The National tribune., 1903-12-10
WASHINGTON c. THURSDAY TO-

WASHINGTON, d. O., THUI
force of the impact and stop, officers.
horns and musicians. mingled in an i'm
promptu game of leapfrog over the car
seats happily without serious hurts. All
in all, the night we spent in that unpa-
triotic town will be remembered.
At O'Clock, the command formed on
the cOlors, and while waiting for the train
the discriminating band played.
Mid pleasures and palaces, though We
| may roam,
Be it ever so humble there's no place like
| home"
PASSENGERS ONCE MORE.
The regiment embarked on two trains
| OF passenger cars, and with heavy hearts
and light stonachs we were speeded west
ward ON the Ohio and Mississippi Rail
| road.
After about two hours run we reached
| Washington, Ind. Men, women and chill
dren by hundreds were there, carrying
baskets. buckets, tubs, milk-cans and
coffee-pots we'll filed with good things
from cellar, Iarder, kitchen and pastry
room.
They boarded the cars and the over
flow of palatable luxuries that were is
sued right and left as the donors passed
through the cars is beyond enumeration,
and those unable to get in We're on the
outside, passing similar articles through
the car windows. Everybody seemed in
Il hurry to give something to somebody.
| lest they might be too late with their kind
| offerings.
Our stop there was short. but long
enough to supply the wants of 900 hun
CRY men, to fill 600 haversacks and 1000
carteens with refreshments. and 1000
hearts with gratitude. When the con-
| Iucfnr cl, Oh ri ha h.nl
played "The Girl l left Behind Me-
| 1t was not far from the hour of noon
when we reached Vincennes, Ind Hav-
ing crossed the Wabash we We're soon fly
ing across the broad prairies Of Illinois.
viewing with interest and admiral tiOn the
attractive scenery. Towns and villages
could be seen as far as the eye would
carry. They presented an extensive land
scape of rare beauty, apparently presented
| upon a great canvas, like a mammoth
cyclorama, just for the qualification of the
9th Ohio, on its way somewhere-but
only the Lord and the Colonel knew
| where.
| That ride through the Sucker State was
a grand trip. and no one got more out of
it than did the Tall Man. who kept him
| self busy in calling attention to features
of special interest. Stubby was making
up for lost time, crOuched down on car
seat in the corner, with his snoring valve
THROWN Wlde open.
on TO MISSOURI.
At 6 o'clock in the afternoon we
| reached East st. Louis. There being no
bridge at that time by which we could
cross the Mississippi River to st. Louis,
the regiment marched on board n steamer
and was transported across the river
where the boat was tied up for the night
Sentinels We're posted to prevent the
och et;II
plenty of the Washington commissary in
our haversacks and canteens with which
to supply our wants.
The following day everything was in
motion early. Upon roll call one man
of Go. * was reported absent. The Tall
Man could not be found. Some said that
he hadn't been seen ON the boat: Others
that he was not in ranks when marching
from the train to the boat: and Stubby
said he hadn't seen him since we got the
good grub back in Indiana.
The regiment was formed on shore. and
Re band playing "Our Banners Make
Tyranny Tremble.' We marched up one
of the principal streets
AN AMERICAN PATRIOT.
En- route l saw a man standing in the
street reviewing the regiment He was
about six feet tall rather slender with
spare face, chin whiskers. hair fashion
ably long. with sprinkle of gray. He
was in military uniform. with neat
black hat adorned with gold cord and
black feather. On his shoulders were
epaulets. beading, two golden stars each
Ii proved to be the same man who had
crossed the Rockies and first planted Old
GleYy on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
the Great Pathfinder, the first great stand
ard bearer of the Republican party.
Though of Southern birth he was the
Eat thnt- Of IL
broke out he was called from his sojourn
IN France to command the Army of the
West. He hazarded large private expen-
ditures for arms and equipments in be-
half of the Union cause To the shame of
the American people he was allowed to
die, at an advanced age, poor man
without the comforts of life
1t, was Maj.-Gen. John c. Fremont. |
Honor to his memory. He was a Loyal
man, a Patriot
.col do not recall any demonstrations of |
JOY greeting us as we marched through |
the streets of st. Louis or that the citi- |
zens encouraged and strengthened our pa
triotism by displaying pleasure in our ar.
rival and errand. Yankee troops and pa-
triotic airs did not harmonize with the |
key to which the average heart in st. |
Louis was turned i'll the early days of the |
civil war.
TALL MAN TAKES A TOUR.
BY march of seven miles we reached |
Camp Benton. afterward Benton Bar
racks. There was but little evidence of !
military camp there then, until we nut |
up our tents. That was the first tented |
home Of the 9th Ohio.
Toward evening the Tall Man, absent |
at morning roll CALL came into the COM |
pany quarters, accompanied by the Cap
tain. He was nearly tagged out from ex-
haustion and worry. Fears had been en-
tertained that he had deserted.
Here is his story:
went on board the boat with the
company, and after looking around lit
tie decided to have good bed for the
night, If possible. as it would be my last
chance for long time. l gave the Stew
ard dollar, and he took me to a state
room, and told me to occupy the upper
bunk. Before 10 minutes l was asleep.
knew nothing more till some one ierked
my arm and said: Get up, your regiment
has been gone for an hour / didn't need
the second telling. l dressed and rushed |
out to find that everything that looked
IKE n regiment was out of sight. After
tramping and turning corners for hours
l met squad of soldiers under command
OF Sergeant. to whom l explained mat
ters and of whom l asked directions He
SAID that had found the very man to
see me safely returned to my regiment,
instructed me to hand my gun over to one
OF his men, and fall into line at the rear
OF his squad, which l did. They, or
those of them who did not carry guns.
were rough, sorry and sorrowful look
s,,.r laN ~.