The Dickinson press., 1898-06-04
Simpson Writes
Tells about the Trip Of Grissby's Rossh
Riders from Farqo Sesth.

Louisville, KY, May e, 1893
DEAR AYERs:-I promised you in Far
go that | would from time to time send
you a line relative to the doings and ex-
%periences of North Dakota cavalry troops
G and H, grid Regt. U. S. Volunteers.
Each troop is composed of 81 men and
a like number of horses. Troop G of
which am a member is commanded by
Capt. Charles Z. Gregory, a lawyer and
former member OF the state senate; list
Lieut.. w. E. Way from Devils Lake and
and Lieut.. Dan Burkholder of Bismarck,
the two latter having formerly seen SER
vice in the regular army. Capt. Greg
ory received a military education, is a
man of unquestioned courage and firm
ness and we'll adapted to successfully
command men; he has the confidence
and respect of every man in the troop.
Troop H is commanded by Capt. Geo.
A. Nugent of Fargo. who is North Oak.
ota's first West Point graduate, a thor
ough soldier and a man of scholarly at
tainments and a gentleman every inch
of him; Ist Lieut.. Charles E. Showers is a
lawyer from Wheatland and End Lieut..
A. E. Sunderland is former register of
the United States land office at Fargo.
The cavalry service will have no better off
cered troops than G and H and the state
of North Dakota will have cause to feel
proud Of them before the present war is
over.
We left Fargo Wednesday at about S
p. m. being escorted to the station by
every uniformed organization in the city
and the whole of the eight companies
of infantry stationed there. Inever felt
prouder of Co. X than when that day l
saw it in line, a magnificent body of men
nearly all uniformed and all we'll drilled
and disciplined. Just as our troop "fell
in" at the recruiting Office l went over to
bid X boys good bye-perhaps forever
and | tell you it was an effort to keep the
tears in restraint. an effort which l am
not ashamed to admit l did not succeed
in. AS our train, gaily decorated with
the glorious stars and stripes, pulled out
of the depot a mighty "hip-hip, hurrah"
was shouted from thousands of threats
in the assembled crowd-one backward
lingering look was taken by the MEM
bers Of the troops and Fargo was a men,
Dry! From there our trip was n con-
,inual ovation-crowds at every station
and many times was said: God bless
you, boys" success to you" until when
finally got to sleep in my berth that
night, still fancied in my dreams l
could see the crowds and hear the shouts.
OF all the towns along the line, however,
Alexandria in Minnesota was the one
that longest will be remembered. The
whole t~ownspeople seemed to be there,
men, women and children-lads, lasses
and old maids-lags, music and cheers.
Standing with others on the platform Of
the rear sleeper l heard some one shout
there's a lawyer from Dickinson" and
coming towards me was a popular trav-
cling man who makes our town. He
proposed three cheers for the "lawyer
volunteer" and they were given SO lust
lily as to cause me embarrassment as those
composing the crowd were strangers to
me-not to be outdone in civility, how
ever, l proposed three cheers for Sena-
tor Nelson alexandria is his home) and
they we're given quickly and heartily,
showing that that gentleman must be
close to the hearts of his own people.
At GAINESVILLE the boys borrowed" a
large Newfoundland dog and he was
taken along as regimental mascot. At
writer's suggestion he was named Dewey
and later at Chicago we purchased a COL
lar and blanket, had them properly dec
grated and thereupon duly invested with
proper regalia. At St. Paul, where we
stopped for about two hours, among the
many at the station to look US over was
VIM. H. Hoyt, formerly of Dickinson,
and a Grand Army man. He inquired
after all the old timers and l gave him
such information as to their location and
condition as l possessed, From st. Paul
we went over the Chicago. Milwaukee &
lSt, Paul to Chicago. At Hastings, Red
Wing and No. La Crosse 1--WE did not run
into La Crosse city proper large delega-
tons were at the station to bid US God
speed. Red Wing outdid the others
both the size of its crowd and individual
enthusiam-we were there literally load
ed down with flowers and deafened with
cheers. At Portage. where we arrived al
ii p. M, there must have been from
1900 10000 people at the train and we
got q "hot" reception. A few minute.