The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1905-09-14
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOME INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boys of Both Armies Whiled
Away Life in Camp-Foraging Ex.
periences, Tiresome Marches+Thri1.
Ting 6esneo on the Battlefield.

periences, Tiresome Marchee-Thri1.
Ting 6esnss on the Battlefield.
'The story of the Squirrel Hunters"
said the Old Timer. has never been
written, and probably never will be.
When Kirby Smith advanced on Gin
cinnati 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 15 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 suggested that
the farmers and others who owned
squirrel rifles, and could use them ef
fectively, 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.
"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 60
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 codgers were good marksmen,
let it be known that there were 90
| 600 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
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 15,COO received the Squirrel Hunt.
| er certificate from the Governor.
| was prouder of mine, however, than
| my son was of his colonePs commits.
sion. In every case that certificate,
with Its picture Of frontier squir-
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 the
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
ized company Of woodsmen, and, al
the authorities at Washington wert
slow in accepting his offer Of a hun
dred men, he put them on fiatboat!
and started down the Allegheny rive
to Join Mcclellan In West Virginia
Stones men furnished their owl
rifles, and each wore bucktail to In
dicate he was a good marksman ani
had killed his deer. They started fOl
the front on their own flatboats, with
out being mustered and without prom
ise Of pay. They were five days max
ing the run to Pittsburg, and Their
Stone was authorized to organize ,
Bucktail regiment. In the advance
on Richmond the craftsmanship o
the Bucktails was so effective tina
Stone was asked to organize a Buck
tail brigade.
$50 the Bucktails grew into the ia
nous brigade of good marksmen tha
won high honors at Characteristic
and Gettysburg. From first to las
, their story was exciting and romantic
and they figured in more romances
stories of the war than any other Eas,
ern troops. The fact that the Origina
!; Bucktails started for the front hur
dreds of miles away, instead Of goin
; to the State capital for muster, an
, that they decided to push their wa
into the service without regard to ru
or pay, gave all the Bucktails strOn
hold on the people"
, "DO you know" said the MajO
"that the First Colorado Caviar
served year without pay and withot
: recognition from the national gOverl
ment? Colorado had just been desi
mated a territory, and the regimen
! was organized because 1t was needle
1t had gone through several campaign
when. in 1862, 1t won decisive vi
tory over the rebels. This called
tention to the mettle Of the men, al
= on reception Of the report Of their o
u-.o.tnn., ot va shin Otnu all were reg