The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-12-29
OLD SOLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES.
h Blue N the Gray Review Incl.
dents of the Late War, and In q
Graphic and Interesting Manner
Tell Of Camp, March and Battle.


f. convention was the product of tho
patience and ingenuity of Reuben L.
Reed, historian Of the Bunker Hill
Historical Society, says the Boston
Herald. Its making was fathered and
fostered by a joint committee Of the
G. A. R. and w. R. @. of Massachu-
sets and Mrs. Mary A. Reed, Of Re-
lief Corps G., wife Of the maker, has
been a guiding spirit in its prepare
ton.
1t is a piece gavel. Its composition
represents church, State, patriotism
and progress in America. To it patri-
otc organizations and patriotic men
and women have contributed. 1t COM
prises in its making material from
localities and objects associated with
the history Of the country, from the
days Of the pilgrims to the fight un-
der Dewey at Manila bay.
The materials used I'm the construc-
ton Of this gavel begin with a bit Of
rock from the old red ledge at Dux-
bury, on which historians agree, as
much as they agree upon anything,
that the pilgrims stood. Then there
r bits Of wood from Gov. Win
throp's ~Charlestown courthouse, Bos-
toms witch elm, the Old South and
North meeting houses, the old tea
house, the old bell tower ct Lexing-
ton, erected about 100, and from
which the alarm was given the morn
ing Of April 10, 1775; the house Of
John Hancock in Boston, this latter
material found to be mahogany; the
old Clark house at Lexington, the
Lexington battle ground and the old
North bridge at Concord; Bunker hill
and other spots made famous by the
revolution.
There is wood from the old frigate
Constitution, the home at Temple, N.
Of Gen. Miller, who fought at Lun-
dy's Lane, and from many Of the most
prominent battlefields Of the civil war
Petersburg, Gettysburg, Dismal
Swamp, etc.; the old fremont house
in Boston, the Statehouse, the White
House, in memory OF the Presidents
who have been assassinGted; Libby
prison, the national cemetery at Ar
nngton, the tree Gen. Grant planted
in Lexington in 1875 and the tree over
the soldiers monument at Manchester,
N. 81.
Warships Of the nation are repre-
scented by pieces from the English YES
sells sunk at Lousburg in 1859, the
Somerset, Kearsarge, ETC., down to the
Inflated Maine.
The box containing this gavel and
the sounding block is made Of wood
taken from Faneuil hall, the cradle OF
liberty. The lid is decorated, and, I'M
der glass, are a number Of priceless
relics. There Is a bean pot full of
buckshot, the grand army's food for
its enemies; a bottle Of tea from the
cruiser Olympia, a spoon made by a
revolutionary soldier and electric wire
from the Chicago and Olympia, be-
sides other trophies. The box is about
eighteen inches long. seven inches
wide and five inches deep.
Colonel Martin Burke.
YES" said General Coates. II knew
Colonel Martin Burke, who was In
command at Fort Lafayette when pris-
oners therein Quartered made the fort
and the commander subjects Of con-
troversy. Apart from any controversy,
Colonel Burke was an interesting per-
sonality, and an odd character. I re-
member him as n Of the old school
army officers, given to some ec~centrici-
ties that made me smile then and Of
ten cause me to smile now. He occu-
pied a trying position, but he made
minding his own business a matter
Of professional pride, and he never
would 60 near Washington for fear
that some investigating committee
would get hold Of him.
1.-The boys on duty at Fort Lafayette
had a constant reminder Of the colo
nel's kindness Of heart. he found, on
occasion, q dog hurt In collision with
an army wagon or a gun carriage. The
dogs leg was broken, and he was in
pitiable condition, and the colonel's or
derby reported that he was no better
than a dead dog. The colonel, how
ever, ordered the poor little beast taken
to his own quarters, and in due time
the dog recovered, with a supreme af-
lection for the colonel and q contempt
uous disregard Of all military regula-
tons and proprieties.
This latter quality undoubtedly
grieved the colonel, but he stood by
the mischievous puppy through thick
and thin, and wherever the colonel
went with his traditional dignity went
Sam, the puppy. with his abnormally
developed bump Of mischief. The col
onel always appeared on dress parade
In the full dress Of the old time regu-
lars, and he held every man in line to
q most serious cast Of c~ountenance and
most dignifed manner The uniform,
as Burke wore 1t, was queer enough
to make any man smile, but Sam, at
these parades, was a full comedy in
himself.
He would caper about the colonel's
legs, INDUCING in FRANKS that would
make a horse laugh. and yet the colo
mel stood there in stately pose, blind
to the puppy's pranks. but watchful as
to the expression on the faces Of the
officers and men in line. These poor
fellows nearly died Of suppressed
laughter, and they were always won
dering what Sam would do next. But
whatever they expected him to do, he
always did something else. and no