Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-26
Campfire Stories

Among the interesting characters attend
ing the Omaha encsmpmcnt OF the Ne
braska Grand Army Of the Republic was
Henry Masterman of Lincoln. who is the
oldest veteran Of the civil war in the state
and one Of the Oldest in the country. Mr..
Masterman wac born near Hull, England,
April 3, 1913, and served in the British
army before coming to America. In this
country he served in the Twenty-eighth
Iowa and was with Grant at Vicksburg,
Banks on the Red river expedition and with
Sheridan in the Shenandoah valley, when
that active and able cavalry leader made
the valley 80 desolate that "a crow in
flying over would have TO carry his pro-
visions On his back"
Mr.. Masterman bears his 50 years lightly
and travels unaccompsnied from his home
in Lincoln to the encampments over the
state. His personal recollections Of Great
Britain from the standpoint OF a soldier
before Queen Victoria went on the throne
Of that country are interesting and. as he
says. are brighter in his memory than
the events Of the current time, To some
OF h members OF the Grand Army he
talked Of those times Friday afternoon, sit
ting In front OF Washington hall. where the
encampment was in session.
Il was but a slip OF a boy" he said,
when / entered the army. Ny entire life
had been spent in the small village OF
Leven. where ! was born, and I had few
ideas above what ] had seen there. 1t
was a year or more after / entered the
army that ! was sent with my regiment,
a part OF the Rife Brigade OF s~hsrpshooters,
to serve as guard at Windsor castle Just
after the accession OF Queen Victoria to
the throne. Everyone was anxious to see
the youthful monarch, and as a loyal Briton
my enthusiasm was at its highest when /
found that / was to guard the castle in
which Ehe resided. / did not have much OF
an idea OF what q queen-body looked like.
and l really don't know what ! expected to
see. but when / learned that the queen
made a practice Of walking along a certain
path In the morning ] resolved TO see her.
so when on duty strolled along the path
about the hour she was won't to walk,
eraning my neck for an unusual sight. l
had gone but q short distance from the
barracks when ! passed a young girl. who
looked up and smiled sweetly at me. I
wasn't looking for girls then. and while 1
smiled back in return. I paid little attsn-
tion to her. / kept looking for the queen
until I heard the sound OF a bugle. which
NNeAAN mNf - - Fo NV eNoAh 4
asked him II the queen would walk that
way that day. He said: She has already
walked out and returned Ypu passed her
on the walk about an hour ago
No. I didn't / replied. The only thing
that passed me was a slip OF a girl and I
didn't pay any attention TO her.
Well said the sentry. that slip OF a
girl was the queen Of England But 1
would not believe him until l had seen
her where ! knew none but the queen could
be.
"A short time after that / was stationed
as guard AT the main entrance OF the
grounds and ordered to salute each men,
Der OF the royal party as they passed
through. ! had been on guard but 4 short
time when an old man and an old woman
eAme hobbling out through the gate. I
stood Stolid. never thinking OF saluting.
They had scarcely passed when the ser
geAnt Of the guard came along and asked
me why I had not saluted the royal per-
sons who passed.
Royal persons, I HAid. There have
been no royal persons pass here since I've
been on guard. Nobody has gone through
the gate but a farmer and his wife
"a farmer and his wife!' beloved the
sergeant Why. man. that was the king
and queen OF the BslgianA'
The next day ! received orders to report