The San Francisco call., 1896-10-27
OLD-T|ME STORY
!. OF BAT Terry D.
a Dog Finds an Interesting
:. Letter Hidden in the
Sand.
Written on the Battle Fled
Many Years Ago to a Com
rade'S Widow.
SHOWS THE SOLDIER SPIRIT.
A Tragic Event of O. That Occurred
Near the Enemy's Lines on
Quiet Sunday Evening.
SHOWS THE SOLDIER SPIRIT.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANcrsoo cA1I,l !

OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALL,
9OS Broadway, Oct 70.
An interesting chapter of life during the
exciting times when the veterans OF to-day
were Young men was unearthed to-day.
While dog was paving in the sand be-
meath an old house occupied by Mr.. Clune
on Sixth street he brought TO light letter.
No one in the neigh borhood knew how
long it had been buried in the sand, which
had preserved it perfectly, nor does any
one know any of the parties mentioned.
1t is letter to a soldiers widow from the
comrade of a soldier who was accidentally
killed while crossing a creek while his
regiment was in camp at Decatur, Ga, in
1864, waiting for what the writer very aptly
called 1.-THE tug of war" Just how the
letter came to be hidden under house in
Oakland is a mystery, but the story it con-
tains will doubtless revive many memories
OF old veterans who read it.
1t is as follows:
In CAMP AT DECATUR, GA,
September, 13. 1864.
Ny Dear Friend: II l am the last in condol-
ing, do most faithfully assure you that 1t is
not insensibility, but the highest degree OF
love and gratitude that occasioned it, and
hope you will not impute my long silence to
any want, but to an excess OF kindness. When
i IOOk the ne u tuIee NShIS dSO ILLS nun
was but little acquainted with Oscar, but be-
fore his death l learned to love him as my
brother. He was in the same brigade through
the East Tennessee campaign. At Knoxville
we were together almost daily, and presume
he has mentioned me in his letters more than
once. visited him many times in this cam
paign. He was ordnance sergeant ana l was
chief of the caisson.
At the time the sad accident happened our
battery was some 5000 yards to the rear OF the
1O4th We were advancing and driving the
haf Is all q day fSUOdqN 1Tfh of
Juty). That night we went into camp only
few rods from where the accident happened.
We all picked biackberries that evening in the
same bushes that we picked In before oscar
was shot There was what the Tennesseeans
call bFanch-what we would call creek or
brook in Ohio-to cross from where the 104th
TO the black berries. He crossed on
small log 10 the bushes, and the accident hap
pened when he was going back.
The knowledge OF the accident came to me
In this wise. Que Harry Thompson, of Hud-
son, Ohio, came TO me and asked If l knew
that the sergeant of the 104th was killed. 1
asked him what sergeant and he said the one
was Sergeant Jackson (for l began 10 fear ii
was him) and he said il was. met one OF the
l04th boys and he confirmed the report and
gave me the details so lar as he knew. Marina
says she is very lonely and l hope you Will
make her a long visit
You must not spend the remainder of your
days in mourning, but being fully convinced
Of The vanity OF everything mortal, let US sub
nit TO everything as the servants OF Gud, who
mas SIdCiousiS PtoAn4Seu ~ lhy nO Hlo1e upon
US than we can bear. Believe me ever your
sincere friend and obedleut servant. Very re-
spectuly, JOSIAH a. KELLOGG.
P. S. 1 have forgotten to speak to you about
getting one OF Oscars photographs to put in
my album. l am getting as many as I can of
our battery boys and l have four OF the Second
Ohio Cavalry boys. Ii you have one Il mean
more tnan one) would be greatly indebted to
you. Our summer campaign is at end.
We are in beautiful camp at Decatur and IN
tend TO renal some five or six weeks (untl
f6 II amuaipU mencpsf- then will
the tug OF wal.
Then follows a beautiful poetic quota
ton that stamps nearer than anything
Else the character OF the writer. The
verse is:
Spirit thy labor is Ger thy term CT probation is
run,
Thy steps are now bound for the untrodden
shore;
Immortality's race has begun.
Yours, j. A. KELLOGG
The address given by Sergeant Kellogg
was Battery D First Regiment. O. V. v,
Light Artillery, Decatur, Georgia. Third
Division, Twenty-third Army Corps, care
Of Captain Cockeril. The envelope bears
the address of Mrs. Angeline jackson,
Akron, Summit County, OHIO.
There is much more in the letter than
the above, and ii the old soldiers relatives
would ike this long-buried relic of those
unhappy times, their WIS can be gratified.
--------
Stole Poifceman's Bike.
OAKLAND, CAL, Oct. 26.-Oficer Luf-
ri1 ic f-r iaf