Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-09-17

| MAC N tue Federal Army during the
War OF the Rebellion, but the hero of
this tale was not only the smartest
Mac, but the Youngest and most d.
mlnutive enlisted member OF the Army
OF the United States, and now for
more than twenty-five years by far the
youngest comrade in the Grand Army
OF the Republic and a frequent and
welcome guest ct many a reunion OF
the g. A. R. posts other than his own.
Never has this youthful veterans re-
ci9al of the surprising incidents sur
rounding his remarkable enlistment,
the exhibition of the yellowed docu-
ments filed In with ink now faded,
although clearly decipherable--his en-
listment and discharge papers-failed
to arouse enthusiasm among his older
comrades.
In the little Mississippi river town
of Fort Madison, Iowa, the site of a
former governmental frontier fort and
the scene of many a skinmish and
more than one full-1edged battle be-
tween the redskins on one hand and
the soldiers and pioneers on the other,
there lived in the late sos a young
and patriotic physician, Abel Cummins
Roberts, graduate of the University
OF Michigan. with his wife and two
little children.
In addition TO being a physician DR..
Roberts was the editor and publisher
OF a weekly newspaper. the Fort Mad
ison Plaindealer He was a strong ad-
vocate of colonizing the negroes and
OF having the government reimburse
the masters of the colonized slaves.
| He advocated this as the only plan
mat would make possible the avoid.
snce of war
/ However. partisan feeling was
strong in those days-so strong. in
fact, that party of Fort Madison men
| provided themselves with long. stout
| rope and called on the editor one night
at his home and offered him the UNI
enviable choice of abandoning his pol
Hey of advocating negro colonization
land OF publicly apologizing for some
llof he pointed things he had said in
Upfint or taking a plunge in the Faith
Her of Waters tied to his old Washing
Uton hand press with the rope.
But DR.. Roberts had heard that he
would be called upon and he had
blood in his veins, so. after listening
quietly to the leaders OF the mob, he
calmly laid his Colts navy on the
porch rail and talked bluntly and for
cfhig about the constitutional guaran-
tee OF free speech and OF free press.
and of his steadfast determination TO
avail himself OF his constitutional
rights, mob or no mob. He concluded
by inviting them to come on" IL they
were still dissatisfied. They refused
to accept, and the editor did not
change his policy.
Later, when war began and volun-
teers were called he forsook both the
pen and his advocacy OF colonization
and became a member of the Twenty
first Missouri Infantry Volunteers. as
Surgeon Major. and as Major Abel c.
Roberts served through the entire per
iod of the war with one brief furlough
In 1863 the Twenty-first was quar-.
tered at Memphis. Tenn. Opposite the
camp grounds was the home of a then
wealthy Southern planter, DR. Whea-
ton The surgeon Of the Twenty-first
found occupation plenty and seldom
left his quarters. One day, however,
while all was quiet in camp willowy,
lp,-aaf Paead Goutba,n yirI oov,a r,,yb
ing from the old mansion of the Whea-
tons and into the camp of the enc
my" Mary Wheaton was in deep
trouble She had been left alone that
day and something had gone wrong
Two of her fathers pet pickaninnies
had INDUCED in poison berries and
were In the grip of death. The girl
hastily told her troubles and asked:
Is there not some one here who will
help me. please, for they are sure
'nongh DYING"
Moved by the girls distress, Major
Roberts volunteered. An emetic was
given. a bit of pummeling done, and
after brief while the tangles were
Strengthened and the children sprawl
ed out in the sun, sadder but wiser
Africans
Major Roberts and Dr. Wheaton
grew to be great friends One day
| the regbmental surgeon betrayed an
anxiety concerning his wife. then i'll
! in the North to his Southern friend.
/ and what did the old planter do but
| command Major Roberts to send for
| his little family at once There was
no disregarding such a proffer OF hos
/ pitality The open door of a South
erner means Come in, and happy IS
he who does as hidden. few days
later saw the little family reunited
the husband in his tent and the little
| wife ard two boys only a stones throw
away, safely lodged in the old plant
er's home:
! In the early morning OF Dec. Il,
1868, there arrived in camp just be
| fore reveille a youngster who was
| promptly christened Edward McCIel-
I : - -