The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-23
CITY NEWS
'POSSUM FROM HOME.
John w. Harper, Armory Janitor,
Gets a Toothsome Christmas
Present From Ohio.
The Sergeant Is Veteran Of Long
Service-A Scout in Early
49, .. War Days.

II was with an unusually broad smile
that Sergeant John w. Harper, the genlal
janitor of the ar1nory appeared inns morn
ing and announced that he had aIreaoS re-
ceived his Christmas present. ooX ina
came all the way from GAINESVILLE. ONO,
his old home but tina he had no idea whom
II was from It was then disclosed tnat
the serseant's Christmas present was a
sixteen and one half pound 'possum and a
nineteen pound COON The. sergeant
smiled again as he remarked: .r r.
'SYou should have seen them youngsters
at nv house smile when the, box was
Opened. Their eyes fairly sparkled. In
stinct seemed to tell them that ,possum
and coon were good to eat. But boys, III
tell you, to appreciate good postum sup
per- it is necessary to go out yoursel1
with the dogs. tree the animal, eaten MIN,
and then prepare your own meal with
plentiful supply of sweet potatoes, Still,
I guess the old man will still be able TO
put the youngsters to sleep when 1t comes
to eating our Christmas dinner
The sergeant is one Of the leading col
ored men of the city, taking great inter-
est in the work and welfare of hts colored
fellow citizens. He resides at Sixth
street and Fourth avenue S.
Sergeant Harper Is not given TO taking
of battles and settling disputed questions
upon which historians cannot agree. He
SAYS it is all foolishness for a. man to say
he saw in the heat of battle a certain
regiment q company do this or that; II q
man had time to be watching movements
of others he wasn't attending to his own
business. But from the sergeants oWr
statements the following is gathered con-
corning his own interesting career: .-..
He was born in Wheeling, w. Va. n
1e41. When the war broke out he was
boa ting on the Ohio river. he abandoned
the river to become an independent scout
attached to the Thirteenth Ohio. taking
orders from General Fremont and late1
from Rosencrans. In 1853 he went into
the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts. In the
battle Of James Island. July I. 1863. as {
corporal he led a squad of advanced pick
cts of seven. Only two got back alive
Harper got furlough for meritorious con
duct for that piece of service. the furlougl
also noting bravery at Wagner the da!
following the James Ferry incident.
In the fall of 1865 he shipped as ser
geant of marines for a hand in a littl
unpleasantness in Haiti. He was. In tina
capacity, the man who introduced Ameri
can drill tactics into Haiti. Fabre Gef
fard was president and Salnave was fight
ing him. Harper's vessel after time sur
rendered to Salnave and Harper an
others were condemned to death and WOul
probably have been executed but for tn
timely interference of the British consul
Returning to New York. Harper enliste
In the Fortieth infantry hoping to be sen
to Texas to fight Indians. Instead he wa
sent to North Carolina. General Mile
was then colonel of the regiment an6
Harper says. he was a dashing fellow an
"a better all around soldier never lived.
Later Harper did service in the Ku Klu
riots al Opelousas. Miss. He continued i
the service until he was retired at For
Smelling in 1894.
Altogether in his service he took part
thirtv-eight battles He is now 81 year
old and is an invaluable man at the al
nory.