The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1901-08-22
CONRADESHIP.
One of the Noblest Sentiments
that Can Animate the Human
Breast.
BY THEODORE F. ALLEN,
Captain, 9TH Ohio Cav, and Brevet Colonel, US
Vols, Wilson's Cavalry Corps.

Vols, Wilson's Cavalry Corps.
The subject Of Comradeship was unde
discussion recently by the members Of
Grand Army Post in this locality, whel
l was surprised to hear an old soldie
state that, so far as his knowledge went
he had never experienced the feeling o
comradeship which others had spoken o
SO freely, and which, without question
exists between nearly all old soldiers. a
striking instance of the warm feeling
shown at meeting between old soldier!
after long separation occurred only 6
few days ago at Los Angeles, Gal, wher
by chance three veterans of the 18th Ohio
Cay. met in this City of the Angels, A
generation had passed since these boys
had ridden knee to knee" In writing
to me of this glad reunion, when only
three were gathered together, one of the
boys says:
we were with Wolford and his LIST
Ky, and with the I'd Ohio, and the 9Th
Mich. againi Once more we shook our
plumes Ger Button Hill! The sweet in
cense from the wild-plum thickets of East
Tennessee seemed to get mixed up with
the smoke of our fragrant Havanas! We
climbed kenesaw, and far off in the dim
yonder were Stone Mountain, Decatur, the
SinuouS WindingS of the Chattahoochie,
and the domeS, minarets and towers OF
Atlantai We talked far into the witch
ing hours, when graveyards yawn and
spooks do promenade the quarter deck
Night after night we seemed to hear the
echoing bugies again, and mingled with
the threads of the dim past were
=" The notes of the same old whip-poor-
will
And the sentiners challenge when all
was still
1--WE whipped the enemy all over again
at Ebenezer Church, rode over the works
at Selma, captured the whole shooting
match" at Columbus, and unfurled the old
flag for them at Montgomery; gave Blind
Tom to the musical world of two hem
ispheres, and fairly thrilled our enemies
with the grandeSt military pageant the
world has ever witnessed, when 1900
cayalrymen under that princely soldier,
Gen. James II. Wilson, advanced like q
whirlwind 10 the notes of one universal
chorus of bugles, all echoing the same
command-FOrward! FOrwardm Then We
detailed 30 men from the 18th Ohio Cav.
to guard JEFF Davis and his retinue of
mistaken followers to the seacoast, and
having finished the business in hand we
took our tattered doll-rags and our little
blue dishes and went home"
Another veteran, Capt. Homer Mead,
Of Camden, ILL.,, of the Sth Iowa Cav, of
Croxtons Lost Brigade" who has the
true spirit of comradeship, in writing to
me- says: Sure, l love every member Of
Wilson'S Cavalry. l know you stole
horses whenever you could, and conde-
Bcended to eat fried chicken when there
was nothing better to be obtained, or ex-
listed on parched corn if you had to, and
that you drank buttermilk, only hoping
-. h..
show you still-house where your can
teens might be filed with Mountain
Dew" to wash the dust out of your gull
lets-but l love you just the same"
MILITARY RANK AMONG VETERANS.
At another meeting of my Grand Army
Post the subject of military rank came
up, when one of the veterans stated that
all rank was laid aside at the date of mus
ter-out, at which time the private and the
Captain stood as equals. | was inclined
to coincide with the comrade in this state
ment, but on the following day one of the
veterans of my old company, who was
mustered out at the same time L was
July, 1869, came into my Office on a
social visit, and to tell me that with the
advance of years he found himself in need
of e set of teeth.
well, SAM l said to him, why don't
you make a requisition on the Quarter
master for set OF teeth"
His reply rather Jared me when he
said, mo, sir; you are the Captain of my
company, and / am expecting you TO make
some sort of a requisition that will pro-
vide me with set of teeth, to replace
those l wore out eating the bareback and
fried chicken you provided for u.s."
But, Sam" | answered, Il have no
cash with me with which to buy sets Of
teeth for all the members of Co. D."
s.WaIl - rauiipd Sam aawhar's tho r
ter with putting on your hat and going
down to the bank and getting the cash? q
Sam got his teeth ali right, but | am
still debating in my mind if the Captain
laid aside his rank when he wes mustered
out, or am | still the Captain OF the COM
pany and in duty bound to supply new
sets of teeth for all those who need them.
CoSiRADEsHIP BETWEEN THE BLUE AND
THE GRAY.
The readers of The National Tribune
have had a fine demonstration of the feel
ing of comradeship, of gOod-fellowship, in
the letters of comment as published in
The Tribune from ex-Union soldiers re-
garding Capt. George Dallas Mosgroyes
serial, 1Bugle Notes From Dixie" |
think that without a single exception all
these letters breathed a warm spirit OF
good feeling toward this johnny" whose
Bugle Notes" proved to be such an in
teresting feature of The Tribune that il
was with extreme regret we came to the
close of the last chapter.
Speaking Of comradeship between SOL
diers of the Federal and Confederate
armies, what could be more touching than
the episode which occurred at AppOmat-
tox, when the lion-hearted Gen. Joshua
Chamberlain, of Maine, and the troops of
Gen. Grants victorious army under his
command. saluted the veterans of Lees
Army of Northern Virginia, when the last
act of the great drama took place This
final scene is referred to in the personal
"reminiscences of Gen. Robert L. Lee, as
follows:
a gallant eolor-bearer, as he delivered
up the tattered remnants of his flag burst
into tears and said to the Federal sol
diers VINO received it: Boys, this IS not
the first time you have seen that flag
have borne il on the front of battle in
many victorious field, and l had rather
die than surrender it now Brave fel-
low said Gen. Chamberlain; i admire
your noble spirit, and only regret that
have not the authority 10 bid you keep
your flag and carry il home as a precious
heirloom
This event, as readers Of this sketch
all well know, occurred more than 80
years ago, but recently gentleman from
North Carolina, desiring information re
garding this incident, addressed letter
TO Gen. Chamberlain on this subject, and
here is the Generals reply:
THE LAST FLAG AT APPoMATTox.
Il thank you with peculiar pleasure
for your fine and appreciatiye letter and
its reference therein TO some simple acts
of mine the surrender of .aa'S army