Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1908-01-10
THE MAJOR MADE GOOD.
Incident of the Civil War Related by
Col. Carpenter.


the home of DR.. Gearing, who was sur |
geon Of the Fifty-seyenth Illinois vol |
unteers from beginning to end of the |
civil war, a little group of veteran |
officers, and among them appeared the |
massive, alert and striking form and
presence of Col. Seymour ID. Carpen-
ter, who served as surgeon through
out the war and was in 1865 medical
director of the department of the
Missouri.
He is rock-of- Notwithstanding man,
and l was not surprised to hear that
now in his eighty-second year, he is
bringing out book he has lately writ
ten, history of the Carpenter family
in America, and his own autobiog-
raphy.
The genealogical part of the volume,
which has now reached my hands, is
more than usually interesting, for 1t
tells of the early settlement, in Penn
sylvania, and later Ohio, of the for
bears of this large family, which has
from the first been one of distinction
in the republic.
But find especially to my taste the
colonel's descriptions of what he saw
history Of the struggle in Missouri is,
l think, little hard to get at, having
been overshadowed, in the writings
of wartime and after, by the terrific
conflict which ragged east of the Missis-
sippi, while the union forces made
their great wheel around from the
Father of Waters through the south
ern states and then north through the
capital of the confederacy to Wash
ington.
For a short time before he was or
dered west Mr.. Carpenter served in
the Army of the Potomac, and was in
the second battle of Bull Run; he says
the effect of it remains upon him as
that of nightmare. He gives a good
/ description of the event, nevertheless.
OF the battle of Fayetteville, Mo,
April Is, 1868, the colonel gives an
amusing and convincing picture. After
the battle of Prairie Grove, Mo, Sur
geon Carpenter had been left in charge
of 1000 or more wounded, who had
been moved to Fayetteville. AS spring
advanced the guerrillas had become
troublesome, and finally the confeder-
ate Gen. Cabell assaulted the place
Harrison of the First Arkansas cav
airy was in command of the post, with
about $500 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
to witness the conflict.
This Maj. Fitch says Mr.. Carpen-
ter, Il had always regarded as a dull,
stupid sort of man. l particularly dis
liked him because he wore a tall,
dark plume on his SLOUGH hat, but he
was something like a tortoise; he re
quired Goals to be put on his back be
fore he could get up a novel, In t0a
present instance he rose graHtily 6e
the occasion. With a Tremendous Ye1l;
the clatter of horse and toss or their
flags, the enemy's cavalry charged
down upon us.
AS soon as he heard the yell the
major rushed up and down IN front Of
his line, brandishing a revolver in one
hand and the Objectionable pIumed hat
in the other, While he admonished his
men, with language which would have
done credit to the army in Flanders, to
stand steady, to hold their fire until
the enemy reached the brow of the
. hill, and then-his further instruc
tons | may safely leave to the mag
nation of those who have been there.
; The brow OF the hill he continues
) was about 40 yards from the line. n
a minute the long line of cavalry ap
} peared, and the major rushed in froat
: gave the command to fire, and a She
5 of flame from 500 carbines greeted
) them. Dozens of horses and men Wen
? down; | could see the line waver, anC
A the men frantically refining theil
horses and s9frving from right t.
r left. ssssa9as
$ They were armed wsg abafs.1 AMI
= if they had pistols they III & mot US,
them. All our men tGk#Mify iiEhtinf
I dismounted) had carbinss aid reSoi
e vers. The major did net hesitate on;
moment. They rushed forward will
f their revolvers, and in a minute not
n confederate was in sight save tn,
killed and wounded. The major spec
/ the fleeing guests with fresh volleys O
v oaths, and then he and his men begaI
h giving assistance to the wounded.
Not man of our side had receive,
!" scratch. The whole affair was owe
d in five minutes 1t was a most thriIlinj
II sight; for moment l thought our me-
would be ridden down, which NIGH
E" have happened If the confederate
it had not charged in single line.
III Two other sides of the town wer
attacked at the same time, by infantr
;" and artillery. where the fighting wa
t more prolonged, but our troops wer
re the better armed and repulsed bot