The National tribune., 1901-04-04
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE: WASHINGTON D. c. THURSDAY

dusk on June 81. 1862. Every man wore
n white straw hat and made fine mark
for the Johnnies, and tE2y dropped lot
OF yeu in hurry"
Gospel said ne. Where or how on
earth do you know all that?''
well, ] was in Co. s, the right flank
company of the 18th, and saw the whole
shooting match And we shook hands
again.
Yes" said he, Il lost that eye there,
and here is where the lead came out" He
showed me large scar on his throat.
And | was shot III both legs at the same
time, and remained en the field all night
His name is Perry. do not remember
his first name. or what company he be
longed to, but he lived about 20 miles
north of Seymour, the last / knew of him.
/ inferred from what he told me that
that evening was the first time the 18th
was under fire. If SO, when did the 14th
break? Not then, certainly, as / was in
ranks then and know they did not even
wayer. / know we all did our duty, and
the Fifth Corps and about one division
of another corps fought the rebel army
all day and held our own against big odds.
Now, COmrade Jim, there is enough honor
Gf we can call war honor to go all
around, and don't let volunteer jump
q Regular because he was in the Regular
Army, or q Regular put on frills over a
Volunteer, because he sometimes wore
white gloves when not campaigning.
Let me speak of one little circumstance.
On my way to the Buffalo Encampment,
three years ago, l had been down in Os-
wego Co., n. Y, to my old birthplace a
couple of weeks before Encampment time.
The first day of the Encampment board
ed a special at Syracuse loaded with old
vets for Buffalo. / took my seat, and
soon one crossed the aisle, and bending
over the back of my seat said:
where are you from, comrade?
/ took that to mean what command,
and touched my large badge, which read,
Corps"
"Oh, pshawr said he, for the badge
had given me away as Regular He
stood there talking awhile of battles, etc,
and Gettysburg was mentioned.
Yes" said /, Il was there"
Not much you weren't said he;
''Sykes's Regulars weren't in it."
''Oh, beg your pardon, comrade, but we
were. We held Little Round Top, the
key to the battle"
'.Well, | say you weren't there"
/ reached in my side pocket, brought
out long pocket-book and took out two
parchment discharges, with battles, all
from the records, and said: "Comrade, it
may not be any of your business, but viii
you look them over?" He took them,
read them carefully. and said: Say,
comrade, you were there; and, say, you
have splendid record"
We'll" said /, Il don't have to take
a back seat for anything on this train"
And you needn't" said he. And the war
was over; it was all right.
/ expect to do more writing, but l win
serve notice that it will not be in defense
of myself or the 14th. It's too late, &C n
rades, to pick up the hatchet every time
someone thinks you or your command
failed to do all that was done to put down
the rebellion. And, say, Comrade Jim,
il you ever strike Seymour, 15 miles west
of Green Bay, Wis, call and see me, and
we will have it out at dinner-time over
the johnny-cake and potatoes we may be
fortunate enough to have at that time.
As some comrades have found me
through my article of Dec. 20, l will
state that l was also member of Co. B,
I'd Battalion, 18th U. S., while before
discharge, in 1S65.-M. REED, Sergeant,
Co. A, 18th q. s., and Go. B, 14th Z. s.,
Seymour, Wis.