Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1905-08-05
COMES OF FIGHTING FAMILY.
Baby By Right Took Part in Last Me-
mortal Day Parade.

mortal Day Parade.
Grandson of a veteran of the civil
war, son of a veteran of the civil war.
nephew of two veterans of the civil
war and the youngest son of veteran
in the country who ever took part in
a Memorial day parade is 2-year-old
Charles Henry Potter. Jr-, of Bridge
ton, Me. And pride in these distinc-
tons is shared by all members of Far
raSut Post 81, G. A R., of that town
With his 35 inches of height and his
Is pounds of weight the little fellow
took part in the Memorial day parade.
Seated in his mothers lap, in one of
the carriages assigned to the Woman's
Relief Corps, Charles Henry, Jr.
waved his flag and crowed his ap-
prOval of the marching comrades of
his sire and grandsire
Leaning far out he caught sight of
another midget marching by the side
of a gray-haired man, and Charles
Henry's f1ag-waving and growing were
redoubled. And his mother passed an
anxious half-hour trying to keep him
from falling out of the carriage, so
eager was he to keep the other little
chap in sight.
When at last the parade was over
the babes were brought face to face,
for their fathers are fast friends, and
Master Potter made the acquaintance
of Arthur Stuart Knox, son of Inspec-
tor Joseph Knox of Charlestown, who
boasts three years.
Baby Potter is descended from a
fighting family. His grandfather, Otis
Potter, was the father of fourteen chill
dren, all boys and all alive to-day. At
the breaking out of the rebellion Pot
ter and one son, Frank, enlisted in the
Twenty-first Massachusetts infantry
another son, Fernando M, took serv-
ice in the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts,,
ard Charles Henry, father of the little
fellow, went to the front with company
A, Thirty-second Maine. All four men
came through the terrible struggle, but
to-day Otis Potter is dead, and , his
grave is one of those which Charles
Henry, Jr-, helped to decorate.
Three times has Charles Henry Pot
ter been married, and he has three
sons. Lightly do his So years sit upon
him. Hale and sturdy, he serves as
mail carrier on one of the rural free
delivery routes, and Eever day, rain
or shine, does he fail to make his 25-
mile circuit.
But Mr.. Potter does not look his age,
and when he. sought admission to a
Grand Army gathering in Portland, to
which he was delegate, the soldier on
guard refused to admit him, saying:
Stand back, sir; stand right back
Don't f1atter yourself that so young a
chap as you can play the old vet
racket on u.s.
When the days work is over Mr..
J-1. II
knee and talk of the old days, of the
forced marches, of the terrible slaugh-
ters. of the foraging expeditions, of
the little kindnesses shown by the sol
iiers of both sides to one another of
he five long months he passed in the |
prison stockade at Salisbury, N c.,
and of his inspection by JEFF Davis |
And though Charles Henry, Jr., can |
little of what he hears, he |
listens intently to the stories and ex- |
1eriences-
In the late summer and early fall |
If 1864 the 80 Maine was one of the |
many regiments engaged about Pc |
ersburg- On the morning of Sept 80 |
Potter and some 40 others of his reg
ment were sent out foraging- But the
success of their raid was spoiled by |
he sudden appearance of the 4th |
North Carolinas. who surrounded the
men from Maine and made them pris-
,ners-
Immediately they were bundled
board cattle car, and. with two
more cattle cars filed with "Yanks"
we're started on their way to the great
,rison pen at Salisbury. an enormous
tockade, dreaded by the Union SOL
Iiers almost as much as the death |
iole at Andersonville-
Fortunately for Potter and his fell
ows their car was guarded by a de-
all from the men who had captured
hem Constant intercourse for sever
i weeks, even though conducted by
ullets from behind trenches and bar
icades, had given these foes a whole