Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-06-14
THE BOOMING CANNON
RECiTALS OF CAMP AND BAT.
TILE INCIDENTS.
of the Rebellion Relate
Many Amusing and Startling Incl
dents Of Marches, Camp Life, Forag-

you"
1t was Captain David G. James, Of
Richmond Center. We met in the ro-
ago. He told what to me was one Of
the most interesting and pathetic sto-
ries I have heard in a long time.
James was,one of those boy soldiers
16 when he enlisted. l have noticed
that the boy soldier, particularly if
since the war he has been active in
the professions, in commercial life or
elsewhere-if his mind has been used
in keeping up with the procession
has very vivid recollections of his ex-
periences in the service; that the
plates of his memory were burned deep
with incidents and facts. Certainly it
was so with Captain James. He was
made prisoner just before Atlanta
fell and remained one until the end
Of the war. Since then he has been
one of the active business men of his
county, active in politics, Grand Army
and social circles. He was so good
soldier that Governor Fairchild, dur
ing his first term, included James in
his long list of brevet captains from
the rank and file of Wisconsin SOL
diers. There is where James military
title comes from, and it is just as
proud a title as If it had been given
him in the heat of battle; there is
where James won it.
Now for the story:
1.-The morning of the 21st of July,
when we charged Bald Hill, now Leg
gett Hill, close to Atlanta, | was next
to I. G. Boss, of our company, G, OF
the Sixteenth Wisconsin, when a bull
let struck him in the head and killed
him. After the charge was over one
of the officers asked me if ! knew
where Boss was. 1 said he was killed,
and / was one Of the detail sent to
bury the dead. 1 went to where Boss
had fallen. He was not there. I sup
posed that another detail had buried
him, and 50 reported. Soon after that
1 was made a prisoner. Boss was one
of those splendid soldiers one could not
but admire. l sincerely mourned him.
Many a time at Andersonville and else
where, when hungry, ragged and dis
couraged, thought of poor Boss and
grieved over his sad fate.
II was junior vice commander of
the State department., Grand Army of
the Republic, in 1885, and as such &C
companied Governor Rusk and party to
1n OF tho fl1npra1 of
General Grant. The forenoon after
reaching the city I was standing alone
in front of the hotel when a withered,
bent, sallow-faced man stopped in
front of me, looked at my badge, and
said: How are you, Wisconsin?
Then his eyes frightened and little
color came to his sunken cheeks, and
he added: why, Dave James; how
are your
81 didn't know the man; had never
seen him. He asked, Don't you know
me?
"I think I never saw you BEFORE
was my answer. Then it suddenly oc-
Cured to me that I was dealing with
one of those smart fellows who have
gold bricks to sell and drafts upon
which they desire to raise a little cash
for a pressing emergency, so l looked
at him sharply, and said: Look here,
nv friend, it is true that l live in a
country town away out in Wisconsin;
but 1 have read some and seen a trif1e
of the world, and I'm onto your game.
I don't want to buy a gold brick or
cash bogus draft. Tell me, frankly,
just how much money you need and
l will try to supply you; but don't at
tempt to pull wool over my eyes
"The man looked hurt, and told me
he felt hurt 1 told him that was the
way all of his kind felt when they
came across a ma" they could not man
age.
after recovering from the shock he
said: Your name is David G. James,
Company c, Sixteenth Wisconsin,
eyes, sir, but 1 am a little curious
to know how you found it out; yet it
is not a matter of grave Importance
well, 1 can tell you how I found
out. l was in the same company and
knew you well, and you knew me
equally WE'LL
"'No, there is where you are mis-
taken; you were not in my company;
I didn't know you; you didn't know
me-
"'Do you tell me, after looking into
my face, after hearing my voice, that
Won never knew T. G. Boss, Of Com
pany C, Sixteenth Wisconsin?
II tell you nothing of the kind; l
tell YOU | did know T. G. Boss, of my
company; knew him we'll, loved him
we'll and have mourned him ever since
he was killed in the charge on Bald
Hill, near Atlanta, in July, 1864.
Then l thought of something that
Boss. Bowen, of our company, and my
self were the only ones who knew any
thing about, and l decided to test the
man who claimed to be my dead COM