The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-04-23
The Iowa Grayhounds.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The read
ing Of Comrade Immefs story Of Camp
Jackson and Wilson's Greek rcyives mem
cries of the long ago when i was a SOL
dier in Missouri member OF Go. Z. lse
Iowa, known as the Iowa Grayhounds."
can never forget the long marches, night
and day, the hardships and desperate
fighting that characterized Campaigning
in Missouri
1t has been said that the first enlist
ments represented largely the "scum." <
think that statement is true. The cream
is the ''scum" of tic milk. That is the
kind IF ''scum" that characterized the per-
sennel of the LIST Iowa. with few eScep-
tons. l have in mind one young man
just from college who paid $40 to another
volunteer for his place in the ranks. We
had a glec club, composed of Eugene Ware.
the present Pension Commissioner: Kill
martin, the noted fifer; Charley Fowler.
and other nns:eal and poetic members OK
the scum of society.
The march from Boonviile. crossing the
Usage River. en- route, was long and ar
dUous-thc '-Grayhounds" in advance. fol-
lowed by the LIST Mo-, LIST and I'd Kan.
Tctten's and DuBois's batteries. The
Missouri miles We're long-the longest 1
ever saw. l never could tell just how far
we had travelled. From the early start in
the morning to the finish late at night was
/
| One day in the latter part of July. 1861,
German friend, whom I was visiting in
SigeIs camp at Pond Springs. solemnly
requested ME TO accompany him outside
of the encampment. Stopping beside Il
newly-made grave. he said in accents soft
and tender: Dis is his time. He fights
NIT Sigcl no more. He is dedt alretty
once"
The story of Wilson's Greek is history.
I shall add very little to the story here.
Capt. Mason, of Co. c, was killed.
| have never seen anything so white as his
face, pale in death. can see it now.
Our gallant First Sergeant held up the
beautiful silk flag. golden fringed, and the
'Grayhounds' stayed with it. Some of
them are there yet, awaiting the final
reveI.le. The forenoon was hot: so was
the fight. Some careless Johnny spilled
melted lead on my leg, and while / was
| examining the damage TO my anatomy,
the Sergeant, Jim Grant, Il soldier of four
enlistments, Mexican service included.
stood above me waving the flag. hopping
his face with the other hand. lie looked
down and said: Its pretty - hot, amt
1t: Being still mad at the careless reb
aforesaid, 1 CURLY exclaimed, Yes, it is
p. d. H."
Totten. whose battery had done effec-
tive service, remarked that the Iowa
boys were all right. and permitted
number OF the wounded, among them lit
tie Bob Armstrong. to ride back to
Springfield on his limbers.
Do the boys" remember the big Col
onel OF one of Sigel's regiments? A man
OF his immense physique must have su-
preme courage to go foOling around where
G-pound shells are out for business.
How the wounded endured the march
back to Springfield and from there to Rolla
and St Louis: passes my comprehension.
a comrade of Co. II. shot through the
bowels. died by my side. on the night of
our arrival at the arsenal, ST. Louis. We
certainly were hard to kill The Pension
Commissioner declares that only one man
was discharged from the regiment for dis
ability. l know that Commissioner Ware
himself reenlisted. joining the 18th Iowa.
l herewith tender my thanks to Co. III
for canteen of whisky so called, that I
found lying loose" in their encampment.
three days out from Boonvile In order
to make the amende honorable. sought
Capt. Fred Gottschalk, but failed to ind
him. Bad as it was, that whisky filled n
Iopg-felt want.-ANDY RAY, Co. C, LIST
Iowa, Nevada, Mo.