The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-09-21
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOME INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boys Of Both Armies whi1ed
Away Life In Camp-Foraging Ex-
periences, Tiresome Marches-Thri1.
ling Scenes on the Battlefield.


said the Old Timer, has never been
written, and probably never will be.
When Kirby Smith advanced on Gin
cinnau in 1862 he used his cavalry to
screen the movement of his main army
and created panic in Kentucky and
Ohio. When he advanced In force
business was suspended in Cincinnati,
and practically the whole population
over Is years of age was organized for
work of military duty.
1.-THE defeat of the troops sent
against Kirby Smith and their suffer
ings added to the public excitement,
and when Governor Tod sugges..t-od that
the farmers and others vFs owned
squirrel rifles, and could use them ef-
fectfvefy, could save Ohio from inva-
sion by hurrying to Cincinnati, the
old men and young men acted on
common impulse. They bought pow
der, nodded bullets, and, supplied with
home cooked rations and blankets,
drove or went on foot to the nearest
railroad town, Joined with their neigh
bors In electing a captain for each
fifty or one hundred men, climbed on
the first train that came along, and
reported without delay to the General
In command at Cincinnati.
1.-THE movement was general and
spontaneous, and nearly every county
was represented. The first regiment
from our county was 500 strong; that
from an adjoining county, 1000 strong.
The men were mostly from 40 to 80
years Of age, and they were a queer
lot. They were without military train
ing, and as old Major Burbanks, Of
the regular army, looked over the gray
bearded countrymen he smiled grimly
when our captain said: We are not
much on the about face, but we know
how to shoot. If you know on what
road the rebs are coming, just put US
there. Don't ask us to cut any monkey
shines, but give US a chance to shoot,
and We will pick of the rebs like
squirrels
THAT day and night 10000 men
with squirrel rifles were across the
rebel lines of advance, and the inspect
ing officer, after satisfying himself that
the old dodgers were good marksmen,
let 1t be known that there were 90
GOO Of the best shots in Ohio in line
ready for business. OF course, the old
fellows in homespun were patronized
by the boys in uniform, but they did
not care. War was serious business
to them, and many who had never
been outside of their own counties
were nervous and homesick. Others,
however, were jolly and venturesome,
and, as the men with rifles kept COM
ing, the movement became so signif1-
cant and impressive that the people Of
the city and the seasoned soldiers
came to treat the Squirrel Hunters
with touching tenderness and respect.
when the rebs retreated the Squir-
rel Hunters returned quietly to their
homes, and they never were counted.
Only those who reached the front re-
sponded when the Legislature called
for lists Of names. OF the $4,000 afield
only $4,000 received the Squirrel Hunt
er certificate from the Governor.
was prouder of mine, however, than
my son was Of his colonel's commits
sion. In every case that certificate,
with its picture Of a frontier SOUR
rel hunter, represented service to the
country without money and without
price. There are not a few of them
In Chicago, for the descendants Of tho
Squirrel Hunters are widely scattered,
but Of the older Squirrel Hunters Of
1862 there are few survivors"
Stories Of the Squirrel Hunters"
said the Sergeant, always remind me
Of the Bucktails Of Pennsylvania. The
original Bucktails were as picturesque
and Of as good stock as the Squirrel
Hunters, and as deserving of remem.
brance. When the war broke out In
1861, Roy Stone, who died two weeks
ago. was living In the heavily wooded
district OF Warren County. He organ
lied a company Of woodsmen, and, ss
the authorities at Washington were
slow In accepting his offer of a hun
dred men, he put them on fatboats
and started down the Allegheny river
to join Mcclellan in West Virginia.
Stones men furnished their own
rifles, and each wore a bucktail to In
dictate he was a good marksman and
had killed his deer. They started for
the front on their own natboats, with
out being mustered and without prom
Use Of pay. They were FIVE days MAX
Ing the run to Pittsburg, and there
Stone was authorized to organize q
Bucktail regiment. In the advance
on Richmond the craftsmanship Of
the Bucktails was so effective that
Stone was asked to organize a Buck
tail brigade.
$50 the Bucltails grew into the IA
nous brigade of good marksmen that
won high honors at Charlottesville
and Gettysburg. From first to last
their story was exciting and romantic,
and they figured in more romances or
stories Of the war than any other East
ern troops. The fact that the original
Bucktails started for the front hun
dreds of miles away, instead Of going
to the State capital for muster, and
that they decided to push their way
into the service without regard to rule
or pay, gave all the Bucktails a strong
hold on the people"
do you know" said the Major,
a{bo% <ho E;rcf Nolo~odo Novo1rv