The Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1903-1909, 1905-10-03
Deeds That Won Honor Medals.

No veteran of the civil war won
his medals more fairly than did Gen.
John F. Weston, now commissary gen.
eral of subsistence. In the summer or
1864 Weston was a major OF cavalry
attached to Wilson's division. He and
his men were in Alabama, some forty
miles from Montgomery. WORD
reached Weston that there was Con-
federate transport laden with supplies
somewhere near the junction of the
Tallapoosa and Coosa rivers. Weston
was ordered to locate and capture 1t,
While marching along the shore OF
the Tallapoosa he saw on the further
side of the river two or three canoes
which he thought might be useful to
him In hunting the transport. Strap
ming his revolver on the top OF his
head, and ordering his men to do
likewise, the major, with six follow
ers. plunged into the river, swan to
the opposite bank and secured the
canoes. He rowed back for the rest
of his command, and, leaving few
troops to guard the horses, went on up
the stream. Atithe mouth of the Coo
sa he discovered the transport in
bayou a short distance ahead. Beach
ing his canoes he began to make sig
nails to attract the attention OF those
on board the transport, and presently
saw a gig push off and pull toward
shore. When the gig ran upon the
beach the first man to step out or II
was the captain of the transport.
What do you want with me?" ask
ed the captain.
"Who may you be?" asked Weston,
answering one question with another
81 am the captain of the boat out
there" was the reply.
"Then you are just the man ! want
ed to see," said Weston. II command
the advance of Wilson's cavalry,
which will be along here in a few
minutes, and must ask you to surren'
der yourself and your transport"
The captain after a moments
thought agreed to an unconditional
surrender, whereupon Weston with a
a portion of his command boarded the
gig and, rowing to the transport, told
the officer in charge that the captain
had surrendered, and that he had
come to take possession OF the boat
The transport was promptly turned
over, taken to Montgomery and des-
troyed 1t was for the success and
daring OF this undertaking that Gen.
Weston was awarded Medal Of
Honor.
Another man who wears his medal
as a result of heroism on the same
field Is Col Edward Knox of New
York. Knox was then captain of the
Fifteenth New York Battery and bare
ly twenty years of age, but he made a
victorious charge in the face Of a gall
ing fire. When the order was given
him he frightened up his belt, and,
waving his sword. shouted to his men
to charge. It was one chance in ten
of getting back alive, but Knox took
it and lives to wear the Medal OF
Honor. The medal worn by Capt.
Abram P. Haring, another New York
veteran, recalls one Of the boldest ex-
ploits of the civil war. For upward of
an hour on the first day Of February,
1864, with handful Of men belonging
to the One Hundred and Thirty-second
New York Infantry, in which he was
serving as first lieutenant, he held a
bridge across Bachelors Creek, North
Carolina, against 1000 men under
Pickett and thus prevented the sur
prise and capture of Newbern, then
one of the most important Union
stronghods in the south.