The National tribune., 1899-06-15
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What the Veterans Have to Say
About Their Campaigns.
THE OLD CAMP GROUND.
Capt. Allen Recalls Scenes Of IS Years Ago.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In talking
with my comrades, have yet to hear from the
first one who has not expressed desire to
visit in the era of peace, the old camp grounds
in the Southland.
Many. many times the thousands of veter-
ans of the civil war who read these columns
have revisited in their Dreams waking and
sleeping, the camp fires of more than third Of
century ago, where they have held sweet
intercourse with comrades who have long ago
gone to the white camps OF peace on the now
| to lis not far distant shore.
am free to say that both in my waking and
my sleeping dreams again meet the boys OF
'61'65, and see them pass in review with the
same old buOyancy of YOUTH hear their Jokes
and laughter, and take my part in the fun.
Ialso have had the desire to revisit the famil-
lar scenes Yielding to this desire. Travelled
| 200 miles out OF my way in the Southland 70
revisit one of our old camps. This trip had
been on my mind for some months
Arriving on the old camp ground, af.er on
absence of nearly 35 ycars, had not the slight
est difficulty in locating each familiar spot
every old landmark was in exactly the right
place. could close my eyes and repeoplc the
camp in imagination with all my comrades
After Strolling slowly about this old camp
ground for little while found the place be-
coming oppressive to me. Never before in my
life had felt myself SO much alone, and was
inclined to go away, yet strong influence
held me. All this feeling came upon me after
| had been rather too successful in re -peopling
the old camp with all my comrades, brought
back to the old scene through we'll trained
Imagination.
Iwalked along the line where once had stood
the tents of our field and staff officers and in
my minds eye could see the lively scenes of 35
| years ago when my tent stood in this line and
| then all was life and vigor. 1t was with I'M
speakable sadness that recalled that Is OF
these are now dead, leaving only five among
the living.
turned to walk along the lines of our COM
panies, coming first TO Co. A. On this spot
IS years ago stood my friend, Capt. Ketter-
man. To-day we know not even where his
bones may be; he, with score of his company,
having been lost in Tie great disaster caused
by the explosion Of the boilers OF the steamer
Sultana We never had even the privilege Of
giving these comrades soldiers burial.
Next in order was Co. B. The spirit form OF
Capt. Santmeyer met me here, he being dead
these many years, though his very capable
successor, Capt VIM. T. Burton, one of the
boy Captains of the regiment happily sur
wives. This leads me to say that we had sew
eral boy Captains in our regiment youngsters
who had grown up with the regiment during
our term Of service, and they were all most
excellent officers, commanding their COM
panics with superior judgment when hardly
out of their teens.
! Next in line was Co. C, where. ! met the spirit
forms of Capts. Simpson and Lieut.. Archer,
both long since dead, though Capt Mart.
Schular still stays with us, sturdy and strong,
after jouneying three times around the globe
in his business career, and remains with the
same good nature, which makes life worth
living, to all who come in contact with him.
Next in order come to my own Co. ID, and
the spirit forms of both my Lieutenants, David
". Fisher and w. W. Manning, greeted me at
the head of the line, two splendid. loyal, ever
faithful soldiers, friends and comrades. Look
ing down the company line seemed again to
see the forms of dozens of my boys who have
long since gone to the great hereafter. With
moistened eyes and swelling throat fingered
long over this spot hallowed by the memory Of
gallant soldier boys whose graves are scatter
ed far beyond my ken
Next turned to the line of Co. E. Sturdy
and rugged, my comrade, Maj. r. c. Rankin,
| see still in the flesh, though now in his 18th
year, a veteran whose eye flashes and whose
voice grows strong as he recalls the days when
he led his splendid troopers to every call Of
duty. still remember the oftrepeated state
ment that if every officer in the regiment should
be killed at the same time, Co. E had within
itself good material for full new list Of regi
mental and company officers for the whole
regiment There was never better body Ol
young men in any army than contained in this
splendid company from Brown County, o.
Gallant Lieut.. Shrofe and many of his boy:
, have passed to the other shore.
turned to Co. F to feel the warm grasp o
the hand Of my friend, Capt Samuel Dryden
who, as one of the younger officers of the regi
ment am glad to say is yet among the living