The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-03-30
MAJOR vEIL's Brave DIED REcALLsD
a Bill in Congress 70 Restore Him to the
Regular Army.

a Bill in Congress TO Restore Him to the
Regular Army.
The brave deed Of Cambria County
soldier on the Battlefield Of Gettysburg
Is recalled by a bill which has been in
troduced in Congress by Representative e
Packer. Of Wellsboro. Pa. The measure.
says the Johnstown Tribune. seeks to re-
store Major Charles Veil. of Wellsboro,
to the Regular Army IS Lieutenant,
and then place him upon the retired list
An effort which all his Cambria County
friends hope may meet with success. for
no one deserves such recognition more
than Charlie.
He is native of Cambria, and brother
Of John.H... Wen, the well-known citizen
of Scalp Level, and in 1861, at the age OF
eighteen, enlisted as q private in Com
pany G, Of the Ninth Pennsylvania Re-
serves, aud very soon was in active SER
vice with the Army Of the Potomac.
In the spring Of 1853 Mr.. Veil was made
an orderly on the staff Of General John
f. Reynolds, and was the only one of the
staff close by when that commander was
81 uLh " q kNCDcA DuAAct Inu hAAAC4 a. 0cl-
tysburg on the morning of July lst. See-
ing the General fall Off his horse, Mr..
Veil dismounted and was soon by the dy-
ing commanders side By this time the
Rebels were quite close and there was no
ore near TO help, but Veil had no inten-
ton OF surrendering the body, and, amid
bullets that whizzed by and exclamations
to drop him. which he could plainly
hear. he dragged the body, being unable
to carry it, TO little ravine, where he got
assistance, and carried it within the Union
lines.
By General Meade's direction, Mr.. Veil
accompanied General Reynolds body
home, and the funeral took place in Lam
caster on July 4th. Not long afterward
General Meade sent for Mr.. Veil, while in
front of the enemy, and gave him hand
some gold watch, appropriately inscribed,
as gift from the sisters of General Rey-
nolds. Mr.. Veil has carried the timepiece
ever since.
Shortly after receiving the watch. Sec
retary-of- War Stanton sent telegram to
the headquarters of the Army of the Po-
tomac, asking that Private Veil be sent
to Washington for promotion. Reporting
10 the Secretary, Mr.. Veil was warmly
congratulated and asked in what branch
of the service he would prefer 10 be. Re-
plying that he ''was used TO riding horse
at his home in Cambria County" the Sec
retary directed commission to be made
out for him as Second Lieutenant in the
cavalry. Then he was given furlough
to go to Baltimore to meet the sisters of
General Reynolds, who desired to see
him. 1t appears that they had interceded
with President Lincoln for him, and the
President had ordered that he receive
his commission.
Returning to the front, Lieutenant Yeil
was selected by General Sheridan for staff
duty and remained with him until the
close Of the War, being promoted for gal
lantry from time TO time. Subsequently
he spent some years with his regiment,
the First United States Cavalry, in Texas,
Arizona, and New Mexico. In the redue-
ton Of the Army in 1870 he was placed
upon the supernumerary roll, and was
the next day dropped from the service.
This action his friends regard as an injus-
tice, and it Is now sought to have him
restored to the service and then retired
upon half pay.
A new line Picture frame Moulding
just received at
SNYDERis ART STORE.