Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-05-29
JAMES VAN HORN
UNABLE To COME
To DEDICATION
Brother of Donor Writes of
FamiIy's Proud War
Record.

NCSUi us
James Van Horn, now a rancher in
Montana, cannot be in Newark tomor-
row., when the statue of Abraham Lin
coin, the gift to the city of his brother,
the late Amos II. Van Horn, is UNI
yelled. In the following personal letter
to former President Roosevelt, who is
to dedicate the statue. Mr.. Van Horn
outlines the interesting history of his
family, and explains the reasons for his
absence:
Grand View Ranch, Five Miles 5. W.
Poison, Mont, May Is, 1911.
The Hon. Theo. Roosevelt:
Dear Com-ado and Friend notice
in a Newark, N. J., paper that you had
very kindly accepted an invitation
from the executors of my late brothers
estate to make the principal address on
Memorial Day at the dedication of q
monument of the late President Lin
coin in memory Of Lincoln Post No. II,
q. A. r., Department of New Jersey,
of which he was a charter member,
and of which | am proud to say that l
was past commander in 1909.
Il do not feel that ] am writing to
an entire stranger in writing to you,
as l well remember your very able ad-
dress at Antietam, Md, at the dedica-
ton of a monument to the New Jersey
troops who fought there, and when 1t
commenced TO rain you talked right on.
and made the remark that we did not
melt when there in 1862, n you did
not think we would now.
u also recollect when we passed in
review, / said to you 'Murphy's COM
pany,' and you took my hand and said
God bless you, and L will never for
get it.
81 do not like to trouble you with a
long letter, but will give you a few
brief facts of our family. OF course,
o m WI are from Holland stock,
and our ancestors settled in New Jer-
seN. Ny mother was a Hull, and in
ia late Adjutant-Genera Stockton's
history of NeN Jersey troops in the
Revolution you will find the names of
Van Horns n Hulls. and we are en-
titled to join the Sons and Daughters
of the Revolution.
"ThiG history Is in the Newark, n. j.,
library, which, by the way, is not a
Carnegie librar..
-Four of us brothers were engaged
in the Civil War. The third oldest,
Brother John, enlisted in the Second
New Jersey Regiment in 1861. three
years. at 10 years of age, was captured
in the second Bull Run battle. which
proved disastrous TO Kearny's First
New Jersey Brigade. and he died of
chronic diarrhoea at Is years and 6
months. NJ Oldest brother, Edward,
Nent out in the fall of 81 IN Beams
Battery B., First New Jersey Artillery,
afterwards Clark's. which did such eff
fective service at Gettysburg, Pa, on
the left of the line.
II was the third to enlist, in Company
a, thirteenth New Jersey, August. 50
TO IS, the sars- company with ex-Gov-
ernor Murphy, who was a corporal
at that time.
Edward was never we'll after the
war. and died at rs years of age.
Amos was the last to enlist in the
T~wenty-sixth New Jersey. | had a
younger brother, but he was too young,
and I nave no doubts but what he
would have been in also. I am the last
of the i've brothers. I was 81 years old
the last of April. and l am well and
full of hope and ambition. with a
Young mans visions. and I am pushing
the farm for all that 1t is worth. We
are having fine showers here and crops
are looking good and expect a great
harvest.
what brought me out here? In
1909 Mrs. Van Horn and myself were
on a visit to the Seattle Fair. Portland,
San Francisco and the G. A. r. en-
ra az Cali ToEa Cifx- ard va
stopped off at SPOKANE. They were
opening lands in the Flathead Indian
reservation. so l registered by proxy,
being a soldier, and her / got home
in August in that year. l received n
card from Superintendent Witten that
1 had drawn No. 25S out Ct the 6,OO0
numbers that were issued, and l
thought that looked too good to pass
by, and l have a fine ranch.
Poison, at the foot of F1athead
Lake, vas opened as a town site in
1903. Now has a population Of over
1000 and is still growing.
Three banks, three churches. cleo
trio lights and water. and / would
rather be here in the Flathead on the
farm this summer than in the best
hotel in Atlantic City.
Il would dearly love to be with you
at the dedication and with my post,
but cannot 'ery well leave.
II have permission from the land
ONCE 20 leave from January ! to March
10, and went to Newark, and do not
like TO ask again.
Il can prove up July :. The four
teen months will be up.
Hoping God will continue to guide
and bless you, l remain, yours. F. C.
and l..
(Signed)
JAMES VAN HORN