The National tribune., 1907-07-18

Dick" Morgan is a very interesting
conversationalist so long as he can sit
down comfortably in a chair but it is
exceedingly difficult to get him up on
| his feet to make speech. When an
effort is made to get him to make a
speech he always protests in the strong
| est terms. / have never heard him
make but one speech and that was very
brief, but if you can sit alongside him
at camp fire meeting, where he is
comfortably seated in his chair there
is no man of Morgan's command who is
a more interesting talker.
T.. T.. Parrish.
One afternoon, while seated in the
amphitheater, where the meeting of
| "Morgan's Men" was in progress. a gen.
tleman sitting behind me put his hand
on my shoulder to attract my atten-
ton. When l turned around to see who
it might be, this gentleman said, Il am
informed that you were an officer in
the 9TH Ohio Cav"
Yes l replied: what regiment did
you belong to-" supposing, of course,
that he belonged one of Morgan's regi-
mentS. His answer was that he did not
belong to Morgan's cavalry, but that he
had been a member of the Signal Corps,
serving at Gen. Bragg's. headquarters
and at Gen. Joe Johnston's headquar-
ters, and that he was one of the men
who wigwagged the signals from Look
ont Mountain to Mission Ridge and
thru the Atlanta Campaign from Dalton
down to Atlanta. He gave his name as
z. p. Parrish and his home at Midway,
WOodford County, Ky. After we had
made each others acquaintance in the
manner described above. Mr.. Parrish
told me that he would like to have me
bear message TO two men of the 1th
or. 8 H. how
were, adding that when he was near
Atlanta on duty as a member of the
Signal Corps, being located on the right
of Hoods army, while intently gazing
in the direction of Shermans army to
see what movements might be made
that would call for signals from him.
he was greatly surprised to feel hand
laid on each of his shoulders and when
he turned TO see who was interrupting
him in his duties he was greatly sur
prised to see two Federal cavalrymen
who quietly announced to him that he
was a prisoner. Mr.. Parrish stated to
me that he was considerably disturbed
and alarmed by this proceeding, and
that he must have shown this alarm in
his countenance. for these two Union
cayalrymcn Immediately told him that
he need not be alarmed that they would
not harm him in any way, but that they
would require him to go with them as Il
prisoner. He adds that they took him
off the field silently and quietly, but
that he was treated with the utmost
Kindness and consideration and that he
spent Il large part of the period OF war
following this incident as Il prisoner in
the North. His particular object in
speaking to me about his capture was
TO say that he always looked back with
the kindliest feeling for the two men,
bers of the 18th Ohio Cav. who took
him prisoner as above described, and
he wanted me if possible to find those
two men, if they are still living. and en-
tend to them his very sincere thanks
for the kindness and consideration with
which they treated him when they took
him prisoner Mr.. Parrish nowadays is
one of the leading citizens and land
owners in Woodford County, KY, this
County being known as the garden spot
of the Blue Grass Region.
'The Vidette.,
once knew a Captain of battery of
field artillery who kept a COW in con-
nection with his battery. When the
battery moved he hitched the COW 10
the baggage wagon and always had
fresh milk | thought this was about
the limit" but there may have been
other officers or soldiers who kept a
cow during the war, and / have heard
that some of Humphrey Marshalrs
Confederate soldiers, over in eastern
Kentucky, kept Il garden and raised Il
crop of garden sass" I am not say
ing that this is true as to Humphrey
MarShalrS men. as | do not know of
the circumstances of my own knowledge.
but ] did know the Captain of Artillery
who kept the COW. Now, l have no ac-
quaintance with the soldiers of either
the Federal or Confederate armies who
published a newspaper, except Nor
gan's Men" When John Morgan was
Colonel of the I'd Ky. Cav, the regi-
ment of which Duke was afterwarl
Colonel, his soldiers captured a coTn-
try printing Office, and ii is an exceed
ngly interesting incident in the history
of this regiment that they published a
newspaper. The title Of this paper
was THE Vidette," and the printers,
publishers and editors We're all soldiers
of the I'd ny. Confederate Cav. 1t
was issued semi-occasionally by the
men of Morgans command, and con-
tanned all the official orders of Gen.
Morgan. The Vidette" was published
under the style of newspaper of the
lay, devoted largely to the exploits.
1ashes, raids and captures of ''Morgan's
Men," and it circulated largely thruout
the army. and reached into all the
towns, crossroads and hamlets, ani
was read with the greatest eagerness.
The Vidette" was started in q spirit OF
cun by the soldiers of the I'd Ky. Cav
but Morgan, finding the pleasure it gave
he men of his command, took great
pains to encourage the enterprise. The
paper was printed on such paper as|
came to hand, and it appeared at diff
serent times in different colors. Some
would be a pale rose color, and some