and the
"Johnnies" had deemed it SO worthless
they returned il. Captain Huntoon, who
was prisoner at the time, used it to cut
rations with. Mr. Reader found the
knife three years before on the prairie
at Indianola. 1t then appeared as old
as now The wooden handles had rotted
off and buckskin was substituted.
Colonel Veale said that large amount
of script issued to loyal men along the
border for loss of teams and property
was still unpaid. He had come within
four votes of getting bill passed to re-
compense them, aud would have sue
ceeded had not Farmer Smith. who tried
four times to be governor of Kansas. put
in his oar and defeated the motion,
L1rs. Colonel VeaIe, who made the cot
fee for the reunion dinner, is veteran in
the cause on that line. Many a night
during the perilous border raids and the
QuantreIl foray she sat up nights to make
coffee.
4 permanent organization was effected
as follows: President. Col. George ".
Veale; vice president. G. G. Gage; secre-
tary, Ed Kellam; treasurer, a. J. Hun
toon. the president was authorized to
appoint an executive committee of five.
October % was fixed as the date for
the annual reunion of the Second Kan
sas, and the celebration of the battle of
the Blue and Topeka the point.
The thanks of the association to Lin
coin post were voted for the use of the
hall.