The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-03-31
Iowa, Little Buckeye Blossom.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: When
was a girl of Il L attended church at
Brush Greek, Ohio. About 40 Ohio rebels,
called Copperheads, attended the same
church and evinced their disloyaity ny
every means they could devise. They
were an impudent lot of rebels and an IN
solent' lot. They wore butternut pins to
church conspicuously. One day, in 1863,
the loyal people marched in In body
carrying a Union Flag and when they ar
rived Sunday School was not yet over
Sunday School preceded the preaching
and they marched up the aisle and ar
ranged the Flag over the pulpit, then
joined the people in the grove, where the
crowd always waited to gossip before
preaching.
Now, the rebels got cautious that day,
and fearing rough treatment unless they
kept quiet, they all took off their rebel
emblems and put them in their pockets.
Ii they had not they would have been
torn off and some of the wearers might
have got kick or knock. All took their
pins off except a brazen creature, big
She kept her rebel emblem on, and
made the most ostentatious exhibit
ton of it that she could. For some reason
she seemed to try hard to make me take
notice of it. l was not big girl; did not
weigh 100 pounds. 1 went into the
church with two friends, Susie Nichols
and Vina Tigner, and sat between them.
The rebel followed and sat down in front
of us and constantly turned SO that her
butternut pin would be under our eyes.
How l did want to grab that pin! /
didn't hear a word the preacher said; my
soul was overlooked with the bitter wrath
of outraged patriotism. / determined to
tear that rebel emblem off that Ohio rebel
in the interests of my country or perish in
the effort-and / knew quite well that
would suffer terribly at her hands. She
was big, strong, and of an ugly disposition.
But l felt that had a duty before me,
and | did not mean to evade it. l could
scarcely wait for the services to end and
for us to reach the outside. When the serv-
ices ended she got out too soon for me.
but | hurried after her. Before l could
reach the rebel Miss Hankeson grabbed at
the pin, but did not get it. The girl caught
and flung Miss Hankeson about terribly.
While she was doing SO l reached them
and tore the butternut pin off the Ohio
rebel girl and got out of her reach with it
That was all that | wanted. | did not
care for her abuse after had her emblem
Of disloyaity. She swore-she was SO be-
side herself with rage-she swore she
would murder me. AS l kept out of her
reach she threw clubs at me. | was not
hurt till one struck over my eye. Only
pride. patriotism and grit kept me from
faintng then. My eye swelled shut at once.
My father laid his great hand on the rebel
girl and told her that she must throw no
more. She struck him, but he just held
her. She got warrants for Miss Hanke-
son and me, but we gave bail before they
were served. When the trial came off we
were discharged, and she had to pay $50
costs. The Ohio rebels Of Brush Greek
were never SO insolent after that; we had
scared them out, as they understood that
our loyal patience had been overworked
in that neighborhood.
/ would like to hear from some of those
who were there at that time.-MRs. ELLA
RILEY KENT, Moweaqua, iii.