The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1906-01-04

III uiiH. Anu YET tnat IellOW cut anO
dug his way out of rebel prison and
made good his escape in the face OF
pursuing enemies. He had more thrill
Ing adventures on that one trip than
most men inclined to adventure have
In all their lives. Yet he Is satisfied
to drudge away in his postoffice.
However, three robbers who at.
tucked him one night MS he was TAX
Ing stock Of stamps on hand, assum.
Ing that so quiet a man wouldn't
fight, made the mistake Of their lives.
They displayed their guns under the
impression that the old man would
surrender without a word. Instead
he blazed away with revolver right
at his hand, and ran the three out of
the building. l dressed the wound OF
one OF them and he said the p. NJ.
was the readiest man with n gun he
had ever tackled. The P. NJ. himself
made no remarks, but later he nd.
mitted to me that the scrap made him
dlscontented. 1t reminded him of old
times."-Chlcago Inter Ocean.
Captain BarI<er's Chicago Dragons.
II have been trying for a year." said
the Major, ito trace and locate the
men Of Captain Barker's Chicago dra.
goons. The company, with full com.
plement of commissioned and noncom.
missloned officers and an even hun.
dred privates, was organized here in
Chicago few days after Fort Sumter
was fired on, and was mustered into
the service April 10, 1861. There was
no regular call for dragons, but the
company was sent to Mcclellan In
West Virginia and saw service in the
Rich Mountain and other campaigns.
"The company, with the old Chicago
Light Dragons, organized In 1856 hs
a nucleus, was ready for orders April
10. Most Of the men were well drilled,
and the company was one Of the very
best that went out from Chicago. It
went with Mcclellan to Washington,
but, the men declining to re-enlist for
three years, they were sent to Chicago
ut the end of three months service
and most Of them on muster out en-
tered other military organizations.
"Privates George A. Forsyth, Lewis
II. Rucker, and others went to Farms
worth's Eighth Illinois Cavalry as
commissioned officers, Forsyth SANDY
and Rucker and three others of Bar
ker's old company becoming brigadier
dpon 4, 4
commissions later in the war in DIFF
ferent cavalry and infantry regiments.
Because they made their army repu-
tntions In other commands and be-
cause their three months service I'm
der Captain Barker was lost sight of.
1t is extremely difficult to trace the
members who left Chicago with Cap
tain Barker and Lieutenants Osband
and Webber in April, 1861.
There are still living in Chicago
Jonathan Slade, Benjamin f. Felix,
David w. Clark, and other members Of
Barker's dragons. Rucler, after for
ty years' service in the regular army,
was retired with the rank of brlgadler
general in 1908. Forsyth was, retired
in 1890 A score of the old dragons
are dead. others are scattered in the
West and East. One Of them, Jerome
NJ. Foster, had peculiar experience.
When the company was ordered to
Washington he was on detached duty
Mt Grafton.
"The other members of the company
came from Washington to Chicago for
muster out. Foster, on duty as hos
pital steward. was not notified of the
movements Of the company or OF the
muster out. Believing that he had
been mustered in for the war, Foster
remained in the service one year after
the muster out of his company. Then
he was discharged, receiving pay for
the full time. But the question of his
exact military status was not settled.
He is now Mt the Soldiers Home at
Danville, ILL.,, and anxious to hear
from any member of Charley Barker's
dragons"
II knew Forsyth very WELL" said
the Old Timer. ''He was with Sherl-
dan on the Winchester ride. One day,
while he was with Sheridan here in
Chicago. the statuette 'Sheridan's
Ride was brought to headquarters for
inspection. 1t was an exquisite bit of
work In its detail, and only Forsyth
had cynical smile on his face as he
looked 1t over. Seeing the smile. Sher-
idan said: out with 1t. What is your
objection to it?' Still smiling, Forsyth
said, pointing to the dramatic sentence
on the base: That isn't what you
said, General General Sheridan, look
ing Forsyth over quizzically, said:
Well, hang 1t, what did sayY For
syth, chuckllng to himself, replied:
You said: Come on, you sons of
blank. Come on."' There was roar
of laughter and Sheridan retreated."-
Chicago Inter Otean