Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-08-17
THE BATTLE-FIELDS.
q
OLD SOLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES.
The Blue and the Gray Review Incl
dents of the Late War, and In q
Graphic and Interesting Manner
Tell of Gasp, March and Battle.

Graphic and Interesting Manner
Tell Of camp, March and Battle.
When the territory about Waterloo,
In this State, was sparsely settled the
principal industry was the hewlng OF
timber from the forests along she Sem
eca canal. says the New York Tribune
At point known as Log Landing, mid
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 we're allowed TO with
draw from their early affliation. 1t
seemed war was imminent and specuia-
ton was rife as 10 the time when the
actual hostilities would begin.
One day in 1861 Johnson, who was
then % years old, was moving 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 a
young balm of Gilead tree. His mother
asked him what the matter was, and
he said:
Mother, Lincoln nedS men. am
going to war"
What, Hyman? You, my son, going
TO enlist?"
Eyes, but do not fear any harm will
come to me- The war viii be over in n
month The Southerners cannot face
the troops from the North for more
than that time. When l return l will
NOW the rest Of the lot Leave my
scythe in the tree until l return
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 II had been placed. johnson
came home year later on furlough
laughed at the admos shrdlu hfii shrd
| and laughed at the almost forgotten
incident of the implement ana its posi-
ton
| He inspired hope in the hearts OF
those who thought of nothing else thar
his safe return by saying: Il will YET
be back to NOW that lot
Soon after returning he was cap
tured in a skirmish and became a prls
oner in a Southern pen. from which es
cape was impossible Disease laid hole
upon him and he died surrounded by
enemies He was buried in an I'm
known grave with hundreds Of his com
rades.
Meanwhile the tree grew apace ant
the blade became partially Embedded il
| the trunk Of the tree The handle ROT
ted away, but the steel remained fixes
| in the wood.
| A general proclamation was issue
from the White House declaring one da.
should be set apart rs time for mem
DRY of those who had fallen while de
Tending their country. 1t was the frs
Memorial day. Word of the proclama
! ton was carried to Mrs. Johnson. bu
| she had no grave TO decorate. Sh
| fain would strew a few flowers upOl
the spot wherein her boy lay, but II
location must ever remain a mystery
| Kneeling in the garden, she offered
short prayer. Then she plucked a few
lilies from the plot she tended daily
| and, making a wreath, she bore ii t
the tree which gave such grim re
minder Of her sacrifice to her country
With Il caress she reached up and hunj
the wreath upon the scythe point.
Memorial day has long become an es
tablished anniversary. Many year
have passed since Mrs. Johnson wal
! laid to rest in the village cemetery
| The old home, as 1t stood in the da,
of the civil war, is exactly as it wa
| then. but Is occupied by another fami
". Thomas Buck and those gatheres
about his fireplace tell OF the hangni
| of the scythe to scores Of eager listen
ers each year.
OF the Johnson family a brother
widow and her children are all VIII
are left Every year, early in tn
morning Of Memorial day, the remnaI
of the family gathers beneath the scyth'
and places thereupOn n wreath Of ever
green and a tiny American flag. With
| In a few feet modern methods have
constructed a trolley line. Hundred
carried by the cars sdze upon the tree
the scythe the wreath and the flag an'
ask to be told the story Of the Draw
young soldier.
| Ohio Pension Law.
II is not generally known that al
most every Southern State to-day ha