The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1896-08-06

In the clover or the snow!
What cares he? he cannot know:
Lay him low!
George Ii. Boxer.
"NIS Old Commission"
1 met Captain Richard Carter, the
eX-MayOr of DOdgeyille, at the depart
ment encampment. He was recently
appointed a member of Governor Up
hams staff, with the rank of Colonel.
1t is not matter of very great i'm
portance, but it makes ME recall a
pair of young fellows of the long ago.
Maybe some of the results of the recall
will afford two or three minutes of
pleasure to the Times-Herald readers.
I'll try them, anyhow.
In 1861, as soon as they could get into
the service after LincOln'S first call for
troops, a couple Of boys, one in Racine,
where the encampment met last month,
and the other in Grant County We're
soldier material in the Second WiscOn-
sin Infantry, the late General Fair
childs regiment. The Racine boy was
William II. Upham, now the Governor,
and the Grant County boy was Richard
Carter, now prominent lawyerand gen.
eral all-around good citizen of Dodge
vile. congratulate both. Upham left
the army at the end of seven or eight
months to go to West Point. Carter,
Private Carter, stayed until the end of
the war and was captain when he
came home. If he is like other colonies
and generals on governors staffs, he is
pleased with his commission, but it
means ever so little when compared
with the yellowing paper given him in
the war days that says he is a captain
that he won the commission by faith
full service in actual war. Ask Colonel
Carter to trade his old captains COM
mission-to obliterate all record of his
war service-for any kind of a modern
commissiOn-that of Governor, minis
ter to st. James, Chief Justice of the
United States Supreme Court, or even
President and see how quickly he
will place the yellow commission over
his humping old heart and say:
''Thank you; not if you were to make
me ruler of the world-to give me the
Bank of England-not if you were to
pass to my keeping the treasures of all
of the governments of the earth.'
| have not overStatcd.
From what have said does the new
generation get an idea of the satisfac-
ton with which soldiers look back up
on their service in the war that gave
the world its greatest, most promising
best government? l hope so, for that
is the object in writing of the old CAP
tain and the new Colonel.
Ask any volunteer who helped to
make up the vast Union army what
would induce him to have all knowl
edge of his soldiership removed from
muster rolls and other records in Wash
ington and at his State capitol, so that
it might never be known that he had
a part in the struggle under Comman-
der-in-chief Abraham Lincoln, and see
what he would do, what lie would say
Our brigade newsbOy got hold Of
some Baltimore and Washington pa
pers and brought them up to the line Of
battle the third day at Gettysburg. He
was sitting on his horse counting out
and selling papers as fast as he could
take the change. When the great ar
tillery duel that preceded Picketts ia
nous charge began he happened to be
on Cemetery Ridge. near the archway
in the cemetery. Solid shot and shell
flew about him as thick as Green Bay
flies in June The little fellow threw
away his papers, wheeled his horse and
pretty nearly outfiew the Confederate
missiles. When asked why he depart
ed that day so abruptly he said he had
forgotten his revolver and went back
to hunt for it and that on the way to
the front General Meade had halted
him and told him to stay in the rear, as
his army could not afford to lose any
more of its best men.
Il want you to look at this old Testa-
ment," said c. B. Aubery. There is
my name written by Lieutenant Leach,
Company II, Second Vermont. He
bought it in Washington in July, 1861,
and presented it to me. What memoir
les that Testament brings back! l re-
member the hour lie gave it to me.
How solemn | felt and how hOmeSick,
too! How l wanted to throw my arms
about Ihy mothers neck and have her
talk to me-the dear mother l had run
away from! Lieutenant Leach was 4
Christian-a real one. There were
prayers in his tent every night and
morning, and on Sunday there was a
prayer meeting. l was boy of -,
who had taken French leave to go to
the war, and needed just such care as
Lieutenant Leach extended to me. He
gave me that Testament at the close of
one of the prayer meetings, and, with
a hand resting on my head, said: "My
lad, read something in that book ey-
cry day as long as you live and you
will never get into serious trouble" l
read it daily until was made a prison.
er-until | got into what thought was
mighty serious trOuble-when it was
impossible for me to read the Bible.
Bible agents didn't come to see rs at
IiSol. s-is lpo iiNIuSht0
ly vacant stomach demanded more at
tention than religious training and
Bible reading in those prison days.
Prayers in the soldiers tents were
not infrequent. General Howard al
ways had prayers. General Lee regu-
larly prayed, and Stonewall Jackson
several times day. Probably there
was not Il company in the war that
did not have its praying men. go
with me tonight through the COM
pany street." said Private e. C. Jones,
of whom l have spoken in these let
ters. I'VE will see what the boys arc
doing" 1t was about six months after
the company had gone to the seat of
war. We went up one side of the street
and down the other. In three of the
tents that night, just before taps, the