Omaha daily bee., 1906-09-02

"A
water shrugged his shoulders and thrust
his thumb and finger down into his vest
pocket and pulled out a nickel
OF course, that isn't very much, he
said, holding IL up.
with his usual resourct fulness, how
ever. the money was raised and the crisis
tided over"
E s. Peters. a member Of the editorial
stan OF The Bee and a civil war veteran.
relates this from his knowledge OF affairs;
1T wes a cherished hope OF MT Roeewater
that no might become either a regular or
honorary member OF the Grand Army OF
the Republic. However. the rules OF the
Grand Army confines Its membership ir-
revocably TO the men who actually served
In the military or naval branch OF the
service during the civil war and who were
honorably discharged therefrom MIR.
Rosewater belonged TO the Military tel
graphers, which was a civil rather than
military branch Of the government.
While the military telegraphers did not
wear the uniform of soldier, nor were
they as strictly amenable to military rules
as the soldiers, yet their service was
even iloIt DANGEROUS tnan
those who were in actual line OF battle.
This was particularly true of the campaign
in front of Petersburg In the summer Of
1894. in which campaign Mr.. Rosewater was
engaged. and he was frequently in the most
perilous positions, because of the determ.
nation OF confederate raidng parties IA
destroy communications of all kinds. There
was veritable net work OF telegraph
wires from City Point. where General
Grants headquarters were located. upoL
both sides of the Apponlattox. to Bermuds
Hundreds and Point of Rocks, the base Of
operations against Petersburg II was II
this campaign that Mr. Rosewater rend.
cred very effective service as a military
teiegrapher, which threw him in constant
personal COMMUNICATION with Generals
Grant. Meade, Butler. Hancock. Sheridan,
Butler. Kautz and a host Of others.
only short while ago Mr.. Rosewater
and / were discussing. that campaign and
ne showed a remarkable memory OF thS
events in front of Petersburg in which
for few weeks General B. F. Butler was
bottled up most effectively, as loosely
stated by General Grant and to whose re.
lief Grant had to come later in the summer.
funny thing happened just upon The
arrival Of General Grant at Petersburg
r.
insight into the extreme GOODNESS of Gen
eral Grant under the most trying circum-
stances. large lookout or signal station
had been erected at Point OF Rocks, that
was probably sixty or more feet in
height. From the top of this station we
could signal to Fort Powhattan, City
Point and across the James river toward
Herrison's Landing. The lookout was In
full view OF Petersburg and the confed-
crates used the lookout regularly as a
target. Being an open trestle work az
fair. the little sIx-pounder percussion
shells that they fired at the lookout sell
DOW struck II. As the top OF the crows
nest" as II was called. gave a good view
OF Petersburg and the confederate en-
trenchments, General Butler suggested to
General Grant that they 20 up on top of
the lookout and take look around The
lookout could be easily assembled by a
ladder, so Generals Grant, Meade Han
cock, Butler, Warren and some of their
STATS climbed UP TO the top of the con-
Germ to see things ..
Several OF the officers were in bril-
liant uniforms and the confederates with
the aid of glasses soon discovered that
there was something more than ordinary
on crows nest" and they began firing at
II briskly. The little shells whistled close
about the heads of the generals, but not
striking any object failed to explode.
until one struck one of the braces of the
lookout about twenty feet below the on
GERS and exploded. Fortunately. no great
damage resulted, nor was any of, the gem
erals injured. ..
1T was funny to see the dignified gen.
erals skurrying to get out of that look
out. They came down very ungracefully.
but all managed to reach the ground