Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-04-22

her sons fought in the civil war, four
teen on the side of the North and two
on the side of the Confederacy. Few
cases parallel to this can be found in
all history.
Mrs Brandon recently celebrated her
109th birthday anniversary and thus
from the standpoint Of longevity, as
we'll as Of motherhood is a remarkable
woman. Her maiden name was Sarah
Barker and she was born in 1901 near
Pipe Creek, Ohio, where she has re-
sided all her life. At the age of 10
she was married to Charles Brandon,
who took part in the Mexican war.
In 1856 Brandon died, leaving his
widow with twenty-three children, six
teen of whom were boys. When the
civil war broke out all of the sons en-
listed, fourteen of the brothers going
into the Union army and two with the
Confederates In one battle, that Of
Bull Run, the two brothers on the Con-
federate side were pitted against five
Of their Union brothers.
Hiram Brandon, the oldest son, Is
now past SO years of age and is resi-
dent of Bella1re, Ohio. The youngest
is a resident of Belmont county and
exhibits seventeen bullet wounds, hav'
ing taken part in seventy-two battles,
skirmishes of scouting expeditions
under General Sherman.
Those who find in the use of tobacco
an argument against longevity Will
meet with no support for their view in
the case Of Mrs. Brandon. Early in
life she formed the tobacco habit and
uses a large quantity daily, both for
chewing and smoking. Never during
her life has she worn a hat, her only
head covering being a sunbonnet. Not
withstanding her great age she is still
able to get around and drives to town
several times week to purchase
household supplies. Last fall she was
thrown from q buggy in runaway
accident, but picked herself up and
walked to her home, a mile distant.
Every three months she travels to the
county seat for the purpose Of drawing
the pension of $12 allowed her by the
government
The photograph Of Mrs. Brandon is
in the natural history gallery at Co,
lumbus and also in the Hall of Honor
at Washington, D. c., as mark of
respect for her having furnished the
largest number of sons for the civil
war Each of the sixteen sons mar
ried when young and was blessed with
large family It Is intended to hold
big reunion at her home the COM
ing summer, when several hundred
relatives and friends will assemble
to pay honor to this remarkable wo>
man. .,
Gould Do Everything But Fight.
We had in the Twenty-third Ohio
(Hayes' regiment) a quaint old char
acter-an enlisted musician-Whose
name l would not mention for any
thing. Just before the battle OF South
Mountain he came to me and asked me
to step aside with him a moment. /
did so, and he said: MY God, Ma
ior, | am a coward! I did not know it.
[ thought l could help the country,
and, though 1 was past 45, and needn't
to. enlisted Now | have found that
| can't 20 into a fight! l can't, Ma
ior, if you should kill me! I shall
be disgraced, and all the folks at home
will know it. | can never hold my
head up again if 1 try to go into this
fight Can't you do something for me?
Give me something to do that Amt
fighting and I'll do anything. Oh, for
Major thinlz of sonnet hing
and save me from disgrace!"
The poor fellow was half frantic IN
his earnestness. I thought a moment
and said: A, do you think you
could carry water for the men while
they are fighting? 1t is going to be an
awful hot day, and a canteen Of fresh
water will be about the greatest luxury
the men could have under fire. Can
YOU carry water for them?' ooh,
yes! Thank you, Major" Well, now,
in the thlckest of that fight, Wher he
regiment lost within eight men Of ( t
that went into action, old A would
come to the front loaded down with
canteens, delivering them, and taking
I'D the empty ones along the line. Be-
tween DayOuSI CudI 5GS Tic IIlCIi "CI <
hugging the ground like a long-lost
brother, under such a storm OF mimic
balls as did not seem to leave any un-
occupied space in the air. Old A
would prance down the line delivering
canteens to the painting men without
any more sense Of fear than the
bravest man in the army, until his last
canteen Of water was gone, then he
would give a wild yell and bolt for
the rear as if the devil was after him.
Brig Gen Comfy III National Trib-
une.
Power of Music.
In the early spring Of 1858, when the
Confederate and Federal armies were
confronting each other on the opposite
hills of Stafford and Spottsylvania,
two bands CHANGED one evening, al the
same hour, to begin to discourse sweet
music on either bank Of the river.