Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-08-27

of the early sixties. He recounted
a visit to the Andersonville cemetery
and told of some of the horrors OF the
Andersonville prison in brief man
ner, but sufficiently lengthy to fill with
horror anyone who would reflect
on the sufferings endured by the union
|soldiery that were imprisoned there
Two prisoners of that fearful abode,
is. j. Myers of Eddyville and j. M.
Elder of Highland Center. were pres
ent. The latter told of $40 members
of his regiment being imprisoned in
the horrible stockade. and said that
22O Of the men died there. Mr.. Elder
was member of Co. H., 9Th Iowa
cavalry and his regiment was cap
tured and surrendered August 2, 1864.
Both Of these men are pioneers and
! Mr.. Myers has been resident of Wa
pello county since 1S43, and is one of
the very Oldest pioneers of the county
in point of residence, although but
seventy years OF age. He Was'a mem
Der of Co. C, 18th Iowa Infantry.
Jacques Tells Experience.
One of the most. interesting talks of
the day was that of Capt. w. H. c..
Jaques who recounted some OF his
personal experiences while with Fox's
400 in which more than 300 We're killed
and wounded: The speaker came
to Iowa over sixty years ago with his
father and family from Virginia and
| is one of the early TVapello county
settlers. He was member of the 10
Iowa Infantry having enlisted fresh
from the farm in 1862. His descrip-
ton of the travel of the soldiers to st.
Louis and from there to Raleigh. MO-,
on box and fiat cars, as well as the
wearing out of shoes on the flint nils
of Missouri, was humorous and again
he aroused his hearers to keen inter
est in the tale of battle in the peach
orchards of the sister state. Peculiarly
Interesting was his story of personal
experiences in the battle where Gen
erals Hearne and Blount met and
i worsted the southerner, 'Heineman.
! Every officer in his regiment was
killed. and out of forty-eight men of
his company who entered one engage
ment, twenty-six werc killed and
wounded.
Mahon and SpiIman Talk.
| Captain Harper then introduced
Major Samuel Mahon as member Of
the regiment that was first over the
breastworks, first in the hen house.
first in the smoke house and first in
the guard house. The speech that
followed was listened to with deep in
terest and reviewed the advance OF
the country since the war. Major T..
P. Spilman was the next speaker and
his address was an appeal to the finer
| feelings of the nation toward it's
heroes. He told of some personal
acauaintances who were manned and
blinded in the war, of their undying
patriotism and devotion to country
He dwelt with much feeling on the
pathos that this patriotism evoked,
and closed with an appeal to the COM
rades and the younger generation to
lend the ear of solicitude and the
hand of aid to those who have sacri-
| feed that the country might be left
| intact
| Hamilton Gives Review.
No old soldier gathering would be
complete without talk by Major A.
H. Hamilton, the senior of the boys
in blue" about Ottumwa, and one of
the best known and widest loved of
her citizens. The tale of his prison
life in the pens of Texas and his ter
rible experience in escaping from
them was the topic of his talk
chiefly. No speeches were made dur
ing the day that compelled greater
interest in the hearing than did that
story of the awful hardship of the
speaker with two companions from
the military prison and tramp in the
wilderness of probably 700 miles be-
fore reaching the union lines. Some
understanding may be had OF this long
travel of the starved and sick men.
when it is known that after walking
for two and a half days, picking up
in the woods what ever presented It.
self as eatable, they found them
selves but ten miles from their start
ing point. Few novels could stimulate
the interest that did this tale Of one
of the many experiences of the war
time, endured by the men who today
wear the little bronze button that is
priced as greater than the richest and
costliest jewel.
The election of officers followed the
speech of Major Hamilton. Through.
out the program the Fifty-fourth band
rendered patriotic concert music.
Before the close of the old soldiers
program, Captain Harper read an ad-
dress from Capt. SAINT Kirkpatrick OF
/ Greensboro. N c., which teemed with
the humor that is characteristic OF
the veteran revenue service agent and
| Voc Hlled with amusement and good