Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1902-10-01

ISRAEL 8. SMITH
listment until his discharge. There
was never banded together a drawer,
more determined, or desperate set of
men,"
Thomas H. Sypherd and Israel s.
Smith, clerks in the treasury de-
partment, are surviving veterans of
those organiza tions; Mr. Sypherd
served in Lanes command, and Mr.
Smith in Clay's company. Both of
them have passed their SEVENTEEN
year, but they are hale and hearty
to-day. Sypherd says:
Gen. Lane was just little more
thoughtful of his men than Clay was.
We were sworn into service as emer-
gency men, but we had no official
connection with the records of the
war department.. Gen. Lane looked
far into the future and saw that
time would come when eaca of US
would be proud to have an official
record OF service, and when it might
prove to be helpful to us. We were
sworn in by Col. David Hunter, but
regular order. He gave each of us
parchment discharge containing
the thanks of the secretary of war.
approved by President Lincoln"
This document proved to be of
practical value to me a few years ago
when L wanted to be reinstated in the
civil service under the old soldier rule"
says Mr.. Sypherd "When l showed
this discharge to Civil Service Commits
sioner Roosevelt he at once said:
That document thanking you for
your service, over the signature of the
secretary of war, with the approval of
President Lincoln, is good enough for
me- On account of this discharge. |
was restored to the desired clerkship
in the civil service which had been
taken from me for political reasons
Mr.. Smith says: Zone of the most
important decisions reached at one of
our first meetings was that we should
not have uniforms. Gen. Clay insisted
that we be uniformed. Gen Lane
made speech in which he stated that
: if we were uniformed the enemy
would know our exact number; a fact
which we did not want disclosed This
statement settled the matter and we
were not uniformed. Consequently
every night we were taken out for
drill, and separated into small squads
People saw US marching in all parts OF
the city. The enemy multiplied ou1
numbers, as we wanted them to do
Some time after the war was over
Marshal Kane, of Baltimore, said tc
Ward Lamon: If l had known that
you had no more than 500 men under
your command / would have captured
Washington at that time. We under
stood in Baltimore that you had moi
less than 5000 men, and that your
companies were gaining recruits ali
the time
$50 you see" continued Mr.. Smith
mot only our numbers, but our ruse
coupled with it, saved the capital. This
city was surrounded by the enemy
You know the Sixth Massachusetts
had to fight its way through the
streets of Baltimore. Other regiments
had to come by way OF Annapolis and
march across Maryland. Our little
bands met the Sixth Massachusetts
and escorted that regiment to the cap
itol rotunda, where a grand parade
was given by that organization. The
loyal people began to breathe more
freely. and our little bands felt some.
what relieved of the tension. But not
until about 10000 troops were here did
we disband. or give up our duties
These survivors of the emergency
companies are proud of their service
which lasted from April is to Nav 3.
1861, and they have reason to be, for
their service was even more important
than that of ''that little band of Spar.
tans which, in a mountain pass, with
stood whole armies"
SMITH u. FRY.