The National tribune., 1899-08-31

oy the Union forces, and marched with
his command to Meridian, Miss. there to :
march away. ~,
In September, 1853, the regiment went to-
Nlcksburg, steamed up the Mississippi to
Memphis, and started on that long. peril
Gus march for Chattanooga and Knoxville.
he saw gallant Joe Hooker and his brave
men hghting above the clouds on Lookout
mountain, was. with his regiment. and
sounded the advance when il made its
grand charge on Missionary Ridge. and as
the men scaled fortification after fortifica-
hon beat his drum louder and faster
When the rebels were driven from Chatta-
nooga he again slung his drum over his
shoulder and marched to the rescue of Burn
side at Knoxville. Henry's only ration
was an ear of corn, which he shelled and
parched over the camp fire. The Winter
was cold and dreary, yet he did not COM
PLAIN, and gladly performed his part in
helping to save the Union soldiers at Knox
vile. Tenn.
He returned with his regiment, and on
Dec IL, 1863. was with his regiment at
Stevenson, Ala, where Forrest made q
dash to burn the bridge over the Tennessee
river Soon after this a permanent camp
Tor rest and recruiting was established at
ScottSville, Ala, where in January, 1864,
Henry re-enlisted for three years more
obtained furlough, and went to his home.
IN Burlington, Iowa. to visit mother and
On April 5 once more he shouldered his
drum and set out with Sherman and his
regiment to capture Atlanta and march to
the sea. On many battlefields he aided his
wounded and dying comrades.
Henry led his regiment and beat many a.
qulckstep march to hasten and cheer his
comrades on their long and weary marches.
On this march he witnessed many battles
and beat many a long roll, to call his COM
rades into line for the attack of the approach
ing enemy. When Sherman scaled the
Notifications at Fort Fisher he beat his
drum as never before, and was among the
Soidlers when they scaled the rampartS OF
that fortress. Finally at Washington he
beat his drum triumphantly as he marched
in the Grand Review. and afterwards was
mustered out at Louisville, July 20. 1865,
having served with his regiment four
years, one month and IL days, marched
over 1000 miles, and done his duty in 81
battles and numerous skirmiSheS, before
he was II years old.
And now about the dog jeff. He grew
to be almost as valuable to the soldiers Of
the regiment as the Quartermaster. When
JEFF was small pup Henry gave him a
place in his haversack, when the regiment
was on march, and many were the days
and many the miles that little jeff kept up
with the soldiers in Henry's haversack,
often peeplng out to see what was going on.
when Henry was taken prisoner at
Shiloh. the comrades of his company cared
for jeff until he returned. The battle Of
Shlloh was fought in wood, and during
the fight on the first day the rabbits were
scared from their hiding-places and ran in
every direction. Some of them came near
jeff and he ran them around and around.
back and forth, between the contending
armies. The soldiers who knew jeff
cheered and yelled. Whether he caught
the rabbit no one knows.
jeff was the best soldier in the regiment
np n min Il,
quickly catch and hold a pig, chicken,
sheep or OK, and when one of his regiment
had it secured, let go and start for another,
capture 1T, and never get tired of that kind
OF soldering. jeff knew every soldier of
the 9Th, and would forage for any of the
men of that command, but no other
While on march in Mississippi, sol.
dier of the 18th U. S. Regular troops shot
poor Jeff, the bullet passing entirely
through his body. When the men learned
that jeff had been cruelty and wantonly
wounded by one of our own brigade, a
storm of Indignation passed along the line,
search was made, the soldier found, and
he was punished severely. The wounded
dog was placed in the ambulance, and for
many days watched over and cared for
carefully, and in time he recovered, took his
place with the regiment, and did his part in
trying to feed Henry and his comrades.
At Missionary Ridge, Tenn, on Nov.
25, 1868, when the Union boys were charg-
ing the rebel fortification, jeff was at the
front, and seeing rabbit skipping away
started on a run to catch it. The bullets
and cannon balls were flying thick and fast,
and round and round, in and out of the
lines of both armies, Jeff and the rabbit
went, the soldiers on both sides cheering
as they ran. While they were between the
lines of the contending armies minie-baIl
passed through vital part of poor Jeff's
body, and he fell dead at the front in the
fight.
When the battle was over, Henry and his
comrades took poor Jeff's body, dug a
grave, built pen around it, erected a head
board, and cut deep into the wood the words:
Here Lies jeff, the Quartermaster of the
9Th Regiment, Iowa Vol Inf"
1t happened that at this time the soldiers
of the regiment and their Quartermaster
were not on the best of terms, and when the
QuartermaSter learned what the boys had
done for jeff he became very indignant and
declared that he should pull down the head
board and graye-mark, but he was not
permitted to do so.
The State of Iowa has erected near the
Capitol building in Des Moines a monument
in memory of the soldiers of Iowa, and in
one of the bronze groups is the full statue Of
Henry and his drum, and we hope that the
National Government, ere he answers the
last call for lights out, in some suitable
manner will recognize the services so
cheerfully and faithfully given by this
little boy, who now resides at Peoria, Ill.