The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-07-26
.|DYLL-
Of SAMOA'S
ISLES


Anian port. Samoa. as he met the I'M
expected clasp of American hands ana
h.de friends welcome to vailima, his
mountain home.
As an evidence of this fact witness
the following story, strange as true
that will find pathetic echo In the
breasts of many old comrades wh2
wore the gray in the years of the civil
War.
Colonel Theodore Allen of this city
was a former member OF the gallant
Seventh Ohio Cavalry. and is the only
Federal soldier, with the exception OF
Colonel William Knauss OF Columbus,
who has been made a member of the
Confederate Veterans Association of
Kentucky. One of Colonel Aliens COM
rades. Captain Martin Schuyler, of the
same regiment, who, though more than
so years of age, was a commissioned
officer in the standardization War,
related to him the following:
DRIFTED ABOUT THE WORLD.
He said that when his term of service
expired in the Philippines that he drift
ed about the world bent merely upon
seeing new scenes and strange faces.
won by stories told by Stevenson
of the Navigator Islands. now called
Samoa, Land of the Lotus. in the
South Pacific ocean, concluded to
visit these, and did so, spending seven
of the most delightful months of my
life. L was lettering one evening at
s.1set on the sands of Savaii when /
saw approaching the shore. guided by
native fisherman. strange little
craft, at the helm of which was flying
a dag that brought back to me those
stirring days of the sixties when the
grand old Seventh Ohio was having
periodic jousts with Morgans, Dukes
and Pegram's merry men.
1T is the custom with all the boat
men in those seas to display some man
ner of pennant on their crafts. 1t is
no uncommon thing to see the Star and
Crescent hard by the flag of Spain
China or Japan. Many of these colors
represent nothing but heather desire
for decoration of canoe. 'whoam or
smack The Stars and Stripes are not
infrequently seen, as these island
groups are under the protection OF
America, a fact, however, not general
ly known by the hybrid natives.
WON BOATMAN'S CONFIDENCE.
my admiration of his boat so won
his confidence that he became quite
loquacious, and allowed me TO examine
the colors. which he said an American
friend had given him, and which L
found to be conventional regimental of
fine bunting, the hues of which were
nliraculously preserved, although for
more than quarter of century the
flag had been almost constantly ex-
posed TO the weather. The boat, while
of the common 'dug-out' variety, was
artistscally decorated with sea shells,
glued TO the outside in graceful pat
terms. I doubt not If those bronzed old
war dogs of the Fourth Kentucky could
behold their historic colors on it's en-
bellished staff that they would at least
find no cause to despise its method of
uplifting. 1 was surprised and pleased
the following morning to be invited to
enter his boat for four mile trip,
which he ss.-~ 1t would require to reach
his island home. Strange, 1 thought
that the time has come when / would
follow the rebel flag instead of the
Union STANDARD.
About midafternoon my host pointed
out 81 little speck in the waters as our
destination. Passing splendid reefs of
coral. shady bays and crystal shadows
we made our way to the shore through
picturesque groves of cocoanuts tama-
rinds and lines, to his small hut,
which, like all those of that section.
was open on all sides, covered by a
matched roof. He removed the flag
from the staff clutch in the boat and
carried it with him to the hut. Later /
saw him fix it to the apex of his roof.
PICTURE WITH A HISTORY.
The day after my arrival my host
laid in my hand a little diary, saying:
Besides this my friend. who died here,
left nothing but a picture showing an
age-dimmed ambrctype of a little girl.
probably years of age. On the reverse
side was written, LEILA Glltner Daugh-
ter of the Regiment, Carrollton, Ky
1t was difficult to decipher the hand
writing of the book, as it had evidently
been water-soaked, but by means of a
magnifying glass 1 was able to read
disconnected parts. which served to In
crease my desire to learn the whole
story it had to tell. The diary was own
ed and kept by Henry Clay Renfrew.
OF Midway. KY, probably a member OF
the Fourth Kentucky Cavalry. The
writer, indeed. seems to have been a
member Of several regiments. as he re-
fers TO My Colonel, Basil Duke, and
Captain ]. B. Castleman.' He mentions
Colonel Giltner as his commanding off,
Ger and Captain Bart Jenkins the Cap
tain Of his company. And he refers to
Adjutant General z. o. Guerrant and
Lieutenant Freeman. He also records
incidents concerning Brainard D. Bay
less, Of Covington, Ky, and George
Musgrove. Of Carrollton. He tells in
vivid language OF agonizing marches
made by the hungry, half-naked rem
nant OF the regiment through the Caro-
linas and Georgia He said that the
brigade was then commanded by Gem
eral Duke, and that ii was the last or
ganized body of men who had the hon
or Of escorting President Davis through
the South. He said that when General
Duke at last made known the fact that
the hour had come to surrender to the
foe that he, the writer, took the flag