Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1903-01-10
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ducements were offered to deserters
from the opposing army on both sides,
and the Confederate government was
under pledge at one time to return
Union deserters through their lines on
home during the war But 1 never
met man, or heard of one, who had
returned to his home in that way.
Hundreds of men who had seen
service in the Confederate regiments
came to our lines in Kentucky and
East Tennessee, and many of them
entered eagerly into Union regiments.
A few Union soldiers taken prisoners
probably enlisted in Confederate regi-
ments, but the mass of deserters from
the Union army were not that kind of
men. They left the Union service be-
cause of their dislike for discipline or
for military duty, and SO far as their
comrades were concerned or their
friends at home, they dropped out of
life. Now, what became of them.
Where did those hundred thousand de-
serters go? What sort of a life did
they live afterward? "-Chicago Inter
Ocean.
All's Quiet Along the Potomac.
The director of the Department of
History has discovered a very inter
esting diary among the war records
of the state of Mississippi, kept by
William H. Hill. clerk in the quarter
masters department of the Thirteenth
Mississippi regiment. Under date of
Fredericksburg, Va, March z, 1868,
occurs this entry:
THE following lines were composed
by Lamar Fontaine of Pontotoc
county, Miss, when a private in the
Eighteenth Mississippi regiment,
Barksdale's brigade, while on picket
duty on the Potomac river, near Lees
burg, Va, in the fall of 1861. He was
several times wounded in the Valley
of Virginia in the year 1852 under
Gen. StonewaI Jackson and has been
discharged from the service"
Then follows the lines which proved
TIC be the well known "All's Quiet
Along the Potomac Tonight
This little entry in the military
diary shows that if Major Fontaine
laid claim to the production of some
one else in the shape of this poem,
as is generally received among liter
airy folk, he did it very early in action
He has maintained his title to the
authorship up to the present time,
and his claim has caused numerous
controversies as to its Authenticity
Memphis (Tenn) Commercial-AppeaI-
Remembered the Dog.
Pension Commissioner Ware was
sitting in his office at Washington enc
day when brigadier general of the
regular army was ushered in
This Mr. Ware?' he asked.
I'm that same replied Ware
What can / do for yOu2'
4 don't suppose you remember me,
do you?" was the reply.
We'll, l don't know that l do" said
Ware, taking a side look at the man
again, and then, under sudden inspir-
alton, but with a slow drawl, "but /
would like to know what the devil
you've done with that dog?"
The stranger was astonished but
laughed heartily, and the two had a
long chat. 1t seems that during the
civil war the two had been slightly
acquainted, the stranger being a mem
Der of the First Iowa. He was known
as reckless fellow, wholly superior
to the little niceties of toilet and
bath He owner bull dog named Ma
jor that was the pet of the company
After meal the soldier would toss
his plate aside and call Major to wash
the dishes. And Major would lick the
platter clean.
And it was this recruit of the days
of '61 that walked into Wares Office
in the stiff, precise garb of the briga-
der general of the regulars. Ware
did not remember him at first but
suddenly was struck by something
familiar about the fellow, and, al
though he could not remember his
name did remember tbo doc Jo1o
Register.