The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-05-19
Col. Keigwin Puts History OF Popu-
lar Regiment Into Manuscript
for Preservation.
IN CAMP AND ON THE MARCH.
Liquid Courage in Face of Advance
of Morgan's Raiders Near
Jacksonville.

Colonel James Keigwin, VINO succeeded
John w Ray as colonel. the latter re-
signing in June, 1862, and kelSwln
continuing colonel till the close OF the
war. In his reminiscent talk Colonel
Keigwin has much to say OF the part
which Jacksonville played in the
great contest, and of early military life
ia Clark county, and'he weaves in
number of amusing incidents. not only
bearing directly on regimental expert
ences, but alonS other lines. For IN
stance, when the draft was ordered Iii
Clark county, DR.. William F. Collum
was examining surgeon TO whom
every man wanting exemption from
military duty was compelled to report
DR.. Collum kept a dairy of his exam
nations, and it is of record In the
department at Washington, that, as
Keigwin says. there were more able
6odied. unsound men under Al years
Of age than can now be found on the
same number of square miles on the
face of the globe" and if zone should
search the catalogue of all diseases to
which the human race is heir. they
will be found duplicated in that rec
crd."
Prohibifionisfs Imbibed Courage.
When the Morgan raid struck In
diana every able-bodied man in JEFF
fersonville was ordered out, formed
in companies. provided with arms and
equipments. and set to guard the pike
leading from Charlestown, over which
Morgan was supposed to be marching.
Among them were two staid citizens,
s. 3. Diffendeffer and Isaac Gather
The latter was a pronounced prohibit
zionist and an earnest Methodist. Dill
fendeffer had filled his canteen with
something more substantial than water
at the contents when he discovered
that Gather was looking at him. Com
mon courtesy demanded that Gather
should be invited to join, and TO Diff
fendeffer's intense surprise the invi-
tation was accepted with alacrity
After taking long and strong pull
at the canteen Gathers courage be-
gan to be demonstrative, and he raised
his gun to an aim, pointed steadily
down the Charlestown pike, and shout
ed in stentorian tones. John Morgan,
if you are ever coming, come right
now," Morgan failed TO report
After service in West Virginia the
regiment was transferred to the west,
and the steamer bearing the boys
anchored in front of Jacksonville for
tie night, with instructions from the
Secretary of War that no furloughs
should be issued. Many of them were
in sight of their homes. and, as a re-
suit, they stole overheard. spending
the night in "Old Jeff,' and reporting
the next morning. while the steamer
was passing through the canal at the
falls. Lieutenant Thomas Barr, of
Company B, was officer of the guard.
and al the canal many relatives and
friends came to visit their loved ones,
who were barred from leave of alb
sence. Among them was Mrs. William
and as Lieutenant Barr was assisting
her on the steamer he let go his grasp
of the infant, and 1t fell into the
water between the boat and the canal.
Without a seconds hesitation Barr
sprang to the rescue. without even
throwing aside his sword. He saved
the child. but at great risk of his life
When the regiment went into action
some months later at Chickasaw
Bluffs, the father of the little one was
killed
Marriage as Military Necessity.
When the steamer bearing the Forty
ninth infantry was steaming down the
river Colonel Keigwin discovered that
two young women had disobeyed the
order to leave the boat at New Al
many, and they explained that their
sweethearts were members of the regi-
ment, and they had concluded to re-
main aboard till Memphis was reach
ed, when they would be married
Keigwin demonstrated. but in vain.
The young women were determined.
After thinking over the matter and
finding it impossible to secure mar
riage license, and further encouraged
| by the fact that all laws at that time
were in a chaotic condition as to en-
| forcement, he concluded to issue an
| order directing the chaplain to marry
| the two couples, ION the ground of
military necessity" and the chaplain
pronounced the ceremony after first
securing a copy of the order, so as to
protect himself, he said, in case his
conference called for bill of particu-
lars. The young wives then remained
| aboard till Memphis was reached.
| Eighteen months after this wedding
on board the steamer. by which time
| the husbands and their regiment had
wandered into Texas. one of the men
received a letter from his young wife
| saying that after thinking the matter
on the steamer was illegal. and as she
| had found a man she liked better she
had married him Still later the other
wife concluded that she had not been
| legally married. and she found an
! other life companion. This impressed
/ OOlJUtl III lldl Is q
military necessity, had its disadvan
tages. although ne always did think
that the union would have stuck" had
| il been appealed TO the courts.
Novel Excuse Accepted.
The Forty-ninth infantry served al
/ through the central southern states
participating in many campaigns anC
in a number of 'hard-fought battles and
! Col. Keigwin recalls that at the time
of the first long rolf a man in the
first file of tours" in Company \ wa.
under the impression that regiment
went into a fight 'endways." and a.
the front files fell the others closed III
till all were killed or wounded, or the
enemy was driven off the field A
this particular time this particular sol
der turned up missing, but he was
found at the rear Of the last company
where he explained that he was afraiC
that the enemy might tackle us a
t'other end" and so he got back there
| in order TO be in at the death Tn