The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1902-12-11
THE FIELD OF BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF
THE WAR
The Veterans of the Rebellion Tell Of
WhistlinG Bullets, Bright BayOnets,
Bursting Bombs, Bloody Battles,
Camp Fire, Festive Bugs, Etc, Etc.

Bursting Bombs, Bloody Battles
Camp Fire. Festive Bugs, Etc, Etc.
THE Thanksgiving proclamations thi
| year." said the Colonel. remind IN,
of Charley Anderson's proclamation IL
1865. Anderson was a brother of Ma
| jor Robert Anderson and was one OF
| the most engaging men ! ever met
He was in politics and literature II
Ohio in the early '40S and later was
the law partner of Rufus King in Gin
cinnati In 1859 he removed to Texas
TO engage in farming. and was located
near San Antonio in 1860, where he
at ince became conspicuous as pro
| nounced Union man.
at time when the North was
! greatly excited over the movement OF
| the secessionists in the South. Ander
son was indulging In very plain speech
in Texas. The Texans tried to coerce
him. tried to persuade him, and then
tried to scare him. Anderson defied
them all. and at great personal peril
made his way North to become in due
time Colonel Of the NinetyThird Ohio
and to be temporarily disabled by a
rebel bullet at Stone River. His adj
venturous career. his courage under
trying circumstances. his good services
as a soldier made him candidate for
Lieutenant-Go with Brough in
the Vallandigham campaign of 1868.
"Brough died in August, 1860. and
Anderson succeeded to the Governor
ship. He was as much of character
in the Governors office as he had been
in the practice of law and in the army.
When It came TO issue Thanksgiving
proclamation In 1865. he wrote one
to suit himself, and in spirit Of con-
trariness named day different from
that usually selected. At that time
the custom of national thanksgiving
had not been very firmly established.
and he contended that he had as much
right to fix the day for the State Of
Ohio as President johnson had.
$50 it happened that the President
issued a proclamation asking the peO-
pie to observe one day and Governor
Anderson a proclamation asking the
people Of Ohio To observe another.
The President declined to yield and
the Governor declined TO yield, and
there was controversy in Ohio ex-
sure was brought to bear upon Ander-
son. and finally he issued a character
istic document recalling his previous
proclamation and naming the same
Thanksgiving day as the President.
He surrendered, however. under pro-
test, and the literature Of Thanksgiv-
ing day was enriched by some of his
private and official letters on the ques-
tion.
Il happen to Know" said the Major,
shat Anderson's first Thanksgiving
proclamation was written between acts
at the old Columbus opera house. An
derson was passionately fond Of the
drama. In fact. he was no mean ac-
tor himself. and gave an interpreta-
ton of Hamlet which the dramatic
circle of Cincinnati believed very fine.
While he was Lieutenant-Gover
and after he became Governor he was
at the theater nearly every night.
''At that time our theatrical man.
ayers in Columbus were John Ellsler
and John T. Raymond. and both We're
close acquaintance of Anderson. He
was expected at the theater every
night. and not a very conspicuous seat
in the parquet was reserved for him.
had just returned from the army and
through William 7. Coggeshall. then
editor and proprietor Of the Ohio State
Journal. became acquainted with An
derson. Coggeshall and the Governor
were friends of twenty years stand
Ing. and l had the benefit of their
talks.
"One evening on entering the theater,
= little late. we found Anderson writ
Ing. and supposing that he was max
Ing notes on the play. did not disturb
him. Seeing us. however, he said he
was writing an original THANKSGIVING
in which he was going
to express his own views. l cannot
of course, the text Of the
but it was q remarkable
document. l remember. however. n
remark the Governor
made at the time. Turing to CosSes-
hall he said. irrelevantly. 7'Blank Sol
'mon and his teachings. He was an |
Did scoundrel, and l am against any
body who follows his precepts about |
the rod"
II went to the Statehouse one morn |
ne and found everybody in state of !
excitement. Governor Anderson had |
lust walked into the office of the State |
Treasurer and taken possession of the |
leys. A legislative committee had re- !
ported that things in the State treas |
Try were not In a satisfactory con- |
lition and Anderson acted at once.
de was in hot water for a long time.
md in explaining his impulsive action
o newspaper men said: Blank the
whole thing. There's no precedent for
in my horse-racing experience
Anderson was a natural orator, and
I came in his way to make many
peeches to returning Ohio regiments.
lis friends and advisers never knew.
nd Anderson himself never knew.
What lie would say on these occasions.
/ was the custom to place near him
ome old friend to admonish him when
lie was driving in his impetuous speech
Oward dangerous ground. 1t was the
luty of this mentor to pull the Gov
rnOr's coat tail as danger signal.
Il never missed one of these elo-
luent. eccentric speeches. On one oc-
aston the Governor got bad start
md he entered the domain of politics
With an AK. AS he was careering along
n denunciatiOn of party leaders he felt
more than usually vigorous pull at
lis coat tail. Stopping in the middle
f n sentence, he said to the surprised