Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-06-17

the old chap who said: 1t Is so very
nice to look back half century, and
even more than that, and recall pleas
ant occasions and events of great mo-
ment, that l rather enjoy being old"
As If it were only last year, last month
yes, as If it were only yesterday
recall a happy family living in a tent
In a field just back of the Lee man
sion on Arlington Heights, Wa field
that Is now part Of the drill ground
connected with Fort Meyer, and above
which the Wright brothers showed
their ability to navigate the air, there
by making it apparent that in a fu-
ture war there. will be mortar and tor
pedo boats overhead as well as on the
water.
The family consisted of Colonel VIII
liam w Robinson of the Seventh Wis
consin, his wife, daughter and son.
The daughter was beautiful young
lady, a great favorite with all of the
young officers, who married one Of the
lieutenants of the coloneTs regiment.
The lieutenant became General Hollon
Richardson at the end of the war, and
now resides at Seattle. The son was
IA years of age when his fathers reg
iment was in camp at Arlington, and
so fascinated by army life that he daily
begged his father to let him enlist.
The father had been a soldier In the
Mexican war. Realizing that the war
then going on would be long and
hard one, he refused his consent until
the last year of the great struggle,
when the youngster hurried to the
front near Petersburg and became
member of his fathers old regiment,
then serving It's second three-year en-
listment in the Iron Brigade.
He was little chap, even then. |
saw him in the ranks, private, fight
ing like a veteran in one of the battles
to the left Of Petersburg in General
Grants closing campaign few days
before Appomattox. The next time L
met him, thirty-seven years later, he
was in the Philippine islands as chief
quartermaster Of a department, and l
was chief paymaster of the other de-
partment He went to West Point soon
after the Civil War and served in the
cavalry until 1891, when he was trans
ferred to the quartermaster's depart
ment His last service before retiring
was as chief quartermaster, Depart
ment of the Lakes.
| can see the rosy-cheeked lad as
he mingled with the soldiers of the
brigade forty-eight years ago, and now
find much pleasure in saluting the
veteran brigadier general who has just
gone to the retired list, having reached
the age Of 64-Generai William M.
Robinson, Jr. The only son OF Gen
era1 Robinson is Lieutenant Edward
w. Robinson of the Thirteenth Caval-
~, a young officer of promise, a worthy
son of a father who served his coun-
try in two wars and a good many In
dian campaigns, and a grandson of
soldier who went through the Next
can war and who was the leader of q
most gallant regiment and for a time
commanded the Iron Brigade Of the
West in the Civil War.
President Mckinley commissioned
the younger Robinson, then second
lieutenant of regulars, captain of
volunteers and he was assigned to the
Tnirty-fifth Regiment, which was or
ganiZed at Vancouver Barracks, Wash
ington. One day a couple of young
captains of that regiment came to my
quarters with their pay vouchers.
Robinson? That is a familiar
name We had a Colonel Robinson
and his son in our brigade, and the
son is in the regular army; both had
blue eyes, like myself
The youngster smiled and said his
grandfather and father were both sol
diers That is the way | met my old
brigade commanders grandson and my
regular army companions son.
The other captain was Captain Earl
Tanner, son of the famous Corporal
Jim Tanner. who fought at Bull Run
until he lost both legs and lamented
his misfortune because he could not
fight any more, a past communicating
chief of the Grand Army of the Re-
public, Pension Commissioner, and
now a valued federal officer in Wash
ington. This reminds me that one of
the delights of my later service was
meeting lue SOuS anu SldAueoHS vi
men who cut a figure in the war of
the SOS, splendid soldiers of sires who
fought on both sides in the big war.
Il am glad to see you saying good
word for the veterans of the Confed
crate army" said Colonel Charles w.
Mott His military title GENES from
service on a Governors staff, but he
was Il real soldier in the Civil War,
beginning at II years of age and serv-
ing until the end Of the war. For
years after completing his education
he was a travelling man. and went very
generally through the South. He told
me this story. which is worthy of cold
type:
Some of the best soldier meetings
| ever attended were in the South