The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1907-12-26

lnsidsnf ~ ire Civil We Hsisfss b.
Col Carpenter.

H" ~" AMA."HA ~ ~ II 49, "
dun va, a nitie rrogD 81 referan
oncefr. and amoua Them appeared Ire
massive. alert ard striking form and
presence q Col Seymour d CarBeu-
leg. who served a. q sslge0n throBsh
out the gar ard was in 1855 medical
direot0r ~ ina depaTtmsut a the
Missouri
he - fock-ofAgibraitariooking man.
and ] was not surprised 8 hear dat
nov, IN biz e-ighty-seoond year. he IS
bringing OFT a book be has lately erit
ten. a history Of the carpenter family
IN Amerios. ard his oFn au1obioE
raphy.
The genealogical part o. the volume
which has nor reached my HANDS. Is
more than usually interesting for Il
tells Of the early settlement 10 Penn-
~sylvania, and later Ohio. Of the for
bears Of this large family. which has
from the hrst been q q disuncti0n
in the republic.
But find especially 20 ny taste tie
~colonel's descriptions q What be EzH
Of the civil var in Missouri for The
history o. the struggle in Missouri Il.
! think. q little hard 70 get a.. haring
been overshadOved. IN the writings
Of wartime aud after. b. the terrific
conflict which ragged east Of the Missis-
sippL while the union forces made
their great wheel around from the
Father Of Waters through the soEth-
ern states and then north through the
capital Of the ~confederacT 70 Wash
ington.
For q short time before he vas or
dered west Mr. Carpenter served IN
the Army Of the Potomac. and va n
the second battle Of Bun Run; he says
the effect Of It remains upon him as
that Of q nightmare. He gives a good
description Of the event nevertheless
OF the battle o. Fayetteville. No
april IS. 1863. the colonel gives an
amusing and convincing picture After
the battle Of Prairie Grove. No Sur
geon Carpenter had been left IN charge
Of 1000 or more wounded. Who had
been moved % Fayetteville As spring
advanced the guerrillas had become
troublesome. and finally the confedsr
ate Gen. Cabell assaulted the place
with about 2.e90 c~ozfederates. Col
Harrison Of the First Arkansas cav
airy was In command OF the post. with
about 1900 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
20 witness the conflict
This Mai. Fitch, says Mr.. carpen-
ter. I had always regarded as a 6ull.
stupid sort Of mar. ] particularly dis
liked him because he wore a tail.
dark plume ca his slouch bar. but he
was something Ike a tortoise; be re-
CURED Goals to be put On his hack be
fore be could get up a move. In the
present instance he rose Handly TO
the occasion. With a tremendous gen.
the chatter OF horse and toss 81 their
Gags, the enemy's cavalry charged
down upon as.
AS 500 as he heard the yeu. the
major rushed up and down Ia front o.
his line. brandishing q revolver in one
hand and the Questionable plumed hat
in the other while he admonished his
men. with language which would have
done credit 70 the army h Flanders to
stand steady. 90 hold their IRE until
the enemy reached the brow Of the
hin. and hen-bis further instruc-
lions may safely leave 10 the imag
inston Of those who have been there
The brow OF the Hill he contnreg.
was about 90 yards from the line. IN
a minute the long line o. cavalry ap-
Peared. and the major rushed tn sroal.
gave the command % Ere. and a sheet
81 fame from 500 carbines greeted
them DoEens Of horses and men vent
down; I coald see the line Waver, and
the men hr~antcaiiy refining their
horses and sWcrliug from right 10
left
They were armed with sabers and
n they had pistols thoy aid not use
them. All oar msa tos,aip axhdnr
dismountedl had oarbines and reyol.
vers The mator did nog hesitate one
moment They rushed forward With
their REVIEWERS. and Ia a minute not a
confederate Was iu sight save TIE
killed and wounded The major sped
the aeeing guests With fresh voileys q
oatha and then he and his men began
giving assistance 20 the wounded
Not q man Of oar side had received
a scratch The Ehole AFFAIR was over
IN ave minutez u vas a most thullng
sight Tor a moment I thouEht q men
would b. ridden Sosh ehich might
have happened q The canteasates
had no1 charged ~ = single line
Two other sides of ere town werc
attacked az the same time by Infantry
ard artillery. where uhe fighting aas
more rrolOngea hHt oar troops Werv
the better armed aad rcpaiEed both
ATTACKS With silsht loss % IS bat cou.
siderable loss 20 the enemr
EVer after that hattie I had the
most woioaai rcsne1t Tor thu major.