Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-11-12
Would Not Make Shoes for Rebs.

Would Not Make Shoes for Rebs.
A white-haired, elderly man stood
in Doric hall at the state house the
other day intently gazing at the bat
tie flags of the Massachusetts, regi-
ments that fought to preserve the
Union from 1861 to 1865. He fingered
long and seemed to be greatly inter-
ested in the torn and tattered stand.
ards. visitor noticed the man, and,
stepping up to him, said: You ap-
pear to be interested in those flags"
Il think have a right to be, sir"
replied the old gentleman. THAT flag"
said he, pointing to the shot riddled
colors of the Nineteenth regiment,
was captured from me in front of
Petersburg by the rebels, June %,
1864. Thirty years afterward, by an
act of congress, it was returned to
the state, and 1 had the honor of de-
livering it to the governor of the COM
monwealth.'
That's remarkable said the visit
or, and the two fell to talking about
the stirring days of the war, and the
different engagements that the old
Nineteenth regiment participated in.
The color bearer was Sergeant Mich
ael Scannel1 of Lynn, who, although
Is years old, is hale and hearty, and is
known by every Grand Army man of
Essex county. Little by little Scannell
was induced to tell the story of the
capture of the colors at Petersburg
I'VE were brigaded with the Forty
second New York and the Fifteenth
Massachusetts,, said Sergeant Scan
nell, and we were ordered to ad-
vance. There was evidently some
mistake, as when we moved out it
left a gap that Gen. Malone was
quick to see and take advantage of.
Without any idea of the perilous posi-
ton we occupied we moved forward
in the best of spirits.
Quicker than it takes to say Jack
Robinson the rebs swooped down
, upon us, and we were powerless to re-
sist capture. 1t was all up with us,
and there was nothing for the boys
to do but surrender. A rebel officer
rode up to me and, with a long oath,
demanded the colors. Give me those
coiors, you Yankee blankety blankety
blank said he, with his gun point
ed at my head.
81 looked at him cool and, straight
ening myself up, said: Sir, l have
been in this country nearly twenty
years, and you are the first man to
call me a Yankee. Take the colors.
You're welcome to them"
Scannell, with the rest of the regi-
ment, was hustled OFF to Anderson
vile, and spent nearly twelve months
in rebel prisons, suffering untold mis-
cry. One day, while at Andersonville,
a rebel officer came through shouting
the name of Sergeant Scannell.
That's me-" replied Scannell. He was
ordered to make shoes for the rebs, as
hill before the war.
"Neveri' said Scanne11; "never!"
The rebel officer argued with him
and told him that he would get better
food and treatment if he went into
the shoe shop, and that he would have
a chance to recover from the scurvy
that had attacked him. But Scannell
was firm. "Never!" was his reply
do you think that 1 am going to go
back on the flag of my adopted coun-
try, and make shoes for rebs? Not
while 1 have my senses about me-"
Sergeant Scannen was one OF a
large number of Irishmen in the old
Nineteenth regiment. Among the Of
ficers of the regiment were Capt Ma
hony and Lieut. McGinnis. The late
Capt. Jack Adams used to tell anus
ing stories about these men They
were the life of the regiment and on
the most solemn occasions they could
be depended upon to crack joke, and
were always looking on the bright
side of life. One of the. Scannell
| stories that Capt. Adams used to tell
was the following:
On one occasion ScanneIl was de-
tailed for headquarters guard. The
night was dark and rainy. Morning
dawned to find Scannen pacing his
beat in front of the colonel's tent Col.
Hincks had been quite active in the
know-nothing movement before the
war, and published a paper whose
motto was: PUT none but Americans
on guard" When Col Hincks arose in
the morning he looked out of his tent
! ssThe top of the morning to you" was
Sentry. Scannell's greeting to his colo
mel ''Is that you. Mixer" inquired the
colonel. "Tis that" replied Scannen.
"And I'm wet to the skin 1 wish you
believed now as you did before .ne