Evening star., 1903-11-19
UNWRITTEN WAR INCIDENTS.
Addresses and Papers Before American
History Club

Some unwritten war history was given
by members of the American History Club
at the first meeting of that organization
for the fall and winter of 1904, held last
night at 913 E street northwest, where
headquarters have been established. Off
GERS were elected for the ensuing term, and
| 1t was decided to bring about the organiza-
ton of chain of similar clubs in the
states. with the Washington club as the
central body. The new officers are: Presi-
| dent, Major J. H. Stne, historian of the
Army of the Potomac; vice presidents, Mr.
John G. Foster, Capt. Homer J. Locking
and Capt. Hamilton D. Goss, late OF the
| confederate army; secretary, Capt. j. Wal
ter Mitchell. national historian of the Span
fsh War Veterans; sergeant-at-arms, Mr..
A. Fl. Curtner, recently of California.
President Stine, in taking the chair, said
Il shall briefly give my idea of the two
greatest wars of the world. l confess that
as historian of the Army of the Potomac L
may be a little prejudiced in favor of my
country, but looking at fifteen decisive bat
ties and the eighty-eight prominent mill
tary campaigns of the world, all is paled
into insignifcance by the American revo-
luton and the civil war. From the battle
of Marathon to Waterloo all of the foreign
wars were Waged for conquest and power,
which disappeared like mist before the
morning sun.
Washington and the noble band of patriots
who followed his leadership through all
the distressing and trying vicissitudes of
t'lat exciting struggle. If the Continental
army was compelled to retreat before a
British foe. the Army of the Potomac
hastily retired from Bull Run. If the
troops shivered with the cold at Valley
Forge, our soldiers under Sherman had
their full share of hardships. If I admire
Washington at Yorktown, L rejoice over
Grants success at Appomattox. Their great
ynr1y hn ntrn linz irff nf fs,n
world and the United States will be the
guiding star to all future generations of
the globe. So let rejoice that we live
in the land of the free and the home Of
the brave -
Captain Goss, late of the confederate
army, read a paper on the battle songs
of the southern soldiers One Of these,
''The Boy in Gray With His Palmetto
Flag" was clothed with beautiful SEN
timent in expressive words, but the air was
not catchy, and it, therefore, did not be-
come generally popular among the con-
federate soldiers and is now almost un-
heard of. In the first year of the war
it was sung by bivouac and on the march
by troops from South Carolina, Georgia
and Florida.
A paper was read by Capt Mitchell which
stated that Cuban volunteer who served
against his will In one of the Spanish bat
talions in Santiago during the American
advance on that place. and who is now in
New York, engaged in the tobacco business,
is authority for the statement that certain
or the spanish SOluiGfS santiago, just De-
fore the advance of the United States
troops proposed a cruel and novel method
of striking terror into the breasts of the
American soldiers. The defenders of the
domain of the boy king had become i'm
pre- sed with the belief that 1.-THE Yankee
pigs were the most arrant towards and
that they would squeal and run away
when they met the cavaliers of Spain in
battle array. So fully impressed were some
of the dons with this belief that they pro-
posed to cut off the ears of the first Ameri-
can prisoners and send them back to their
lines to terrify their comrades into speedy
retreat. The proposed outrage was never
carried into effect, said the Cuban, because
none of the Americans could get near
enough to the Spaniards to be captured,
and the projectors of the cruel scheme soon
had occasion to form very different opin-
ion of the fighting qualities of Uncle Sans
men in blue and khaki.
Maj Slime related an incident of the cam
pain in the southwest which caused much
merriment. A new and pompous colonel OF
an Indiana regiment, whose new and re-
spiendent uniform had been despatched
by mud from the hoofs OF horse ridden
by very ordinary-looking soldier. threat
ened with much profanity to have the Of
Tending trooper. as he believed he was,
"bucked and gagged When told the man
he had threatened was Gen. Grant the new
colonel nearly tainted and proposed to re-
sign his commission at once. Gen. Grant.
in his magnanimity. however. forgave him.