Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-10-23
WAR HISTORY.

Some days ago Col. S. Brown Allen,
who has promised Taft $1,000 Confed-
crate veterans as his supporters in the
coming election sent the Dispatch and
News of this city, letter of which the
following is copy as printed:
Editor Dispatch:
The following letter l received today
from a brave and courageous comrade
of mine, who served with me in Com
pany G. of the Fourteenth Virginia
Cavalry, during the four years OF our
civil war. Like myself he buckled on
his armor at Phillippi, and laid it down
under the historic apple tree at Ap-
pomattox. His letter speaks for itself.
Won't you publish it?
S. BROWN ALLEN.
Here is the letter Col Allen asked
the newspaper to publish.
Whittier, California, Sept. 10, 1908.
Col. S. Brown Allen,
Staunton, Va.
Dear Comrade:-I was with you in
war, and now l am with you in poll
tics. | read your Introductory address
of Taft, at the Hot Springs. L endorse
every word of it. l left the democratic
party in 49, / could not stand Bryan,
and the more he says the less l think
of him, and should he be elected |
prophesy that the people Of the United
States will in the next four years see
the hardest times that have been seen
since April 80, 1889. In my judgment
Roosevelt is peerless as chief eXecu-
tive, and Taft will be second TO him ii
not his equal. I know of but few Bry-
an men in Whittier, there are two pa
pers published in Whittier and both
are Taft papers. l think there is no
doubt in regard to his election.
Yours truly,
ISAAC MYERS.
A member of the old Churchville cava-
Try, 1861.
These letters caused some comment,
and members of the Churchville caval-
ry began looking up the record OF the
Californian who "buckled on his armoI
at Philippi and laid it down under the
the historic apple tree" along with ac-
couterments of the same character be-
longing to Col. Allen.
1t now seems that some one has re-
moved the armor, or most of it, after II
was laid under that historic tree. Pos
sibly it was only temporarily moved
away in order TO pick this falls crop of
apples, at least for some reason it does
not seem to be there now. Here is
what we'll known old Confederate
soldier living out of Staunton has writ
ten to another well known Confederate
so ldier living in Staunton, in regard to
the buckling on of "dear comrade"
Myers armor, as well as the buckling
of it off. He says in part:
81 enlisted in the Churchville caval-
ry March 10, 1862, under Capt. F. F.
Sterret, and served in this company
till the surrender, taking part in the
last charge of the Nth at AppomattoX.
In May, 1862, at Churchville the COM
pany was reorganized, and James
Cochran was chosen captain. Mr..
Myers with II others stepped out by
being over 35 years Of age. Mr.. Myers
was our closest neighbor, and never
served day afterwards"
The writer further says that the 18th
regiment was not formed until the
winter of 1923, that company G Of
that regiment was commanded by
Capt. VIM. H. Lackey of Rockbridge,
and that Hardesty's History of Rock
bridge county, on page 401, contains a
roster of Co. c, made out by Capt.
Lackey, and in that roster the name of
Myers does not appear.
Judging from these statements Myers,
armor and all, seem to have gotten lost
early in the strife, at least here is an
other version of just how much militia
~ equipage, was laid at the root of that
famous apple tree, by members of Co.
G of the 18th Va. Cavalry, and the two
accounts materially differ.