The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1902-05-22
A Perry County Soldier.

w. w MCOOudlu VI u. N.
Rochester Post G.. A. r., few
evenings ago gave us short
history Of his service in the army
during the war Of the rebellion.
He said that at the breaking out
of the war he was too young to go
into the army, and was living on
a farm over in Perry county with
his father and was helping to take
care of the crops. His patriotism
was set on fire by the assault on
Fort Sumter, and he wanted to en-
list and help to avenge the blow
that had been stricken at this
grand and glorious government of
ours by the hands Of traitors.
But as he was too young to go to
war, the government would not
accept him, so he had to stay on
the farm and wait until he could |
grow little more before he would
make a soldier for his country.
He remained on the farm with his
father helping to SOW and reap
the crops until in 1853 when the
rebel General John II. Morgan
made his famous trip through Ohio
and passed through the southeast
corner of Perry county, where this
gallant patriot lived. Comrade
Mcdonald had not forgotten Fort
Sumter all this time and as he was
out in the meadow with his father
making hay when Morgan and his
men passed by their farm, and as
young Mcdonald was on the top
of stack placing the hay, he had
a good opportunity of seeing the
rebels az they passed. At last
they noticed him standing and
watching them from the hay stack,
and they commanded him to get
down or they would shoot him, but
as he did not know anything about
war he refused to come down and
as he was only boy they paid no
more attention to him, but con-
tinued on up the road until they
came to the barn. Here they stop
ped and went in to look for some
horses while the comrade stood
and watched them from the hay
stack. Soon they came out with
two of the horses and this fired the
heart of this brave lad, who was
powerless to do anything SO Morgan
and his men passed on taking the
two horses with them. After 60
, ing some distance they turned one
of the horses loose as it did not
suit them, and it came back to the
house.
Now, our Comrade was bound to
have revenge on Morgan and being
old enough by this time he offered
his services to the government
once more and was accepted, and
being assigned to the 31st o. V. L.,
which was in camp at Ringgold,
: Ca, he departed for the front re-
, membering John Morgan and the
| horses, and vowing that now he
= would get even with them. Ii
, was in December of 1868 that he
r arrived at the camp of the gallant
. 31st, where he found them in
E winter quarters waiting for the
y spring campaign or as it is usually
called the Atlanta campaign tc
, take place.
! Great preparations were being
/ made for the army to move to
g Atlanta and it was to be vigorous
Q from start to finish, and of course
E young Mcdonald rem m b ere q
1 Perry county and the horses. In
l May 1854 Sherman had everything
. in readiness to move on to the
= enemy, and he did not intend tC
: stop until Atlanta was ours and
D our Comrade had satisfaction fol-
2 the firing on Fort Sumter which ]
| suppose received before he return.
| ed to his home. Our Comradf
passed through the Atlanta cam.
l paign all right and then he had q
\ desire to see the coast, sc he start.
r ed with Sherman on the march tc
the sea. Now as things do not
: always go smooth in war he arrived
s at the wrong coast and was in the
, hands of the gray instead of the
r blue. He forgot that he was in
: the enemies country instead OF
. Perry county, so he thought that
: he would go out in the country