Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-05-27

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partment commanders have chosen the
some soldier for chief of staff. He In
now serving in that capacity. Many
thousands in Wisconsin know Loui4
Sholes-J A. Watrous, in Chicage
Reocrd-Herald.
Forced Into Confederate Army.
James Clarke, better known as Dad
Clarke, who died at the county in
Urinary near Logansport Ind, In
April, had served four years in the
Civil war, but was unable to get into
the soldiers homes In the north or
those maintained in the south for vet
Grams of the Confederate army. His
history is one Of the most unusual In
the annals Of the war. His ambition
was to get into the soldiers home at
Marion, but his repeated efforts were
futile, and finally in despair he turned
to the county poor farm. and there ne
had been for three years, bemoaning
his fate that made him a man without
a home.
Clarke at the outbreak Of the Civls
war was travelling through the south
with a number OF Irish peddlers. The
majority of these peddlers lived In
Logansport, Marion, Anderson and
other nearby Indiana cities With
wagons and packs they Travelled
throughout the south selling merchaR-
disc of all kinds.
The day war was declared IS Of the
Irish peddlers were in Jackson, Miss
Excitement was high there, and
Clarke and his companions were as
enthusiastic as the natives, only for a
different cause They hastily planned
to return to Indiana to enlist and go
to the front But before they could
leave they were taken into custody
were pressed into the Confederate
ranks and were compelled to fight
against brothers and friends in the
northern army.
For two years they marched, fought
and lived with the COnfederates, ever
watchful for a chance to escape. So
far all had escaped death and injury
But during one battle when the two
lines were only a few hundred feet
apart, the little band Of northerners
planned dash for liberty. At given
signal they broke for the Yankee lines.
But they had not gone very far before
a hundred Confederate guns vera
turned on them. Twelve fell dead to-
the ground, and Clarke, the only sur-
vivor, fell to escape the rain of lead
A burly sergeant was about to In
pale him with bayonet when a col
onel thrust the sergeant aside, ordered
Clarke back to the line and made him
again take up the fight against the
Yankees.
Soon after this Clarke was trans
ferred to Andersonville prison, where
he did guard duty for three months
under Captain Wirz. Compelled to
shoot at any prisoner who stepped
across the dead line, Clarke always
shot wide of the mark. Later, when
he was sent to the front again, the
company to which he was assigned
was captured in battle by the Union
forces and the prisoners were sent to
the northern prison near Detroit,
Clarke protested that he was Kan
kee and had been pressed into service
but none would believe his story
However, on the third day of his i'm
prisonment, he met and was recog-
nized by his half-brother, Joe Murphy,
who was on guard duty. Murphy had
heard of the fate of Clarke and the
other Irish peddlers, and when he ex-
planned the circumstances, Clarke was
paroled and sent back to Logansport
Several years ago, he spent his
spare time building coffin He was
very enthusiastic over the project and
was buried in Indianapolis News
He Was Not a Soldier.
ION the day of the Generals death
an old soldier of the Confederacy re-
marked to a stranger near the cigar
stand in the Kimball House. Well
poor Grant is dead at last Yes, re-
marked the other, and he ought to
have died thirty years ago. Say
stranger, was you in the warp No
sir Thought so-good day"