The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1906-02-22
THE BOOMING CANNON
RECITALS OF CAMP AND BAT.
TILE INCIDENTS.
eurvivors of the Rebellion Relate
Many Amusing and Startling Incl
dents of Marches, Camp Life, Forag-

Ing Experiences and Battle Scenes.
Speaking of privates and Major
Generals" said the Sergeant, ''there
was the case of myself and General
Thomas II. Anderson. The General
enlisted as private in the Guthrie
Grays, OF Sixth Ohio, in April, 1861. I
enlisted about the same time in Col
onels Guthries First Kentucky. An
derson in less than month was given
a commission in the regular cavalry,
later was transferred to the regular
infantry, came out OF the war a Cap
tain, was Colonel In 1893, was q
Major General in the war of that year,
and was retired MS Brigadier Gen
eral Of the regular army in 1901.
II, on the other hand, remained with
my regiment to the end of the Civil
War, carried n rifle for nearly four
years, and was mustered out a SER
geant; went into business at the close
Of the war and succeeded only fairly
well. Nearly forty years after our
muster in l met General Anderson at
n reception here in Chicago and was
hesitating about speaking of old times
when the General took the matter in
his own hands, saying: The Col
onel tells me that you were in the old
First Kentucky regiment. 1 remem-
ber it very well, and because was in
the Sixth Ohio, 1 watched your regi-
ment through the war. Some of your
officers came to the regular service,
and through them 1 kept up my ac-
Qualntance. 1t warns my heart to
meet any Of the old boys
This was as unexpected as 1t was
gratifying, and 1 felt very much at
ease with my old acquaintance of the
Sixth Ohio. The General made ref
erence to his uncle, General Robert
Anderson, by whose advice he went
into the regular service. He said he
remembered just how the First Ken
lucky looked when it was formed
without uniforms or arms to receive
Major Anderson when he came West.
He said the Major was much touched
when he was told that hundreds of
Ohio men had enlisted in the Ken
lucky regiment in the belief that he
was to have personal command of the
brigade. l don't know how General
Anderson would meet an enlisted man
Of any one Of his regiments in the reg
ular service, but l know that in meet
ing an enlisted man of the old volun-
teer army he left nothing to be de-
sired"
THAT reminds me-" said the Major,
"of my meeting with member of the
Twenty-first Illinois in 1865 or 1866.
We were crowding toward the stair.
way near which General Grant was
standing, when the Illinois man said
lmpatiently, Push ahead, man; l want
to get good look at the little cuss
who beat our regiment into shape the
first year Of the war. He tanned us
by marching us across the country
and by discipllning every man who
disobeyed orders. He was our Col
his persistence in beating us into
shape. Now, here he is the biggest
man in the whole country and / want
to tell him what l think of him.
IL regarded my Illinois friend with
some suspicion, but when we came to
where Grant was standing with his
hands in his pockets, while the people
In four ranks filed by him, little
country girl passed under the rope
stretched in front Of the General,
peered about in sort Of personal in
spection for half minute, then took
one Of the Generals hands from the
pocket kissed 1t in caresslng way,
and put 1t back into the pocket with n
satisfied, tender, reverent look on her
face. The General looked down ut her
with queer smile on his face and
said quietly, Here, will shake hands
with you II die for it. What is your
namer
Thirty thousand people, within
seeing distance, yelled and cheered as
they saw the General take the little
girls hand and lower his head to her
face. In the midst of the cheering my
Illinois friend leaned forward on the
rope and, holding out his hand. said:
Here, Sis, give me that hand The
girl, bewildered, tried to obey orders,
and as the Twenty-first man caught
hold of the hand and the General
flnched Ut had been shaken 10000
times that day., the private Of the
Twenty-first said, with a chuckle:
That's all right, General. will han
die it as l would sick baby. be-
longed to your old regiment. You tied
me like mule to the end gate Of a
wagon. Another time carried a rail,
and cussed you up and down in n
whisper
"The General looked annoyed and
raised his eyes to those Of General
Wilcox, In command Of the special
guard. Wilcox was raising his hand
as n signal of interference when the
Illinoisan, still caressing the hand
\ -. III. N.