The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-08-22
THE BATTLE-FIELDS.
OLD SOlDiERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES
The Blue and the Gray Review Incl.
dents of the Late War, and In
Graphic and Interesting Manner
Tell of Camp, March and Battle.

w helt the territory ABOUT NdteTloO
in this State, was sparsely settled the
principal industry was the hewing of
timber from the forests along the Sen
eca canal, says the New York Tribune.
way between Geneva and Waterloo,
the woodchoppers were wont to gather
and tell their stories of early Indian
fights. and here young Hyman john
son, a farmer boy, first learned of the
impending disaster to the union if the
Southern States were allowed to with
draw from their early utilization. 1t
seemed war was imminent and specula-
ton was rife as to the time when the
actual hostilities would begin.
One day in 1861 Johnson, who was
then 20 years old, was moving a lot on
the farm. a neighbor drove up bear
ing the tidings that the call to arms
had been sounded Without hesitation
the youth walked to the house and
| placed his scythe in the crotch Of q
young balm of Gilead tree His mother
asked him what the matter was and
he said:
Mother. Lincoln neds men. l am
going to war;"
What. Lyman? You, my son, going
| to enlist?"
'Yes. but do not fear any harm will
come to me. The war will be over in Il
month. The Southerners cannot face
the troops from the North for more
than that time. When return / will
now the rest of the lot. Leave my
scythe in the tree until 1 yeturn."
His regiment marched to the front
to the stirring martial music and was
often in the fighting line The mother,
true to the, words of her boy, left the
| scythe as 1t had been placed. Johnson
came home year later on furlough,
I Iaugred ct the sd:Tos shrdlu hfH shr.l
and laughed at the almost forgotten
| incident of the implement and its posi-
! ton.
he inspired hope In the hearts OF
those who thought of nothing else than
y
be back to NOW that lot"
Soon after returning he was CAP
| tured in skirmish and became a pris-
oner in Southern pen, from which es-
cape was impossible Disease laid hold
| upon him and he died surrounded by
enemies. He was buried in an I'M
known grave with hundreds OF his COM
rades.
Meanwhile thel tree grew apace and
the blade became partially imbedded in
the trunk of the tree. The handle rot
ted away, but the steel remained fixed
in the wood.
A general proclamation was issued
from the White House declaring one day
should be set apart as time for men,
| DRY of those who had fallen while de-
| Tending their country. 1t was the first
Memorial day. Word Of the proclama-
ton was carried to Mrs Johnson, but
she had no grave TO decorate. She
fain would strew a few flowers upon
the spot wherein her boy lay, but its
location must ever remain a mystery.
Kneeling in the garden, she offered a
short prayer. Then she plucked few
lilies from the plot she tended daily,
and. making wreath, she bore it to
the tree which gave such grim re-
hinder of her sacrifice to her country.
With caress she reached up and hung
the wreath upou the scythe point.
Memorial day has long become an es-
tablished anniversary Many years
have passed since Mrs. johnson was
laid to rest in the village cemetery.
The old home, as 1t stood in the day
of the civil war, Is exactly as it was
then, but is occupied by another fami-
ly. Thomas Buck and those gathered
about his fireplace tell of the hanging
of the scythe to scores Of eager listen
ers each year.
OF the Johnson family a brothers
widow and her children are all who
are left. Every year, early in the
morning of Memorial day, the remnant
Of the family gathers beneath the scythe
and places thereupon wreath OF ever
green and tiny American flag With
in a few feet modern methods have
constructed trolley line Hundreds
carried by the cars gaze upon the tree,
the scythe, the wreath and the flag and
ask to be told the story of the brave
young soldier.