The Washington times., 1911-07-12

| Three ume-Scarred veterans OF the
| civil war fought the battle of Fort
Stevens over again as they walked to-
| gether amid the scenes made historic
by the thrilling events OF fOrty-seven
years ago, yesterday, when Washing
ton was at the mercy OF Jubal Early
and his Confederate soldiers.
Their hairs have been silvercd by the
passing years. Their step is not as
| martial as IN the days when
they were mess mates in old Com
pany e, Of the 1S9th Pennsylvania
Regiment, of Wheatons Brigade, and
were hurried as a part OF the
gallant Sixth Corps to the defense OF
the threatened Capital. But the ardor
Of their fighting days was IN their eyes,
and time has not dimmed the memory
of things that crimsoned with mems
blood the fields of Brightwood.
These three musketeers Of old Com
pany E were Wesley George, who lives
at 1O2 Tenth street southeast, and is
employed in the Agricultural Depart
ment; Sylvester F. Hildebrand. who
was orderly sergeant of the company,
and H. @. Owens, both OF whom live
in Apollo, Pa. and have been IN
Washington as guests of their former
comrade in arms. 1t needed but the
presence of another to make the re-
uion complete-Samuel Gray. who lives
in Lake City. Mich. But they had re-
ceived a letter from SAM" as they
affectionately called him, and in it he
had written his recollecuons Of that
little affair at Fort Stevens on July
II, 1864.
Sans Letter.
Sam writes that he Is growing DID,"
said Comrade Wesley George, as he un-
folded the letter to read its contents on
the field whereon occurred the scenes
and incidents it recalled. He says:
You know. I never did much when we
were together but to look for some
thing to eat" whereat the three
musketeers laughed heartily.
There was never anything wrong
with Sans appetite chuckled Comrade
Owens. Remember, after we had left
our position on the left of the line In
front of Petersburg, and marched to
City Point, to take the transports for
Washington? Why, that boy wasn't
thinking half so much about the Job
ahead of us as he was about something
for his stomach. And then, when we
GIL SOl SCdSlCkB was Sam SICK IKE tn6
rest Of US? No. While we were lying
about the deck and wishing for king
dom come, Sam was racing about the
boat rustling grub that none Of us could
eat: Good old Sam! Too bad he isn't
with us today"
What Sam Did.
When Sam says in that letter he
never did much. let me tell you he did
considerable" put in Comrade Hide
brand. See that pump over yonder
near the Blair house, where our skir-
mish line was? Sam was right near that
point on the line, and he was mighty
busy. I'll bet he fired fully $50 shots.
1t was at that pump Milt Richards, or
derby sergeant Of Company H, was
picked off by a Confederate sharpshoot-
er as Milt was drawing some water for
the boys in the trenches"
Sam speaks Of Milt's death in this
letter." said Private Owens. Here is
what he writes: You remember the
Richards brothers. The younger one,
Quill. was killed some time before in
one of the battles in the bloody Grant
And you say that Milt Rich
ards is the only one of our regiment
who is buried at the fort. and that the
two men Of our company killed there, |
Hugh Kerr and Graves Risher, were
not buried there, but that you found |
their graves over in Arlington? Hugh |
Kerr was shot near the Blair house. |
He, you know, was in the Division |
Sharpshooters. and that is how it came
did not see him wounded. Owens and
of the company, carried |
him off the field
There were tears in tho eyes of the |
three old comrades at the memory of |
these things the letter recalled, for in |
the very shadow of where they sat the |
BODY Of their dead comrade lies buried |
IN Battle Ground Cemetery.
Il have often wondered If that big |
voiced Johnnie that used to Joke with |
is from the Confederate line is still |
alive" said Comrade George, as If to |
break the spell Of sadness that had set
tied over the little group You re-
member when we got down to business
along that picket fence. there was a |
fellow in the rebel trench along the |
-idEe IN front Of it holIered out to us:
Hello, old Sixth Corps! Where -
lid you come from? We all thought |
hat you all were at Petersburg
The Surprised Johnnies.
The three old messmates laughed loud |
md heartily at the recollection of the |
Incident
They were :he most surprised army |
If Johnnies in the war when they found |
hat we were right There in front of |
hem. Before we got here they had |
1nly to walk over few clerks from the |
War Department, and some condemned |
Yankees from the invalid corps, and |
light into the city," said Comrade Hill
iebrand.
AS Sam says in his letter." laughed !
George, "a change seemed to
,onle over the spirit of their Dreams