The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-30
An Indignant SON of a Veteran.

To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal
read, to my surprise and humiliation, an
ticle in your paper sigred by Veteran on
March Is, in which derison was made of the
men who served in the Persimnon Brigade. 1
would not write this note to you, but my father
belonged to the six months men who served in
East Tennessee during the winter of 1S63-64, and
as far back remember my father has
told me of the hardships and sufferings of the
men of the Persimmon Brigade. L have heard
it said by men who were in the service three
years or more that the service rendered by these
men was equal three years Of ordinary service;
that they did not have more than one-quarter
rations from October to the middle of February,
and during the time these mer were in East Ten
nsssee hundreds of them died from privation and
want and their bodies eaten by the wild
beasts and roaming hogs, General Longstreet
told Maj Henry B. Saylor that the Persimmon
Brigade saved Knoxville and made a gateway for
Sherman to start on his march to the sea. The
Persimmon Brigade's marches In the cold and
and ice were as great as the march of
Sherman to the sea- but this is not necessary, for
the history of the State of Indiana verihes what
1 say. 1 read once in your paper article writ
ten by Col. u. A. Smith on June a. 1895, in which
he said, among other things:
Those who have talked with the officers and
fcers who saw previous and subsequent service
of the Western and Eastern armies in the field,
Will come to the conclusion that Washington s
army in winter quarters at Valley Forge
no severer hardship keener suffering than did
these six months regiments in East Tennessee
during November and December 1863, and jan
uary and February, 1864. Indeed, if the accounts
OF privation and suffering did not come from such
reliable citizens as Capt. James r. Layman, S.
K Fletcher, Hon. Smiley N. Chambers and ex-
Lieut.. Governor Thomas Hanna, they might be
doubted Nor were their accounts given at camp
fires, but were obtained from interviews designed
to bring out the facts. With such a record of
faithful and timely service, full of hardship and
suffering, the who served six months in the
Persimmon Brigade may well be proud of the
name"
fathers by men who have grown up since the
war My father was a member of the One-hun-
dred-and- fifteenth Indiana Volunteers He was
candidate for postmaster in the town where he
lives, but rejected in favor of a young man,
born since the In looking over the appoint
ments made in Indiana, | find of the six made,
not soldier received appointment. Hon.
Nick Fibeck old veteran, was rejected for
collector of internal revenue in favor of young
and Gen. r. S. Foster, the ranking general in
Indiana was rejected. Mr.. Hess was appointed
postmaster and General McGinniss, a hero of
two wars, rejected. None of these men were six
months men, either, and while there are a few
soldiers who hold offices, they did not receive
them because they were soldiers. These are the
things that make the soldiers sons very very
indignant l believe, as Hon. Joseph Healing
does, that the soldiers should have their share,
and that that share should be a lions share"
SON OF A SOLDIER.
indianapolis, March %.