The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1897-04-22
Gen. Grants Tender Greetiug.

Gen. Grants Tender Greeting.
Told by Hamlin Garland: 1t was
midday in the battle of the Wilderness,
and Il small teamster of II was stand
ing beside his wagon near Gen@AIeade's
headquarters and close to tie CORY, hur-
ried, and troubled surgeons, who were
Topping limbs from faint soldiers in
blue
All the horrors of battle were there
centered: rills of blood, stacks of livid
limbs, rows of suffering bodies. torn
and mangled. One by one the blue
clad men We're lifted to a rough table;
a keen knife slit sleeve or pantaloons,
the sponge swung TO the nOstrilS, the
knife blade fell upon the flesh; the saw
followed. A few moments of rapid
work and the subject, inanimate as
wood, was laid aside to make room on
the bed of slaughter for comrade.
The young teamster stood there wait
ing for his wagon load Of human torsos,
feeling all the horror, all the benumb
ing terror. of the battle.
thunder to the front, and could see the
smoke rising like cloud above the
batteries of crouching cannon, unseen,
but savage.
Standing so. he saw hOrseman ap-
preaching, and forgot for the moment
his terror by reason of his admiration
for the horse and his rider. The horse
had swift, steady rack, and as he
came his FURNISHED neck and fore arms
seems to flash in the light.
His rider sat him gloriously. the reins
in his left hand, guiding as if by force
of habit. He appeared not to know the
horse was moving. He descended hol-
lows, leaped furrows, skirted banks,
yet the rider sat his saddle, careless,
secure. graceful, and erect.
His introspective eyes fell upon the
boy, and he drew his horse almost to
walk. He was a carewOrn man. dressed
liz plain blue blouse, much faded, and
his hat was equally weatherbeaten. His
face was pensive, grave, and unyielding
as a granite mask.
The boy thrilled with excitement and
awe and wOrshipful admiration. He
knew this sad-faced, careless. splendid
rider to be the great commander. In
Gen. Grants eyes flashed sudden look
of pity and horror. AS he passed he
said:
Sonny. what are you doing here:"
He swept on. but his tender paternal
cadence of voice and his sad, sad face
the boy never forgot.
Once, long after, when the boy was
middle-aged man. and the General had
been twice President of the United
States, they met. In the midst of a
throng of people the commander stood
and the civilian said:
Il saw you once before, General. II |
was at the Wilderness. You passed |
me on horseback, and you said, Sonny,
what are you doing here?"
The Generals impressive face dark. |
ened with the memory of that terrible |
day; then II slow smile crept round his
lips and eyes.
Il recollect you,' he said But I |
didn't suppose you'd remember me-"
Elizur Sage as Brave Soldier.
Elizur Sage, whose house and lean
to in Channahon is mortgage for
loan of $50 TO his uncle, Russell Sage, is
well remembered by Colonel James A.
Sexton of Chicago. Colonel Sexton was
in command of the company in which
Sage served-D Company. Seventy-sec-
ond Illinois Infantry. The regiment
was raised under the auspices of the
Chicago Board Of Trade, and was mus
tered in the service at Camp Douglas,
Aug. 21. 1862. Colonel Sexton came to
the regiment after years service in
the SiXty-seventh Illinois. When he
took commanded his company he found
his men Elizur Sage, a lad ap-
parently IS or IA years old, who had
been duly enlisted as Il drummer boy,
with the consent of his parents. Recall
ing him to mind, Colonel Sexton said:
Il recollect him well. He was q
sturdy, active and Industrious boy,
kindly in disposition and general
favorite among the men, being regard
ed as sort of a mascot though we
didn't know what mascots were in
those days. Among the officers he was
well regarded.
''As soldier he was first-class. He
served with the regiment throughout
he war, and participated in some of the
hardest-fought battles of the war. He
was at the siege of Vicksburg and in the
battles that preceded its investment by
Grant He was with us during the
against Atlanta, and when
detached from the march to the sea he
was with us at the battle of Franklin
and the rout of Hood at Nashville.
Drummer boy as he was, he had as
perilous duties to perform rs any man
muSket in the ranks. In
1868, as l recollect it, the drum corps
IF every regiment were organized int.
I stretcher-bearers' corps. That is,
they were made to go out with stretch
,rs and bring off the field all the wound
ID to the field or some other improvised
hospital The drummers and fifers
we're often between two fires, that of
heir own command and of the enemy.
md think it required more nerve and
courage to do such duty than to stand
n the ranks to be fired at, always with
he chance of firing back.
Young Sage, as l remember him,
was, as | have said, a first-class sol
lier, and took part in eleven pitched
battles and 200 skirmishes, being under
ire 147 days out of the three years
service of his regiment"
Hats Locked for Safety.
\ Waterbury Comm genius has had
his hat stolen or exchanged" so otter
hat he set his wits at work and has
evolved hat rack for hotels or other
;emi-public places which effectively