The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-08-04
THE COMPANY BLACKSMITH.
The Man Stands Behind the Man Who Stands Behind the
Gun.
Gun.
By MADISON Expert, Blacksmith Co. D, 9TH Ohio Cav

boys in blue as they beat off the bush
whackers while their horses were being
shod. 1t was absolutely necessary that
the hoofs of our horses should be ironclad
at all times, to enable them to proceed at
all, and without ironclad hoofs on their
horses the entire command would have
been forced to take to the woods i'll a
mountain region which was absolutely
without food or a means of sustaining life
for man or beast. Good generalship on the
part of our commanders. Gen. Carter and
the able officers of his command, and the
Steadfastness of the brave men behind the
guns had much to do with the success OF
this hazardous expedition: but without the
herculean labors of the Company Black
smiths who accompanied the troops many
an officer and soldier would have lost his
life, it, indeed, the entire command had
not been captured. About the only thing
that stood between a soldier and death
was a good set of shoes on his horse, and
no one knew this better than the man on
the horse He was quite willing to meet
the enemy in battle. but he was quick to
''hOller' for the Blacksmith when his horse
had lost shoe and he saw staring him in
the face the danger of being left to perish
in the mountain wilderness or meet death
by hanging at the hands of the bush
wha cker.
Some Of the noble fellows who went out
on this march did not return, but were
killed and left behind. On our return
march some were wounded and had to be
left, as there was no possibility of carry
ing wounded men with us, and some We're
captured on the march going across the
mountains. Capt. Samuel =. Carter, of
the United States Navy. was then Brig
adier-General of Volunteers. and led the
cavalry command on that occasion. and
afterward in a speech to us claimed that
the effective manner in which the work
then assigned TO us was done made it pos
Slble for our army to gain victory at
Stone River. The railroad received in
juries of such n character as to seriously
destroy its usefulness for a long period
and this compelled the Confedcrates to go
by way of North and South Carolina. then
to Georgia, with their troops, when n
change was to be made from East to
West.
change of officers came to the com
pany a great deal oftener than good din
ner came to the soldiers. and il was not
long until Capt Ira Ferguson. First Lieut..
Lester G. Moore and Capt L. r. Lindsay
had all retired with plenty of service to
do each of them for their natural lives.
while Lieut.. Murphey remained with the
regiment until his death, in August, 1864
Theodore F. Allen. First Lieutenant and
Adjutant Of the regiment, who is well
known to the readers of The National
Tribune through the numerous sketches he
has contributed to this paper. was on the
I'd day of April. 1864. promoted to Cap
tain, and by the Colonel assigned to Co. d.
and for this the company was always after
very thankful to the Colonel for giving to
them the gallant and dashing Capt. Allen
for a commander.
But the Company Blacksmith neither re-
tired, resigned or was promoted. and con-
tinued in his good work to stand behind
the men that carried the guns to the end
OF the war, when he received an honorable
discharge and returned to his home.