The National tribune., 1901-12-26

brought back to the State, and take the
place of troops then doing duty there. So
far as the I'd and Sd were concerned the
request was granted, but the 1th re-
mained with the Army of the Potomac
to the close of the war, taking part in
! every hard-fought battle from Antietam
to AppomattOx.
Soon after their return to the State the
ID and Sd then were made mounted in
fantry by act of Congress, and later were
made the 9TH and 9th w. Va. Cav.
As we already had cavalry regiments
up to the 4th, on account of their depleted
ranks the two regiments were CONSOLE
dated and called the 9th w. Va. Cav.
We We're near Harper's Ferry when
President lincoln was assassinated, and
We're hurried by forced march to Wash
ington. sent into Maryland. with head.
quarters ut Surrattsvllc, until Booth was
killed. We then moved to Washington,
| and remained there until after the Grand
Review, when we were sent to Fort Leav-
enworth, Kan. When We arrived we soon
discovered the purpose of our Western
trip: 1t was to go out on the plains and
fight Indians. 1t was natural for the
boys to feel that after four years hard
service they We're entitled to be mustered
out. So firm was their belief that an
injustice was being done, that some of
them made up their minds not TO go.
| Thrilling stories of the hardships of the
plains made them all the irmcr iii their
determination. | must confess that, for
my part, | was in dilemma. | did not
want to 20, neither did | want to rebel.
| had been suffering some with sore eyes.
This would not have prevented my con
tinuing on duty, but | took advantage Of
the situation and applied for admission
to the hospital. / was admitted the day
before the mutiny. When the order came
TO saddle up about half the regiment did
so. The portion that obcyed was sent
| forward and wintcrcd near Fort Laramie.
\ number Of the boys that went first
died that Winter of Scurvy. In The Ma
tional Tribune of Nov. II appears the
history, written by Comrade Andrews, of
! the portion that did not saddle. He speaks
of many things | had forgotten His
letter recalls an incident that had slipped
out of my mind: the presenting of the
watch.
After the men were paroled they agreed
to go If the Government would remount
| them. In the meantime Adj't-Gen. Pier
pont, of West Virginia, came to see the
boys, and was very kind to them making
them nice talk. They were remounted,
and started. My eyes had gottcn better
by this time, and ! Joined the boys.
We went west as far as Jules
burg, Colo, and stayed there until
Spring. This last part of our regiment
went on the plains under the command
of our own much-lovcd Col Rufus T.
Fleming, who enlisted at the outbreak
| OF the war as a private, and by his BRAY
cry and strict attention to duty rose to
Brevet Brigadicr-General Comrade An
drews is mistaken in regard to our being
mustered ont when the regiment was re
stored to duty, in August, 90 We were
not mustered out until June 30, 1866, at
Fort LeavenwOrth, Kan. We were taken
home as regiment, and given our dis
charge and pay at Wheeling The cit
lZens of Wheeling gave us as fine bans
quet as prince or potcntate ever sat down
to enjoy.
In closing | wish 10 explain that Dor
ton of the old I'd w. Va. Inf was from
Pittsburg, and a livelier set of men are
seldom met with. The ID and Sd regi-
ments, later the 9Th w. Va. Cav, were
together much of the time before the
consolidation, and for that reason there
was no jealousy attendant upon the union.
Always, while i'll camp, the boys were do
ing something to amuse themselves and
others. While on the march they We're
happy and jolly. The Pittsburg boys
were nearly all good boxers and when it
came to fight with other regiments they
were on the spot. Seldom quarreling
among themselves, they always got on
well with the Ohio and Indiana boys
When | think of them | do so with a
They were the first troops to come and
help us protect our firesides at the out
break of the war.
A braver regiment than the 9th was
not to be found, and when they thought
good sense and policy demanded fight,
they fought; but, as COmrade Andrews
says, they were intelligent, and could un-
derstand readily. That is why Lieut.. An
drews could handle them without Il guard.
Had they discovered him to be unfriendly.
unjust and unfair with them, he could
not have handled them, even with his
jOth Wis. In fact, no new regiment, who
had not seen service, could have handled
them as well as Lieut.. Andrews did alone
In this rambling history Of the regiment,
which presents but the bare facts, / have
tried TO do them justice in the Fort Leav-
enwOrth affair. j believe they never
should have been sent on the plains at
the close of the war
/ have not seen many of the old regi-
ment since the close of the war. l often
sit down before the smOldering embers
in the crate of Winter nights and think
their faces in the fire, and long for a re-
union. 1t seems but little while now
as we look fOrward-until the dear old
faces shall have vanished from the circle
about the hearths they so valiantly de-
Tended. Can it be that these grizzled
boards hide faces that once flushed with
youth and eagerness? That the heads
that are now touched with the frost of
care and approaching age were once bon
ny and crowned with smooth, dark hair
or curls of bronze? Can it be that that
solderly man who kept his eyes covered
with his hand all during the Mckinley
memOrial-was once by the campfres
that lighted the way to victory?
But | feel certain that, however we
may have scattered, no matter what our
pursuits, there will always be a feeling
of love and sympathy between us-unit-
ing us in spite of years and changes
j. K. CONWAY, First Sergeant, Co. Il,
9Th w. Va. Cav, Peoria, Ill.