The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-06-03

Three Under One Blanket.

Three Under One Blanket.
Two ex-governors and state SEN
ator were standing on the platform OK
the West ST. Paul station at Madison.
The senator said: Il distinctly recol-
lect this part OF Madison. | had been
In the army. a member OF the Twenty
fifth Wisconsin, under Jerry Rusk, and
was discharged In consequence OF poor
health. l got better rapidly upon re-
ceiving home care, and when the call
for hundred-day troops came, In 1854,
I enlisted again. | was to be the
adjutant of the Forty-first Regiment,
but there was a misunderstanding and
I entered and left 1t private. The
day we started for Madison | was
married. My bride accompanied me
to the city. AS the train that was to
bear me away was to leave early In
the morning, we took quarters in the
station hotel This Is one reason why
I remember this part of town. gentle
men.
Now, l will give you another rea-
son: Three OF US. who had been boys
together In Grant County, enlisted in
the same company, were put on de-
tached duty and did not come back
to the state with the regiment. When
they got ready to let us come we were
told that we would be paid OF at Mad
ison. There was Just IS in the party,
and we had to travel from Memphis to
Lancaster We had transportation.
"A few hours before reaching Chi
cago Adolph said: Boys. my pocket is
picked; the last penny Of our fund Is
gone and so Is our transportation.
We reached Chicago In the evening
penniless, with no transportation to
Madison. / happened to think Of the
Christian commission. We went there
and they kindly gave US supper and a
place to sleep and breakfast the next
morning; then we called on the pro-
vost marshal, stated our case and
asked if he could furnish us transpor
tation to Madison. He CURLY informed
us he could not. and went on with his
work The outlook was gloomy for
we three young fellows, but l had
been in the army long enough to have
other resources, and I said. We will
90 down to the Northwestern station
Is what we did. The agent looked US
over carefully. He seemed to have
satisfied himself that we were all
right, for he kindly said, L am sorry
but 1t Is not In my power to give you
tickets. Wait around here a minute
and | will go and see the conductor;
maybe he can do something for you.
When he came back he did not tell
US what the conductor would do, but
remarked that, If I were In your
places, boys, would get on that train.
We took the hint and got on. When
two or three miles out the conductor
came along and said to one of US, Are
you the soldiers who were talking
with the agent in Chicago?' Yes. sir.
That is all right and he passed on;
80 did we. We reached Madison after
the eating houses had closed, hungry,
tired. knowing no one In the place.
There was one blanket for the three of
Us. No dinner, no supper. We crossed
the track. and in an old shed they had
there then lay down to sleep until
morning under one blanket. The next
morning We met a Grant County man
who knew us and was glad to supply
as with what money we needed.
Later we drew our pay and went to
our homes.
Two of us re-entered the service.
I went out as a captain that time.
The other one was go well pleased
with the South that he settled at
Chattanooga not long after the war,
and has lived there ever since. He is
one OF the foremost business men of