Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1903-03-21
veteran,s PROUD Record.

veteran fTOuO ffcCOFO
Joseph Levoy of CIaremont, N H.,
is believed to be the heaviest barber
in the world He weighs $50 pounds
He is feet z inches tall, wears No.
shoe, measures fifty-six inches
around his waist and f1fty-four inches
around the body under the arms, but
gets around easily.
He is, withal, very powerful man.
At the second battle of Bull Run in
charge across the railroad he shot
one rebel. then ran forward, grasped
the next man. and started with him
toward the rear On the way he met
another rebel, took him in the same
way and brought both into the fed
eral line
For this he was commended in
orders read before the regiment at
dress parade and was named for a
commission, but he failed to pass at
the examination, having only a linn
tied education.
At Brandy station his regiment,
the Second United States Cavalry,
charged a regiment of rebel cavalry
and while holly engaged he saw a
rebel about. to cut down one of his
comrades This he prevented. The
rebel then tried to run him through
but he warded off the thrust and then
shot the rebel with a revolver. Gen.
Merritt, seeing this, wrote a letter
of commentator, which is carefully
preserved and cherished by Mr.. Le-
voy. He was ordered before a board
of officers to be examined for a cap
taincy in colored regiment
In 1864, while his regiment was
guarding supply train coming from
the Luray valley it was surprised by
Mosby's men. 1t retreated a short
distance then rallied and soon had
Mosby's men flying back into the
mountains and here Mr. Levoy took
another prisoner.
Refused Money From Mcclellan.
An old soldier of the name of
Sprague was in the city a few days
last week. says the Ohio State Jour-
nal, and he told pleasant story of his
war experience. He was a skilled
blacksmith when the war came on, but
dropped a profitable trade to enlist,
landing at last with his regiment
down in Gen. McC1ellan's army.
The army made a forward move
ment, and McClellan's horse cast a
shoe. The horse could not travel, and
the general was in a fix. All such
baggage, as army FORCES, was away
behind, and there was no blacksmith
to be found near. Officers were dis
patched in every direction to find a
man who could shoe horse. Sprague's
captain asked him if he could shoe a
horse. Sprague replied:
Yes. but there is nothing to do the
work with
The captain said rebel blacksmith
outfit had just been captured, and
Sprague undertook the job McClel-
Ian and his staff stood around Sprague
and watched the job with great inter-
est Sprague in telling the story said:
Il found the hoof had been split, but
1 trimmed it up nicely and put on a
shoe in the best style I could When
the job was completed Mcclellan
pulled IS gold piece from his pocket
and offered it to me, but 1 declined
it, thinking the honor of shoeing the
generals horse was sufficient. 1 was
young then; it wasn't long until L
wished had taken that goldpiece, for
I went hungry. several times soon
after, when that money would have
helped me out I never would be
guilty of such a trick again"
Shrewdness of Gov. Tod
Gov. Tod of Ohio was a wonderful
mobilizer of troops said a veteran
recently. when Cincinnati was in
danger in 1862 he ordered the farmers
of certain counties to provide them
selves with quilts or blankets, squirrel
rifles and ammunition and. after or
ganization into companies, take the
trains for Cincinnati. The farmers,
cid and young. did as requested. and I'm
less than a week 5000 men who
knew how to shoot were in Cincinnati
or in Kentucky ready to shoot. These
were the famous squirrel hunters
and Gov Tod always believed that
they and their squirrel rifles scared
Kirby Smith and led to his retreat.
Certainly the squirrel hunters of Ohio
in their ready response to the COVER
nor's appeal demonstrated that Tod
knew something of the men who had
voted him into Office .