Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1907-12-27
THE MAJOR MADE GOOD.
Incident Of the Civil War Related by
Col. Carpenter.

A few days ago, writes Ada G.
Sweet, in Chicago Journel, I met, at
the home of DR.. Gearing, who was sur
geon of the Fifty-seventh Illinois vol
unteers from beginning to end of the
civil war, little group of veteran
officers, and among them appeared the
massive, alert and striking form and
presence of Col. Seymour d. Carpen-
ter, who served as surgeon through
out the war and was in 1865 medical
Missouri.
He is rock-of- Notwithstanding man,
and l was not surprised to hear that
now, in his eighty-second year, he Is
bringing out book he has lately writ
ten, a history of the Carpenter family
in America, and his own autobiog-
raphy.
The genealogical part of the volume,
which has now reached my hands, is
more than usually interesting, for 1t
tells of the early settlement, in Penn
sylvania, and later Ohio, of the for
bears of this large family, which has
from the first been one of distinction
in the republic.
But find especially to my taste the
colonePs descriptions of what he saw
Of the civil war in Missouri, for the
history of the struggle in Missouri is,
I think, little hard to get at, having
been overshadowed, in the writings
of wartime and after, by the terrific
conflict which ragged east OF the Missis.
sippi, while the union forces made
their great wheel around from the
Father Of Waters through the south.
ern states and then north through the
capital Of the confederacy to Wash.
ington
For short time before he was or
dered west Mr.. Carpenter served in
the Army of the PotomAc, and was in
the second battle of Bull Run; he says
the effect of it remains upon him as
that of nightmare. He gives a good
description of the event, nevertheless.
OF the battle of Fayetteville, Mo-,
April 1S, 1868, the colonel gives an
amusing and convincing picture. After
geon Carpenter had been left in charge
of 1000 or more wounded, who had
been moved to Fayetteville. AS spring
advanced the gueHrillas had become
troublesome, and finally the confeder-
ate Gen. Cabell assaulted the place
with about 1000 confederates. Col.
Harrison of the First Arkansas cav
q 1rU in Of f1,a !,
about 1,500 men under his command.
But Maj. Ezra Fitch was in command
of the battalion Immediately in front
of the place taken up by the surgeon
to witness the conflict.
This Maj. Fitch" says Mr. Carpen-
ter, Il had always regarded as a dull
stupid sort of man. | particularly dis.
liked him because he wore a tall,
dark plume on his slouch hat, but he
was something like a tortoise; he re-
quired Goals to be put on his back be-
fore he could get up a move In the
present instance he rose grandly to
the occasion. With a tremendous yell,
the clatter of horse and toss of their
flags, the enemy's cavalry charged
down upon us.
"As soon as he heard the yell, the
major rushed up and down in front of
his line, brandishing a revolver in one
hand and the Objectionable plumed hat
in the other, while he admonished his
men, with language which would have
done credit to the army in Flanders to
stand steady, to hold their fire until
the enemy reached the brow of the
hill, and then-his further instruc.
tions | may safely leave to the imag-
ination of those who have been there
The brow of the hill,' he continues.
was about 40 yards from the line. In
minute the long line of cavalry ap.
peared, and the major rushed In front,
gave the command to fire, and a sheet
Of flame from 500 carbines greeted
them. Dozens of horses and men went
down; could see the line waver, and
the men frantically refining their
horses and swerving from right to
left.
''They were armed with sabers, and
If they had pistols they did not use
them. All our men Cavalry fighting
dismounted) had carbines and revol.
vers. The major did not hesitate one
moment. They rushed forward with
their revolvers, and in a minute not a
confederate was in sight save the
killed and wounded. The major sped
the fleeing guests with fresh volleys of
oaths, and then he and his men began
giving assistance to the wounded.
mot man Of our side had received
a scratch. The whole affair was over
in five minutes. 1t was most thrilling
sight; for moment thought our men
would be ridden down, which might
have happened If the eonfederates
had not charged in a single line.
Two other sides of the town were
attacked at the same time, by infantry
and artillery, where the fighting was
more prolonged, but our troops were