The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1897-09-02
SOLDIERS STORIES,
ENTERTAINING REMINICENCES
OF THE WAR.
Graphic Account eff Stirring Scenes
witnessed on the Battlefield and in
Samp-Veterans of the Rebellion Re-
cite Experiences of Thrilling Nature.
SOlGier-Priutcrs,

Kan, in recent letter pleased me with
kind words for this series of chapters,
and by saying that they are looked for
and read with great interest BY the
soldier element and many others in
Kansas. What was better, he gave the
points upon which to base a story that
know will be enjoyed by all classes.
1T makes page of history that ought
TO have been collected and put in the
way Of preservation right after the in
teresting event, but owing to the en-
cltement of the times passed as mat
ter OF little moment My best reason
tor using the material Captain Tomp-
kms furnishes is the fact that it will
portray to the young men Of the pres
/ ent time the intense patriotism of the
young men of that time, period of
aark uncertainty, day when the re-
! pubic was in imminent danger, but is
now so firmly rooted and so certain
never again to see civil strife, and so
/ strong that no other country or cluster
OF countries will ever care to attempt
| Its overthrow. have not the slightest
doubt that under similar circumstances
the young men Of to-day would spring
to arms even more promptly, enthusi-
astically and patriotically than the
young men of that day did. In sub
stance Captain Tompkins said:
"The day Fort Sumter was fired on
was setting type in the office of the
Inv rnIl inc G. rt,11 LOTT Stnf fn
printers. Lu II. Drury was foreman of
the bookrOom and 0. T. Martin was in
charge of the job room, with Charles
Ii. Townsend as assistant. Charley
Holt, then Of the Janesville Gazette
for many years since an Illinois editor,
was visitor, and James X. Proudfit,
as was usual with him in those days.
was around jollying the boys. A wet
snow was falling and the roads and
walks We're sloppy. Lu Drury played
the fife. With the first take" that
flashed the news of the cannonading
Drury grabbed his fife and yelled: Fall
in!' He began To blow Yankee Doc
die" out of the little instrument with
the energy of Il cyclone on Kansas
prairie, and marched for the door. 9th
ers followed by twos. In the company
of typos who marched out and paraded
the streets of the capital city on that
memorable April day, inspired by the
patriotism of the moment and Drury's
music, were: J-u II. Drury, +. A. Cal
kins, Charley Townsend. j. X Proud
fit, o. p. Martin. Charley Holt, John
Perry. Peter McIIugh, NJ. j. Cantwell.
Tom Bishop, myself and others whose
names l have forgotten in the thirty
six years that have elapsed A halt
was made at Harry Binghams (after-
ward quartermaster in the army for
further inspiration, and the company
filed left to the capitol. Promenading
down the main hallway to the eXecu-
tive chamber calls We're made for Gov
ernor Alexander Randall, who prompt
ly put in an appearance. Charley Holt,
without request, appointment or pre-
arrangement, made patriotic speech,
rendering to the State of Wisconsin the
services of the printers to put down the
rebellion. Randall responded eloquent
ly and equally patriotically, accepting
on behalf of the State the services of
the craft so handsomely and graciously
rendered, and stated that he would
serve a reQuisitior for the same as soon
as he received authority for the enroll
ment of volunteers. That martial dis
play was made Immediately upon the
receipt of the first news in Madison of
the bombardment of Fort Sumter, most
of the printers going in their shirt
sleeves, and Drury, the jolliest and
perhaps the bravest Of the crowd.
marching at the head Of the column
with his work apron on.
did they go to the war? Yes, every
one except Holt, who was physics lly
incapacitated. Peter McHugh went
with the first regiment and never re-
turned. dying in the field. o. T. Martin
enlisted in an Illinois regiment and was
one of the first union soldiers in Vicks
burg. The next day he issued Vicks-
burg daily on wall paper. He died sew
eral years ago in Chicago. Drury went
out as captain in the Third Wisconsin
battery of light artillery, distinguished
himself in battle, was severely wound
ed, shot through the body, and returned
as major, loaded with scars and hon
ors. Calkins was made major in the
Third Cavalry, became lieutenant
colonel, and was Il whole battalion sin
Proudfit went out as ad-
jutant of the Twelfth, and returned a
brigadier general. He is now a resi-
dent of Kansas City, Kan. John Perry
l met at Chickasaw Canyon, Miss,
Nav 90. 1863 He was chief clerk TO
Gen. Easton, Grants quartermaster.
Cantwell l met at Natchez, Miss, in
and provost marshal of the city. Bish-
op. | believe, was lieutenant of Wis
cOnsin regiment in the Army of the PO- |
tomac. Townsend was second lieuten- /
ant of Company D, Twenty-ninth Wis
cOnsin, but served about three years as |
burne's staff
TOmpkins served as Il private in the |
Twenty-ninth Wisconsin for a time and |
was commissioned in later regiment. |
This recalls the claim l have never |
seen disputed that every northern and |
southern city and village that was !
large enough to maintain one or more |
papers had editor and printer repre- |
in each company leaving |
such villages and cities. l know of one |
State in which that is true. Many of |
the printing offices the first year of the !
war lost all of their printers. 1t was at |
that time girls and young women were
generally, to sticks"
cases." racks" "galleys' and 'al-
eys." When the war was over they
had occupied the field SO completely |
that the sOldier-printers in large num-
Ders We're obliged to look in other di-
'ectiOns, which many of them did.
greatly to their advantage. Hundreds
If them became editors and publishers.
md be il said TO their credit they have