The Washington herald., 1912-01-28
GEN. ISAAC R. SHERWOOD, OF OHIO,
is APICTURESQUE VETERAN In CONGRESS
Advocate of New Pension Legislation for
Civil War Survivors Re,ateS Many
Anecdotes of Great Struggle.


They are entitled to It. though they
We're soldiers but short time. The
veteran OF Bull Run who survived and
served to the end Of the war will receive
no more.
THE criticisms heard during the sum-
mer of 1907 caused me. therefore, TO
write a bill that made service and not
age pensionable. Men who had been SOL
diers or sailors for eighteen months were
to be paid 81 day. But could get no
hearing for the measure. reintroduced
It the next Congress. 1t made some i'm
preston. but action was refused. Mean
while, the Democrats had carried the
House OF Representatives. 1 rewrote the
bill in more confidence than 1 had ever
felt before. Soldiers and sailors who had
served for ninety days and less than six
months were allowed $l5 month; those
who had served six months and less than
nine months were allowed $50: those who
had served nine months and less than a
year were allowed SIS. and those who had
served a year or more were allowed $50.
or 81 day. The bill passed. am happy
to say. and II it gets through the Senate
1t will be signed by the President.
The Revolution Was n SkIrmIsh.
The only objection I have heard to
the measure is on the score OF economy.
A tremendous sum, it is said, will be
drawn from the public treasury. We are
inclined to forget, however, that the pen
sions are to be paid TO the men who
fought and won the greatest war in
history. We speak Of the Revolution with
reverence. Both OF my grandfathers and
one Of MY great-grandfathers were SOL
diers in that memorable contest. It was
a great struggle between liberty and
tyranny and 1 am not depreciating the
valor, the sacrifices, or the sufferings
OF the American patriots. But the civil
war and the Revolutionary war may be
Hkened to a battle and a skirmish.
Take the historic engagement at
Brandywine, for instance. on September
II, 17T7. By the figures of the War De-
partment, it was the bloodiest Of all OF
the contests between Great Britain and
the colonies. Howe had an army OF
lAOOO men. Washington commanded II 900
Americans. Lafayette was wounded in
the leg, and for two months afterward
was nursed by the Moravian Brethren
at Bethlehem. Gen. Nathaniel Green
marched his brigade OF reserves five miles
in forty-ftve minutes and prevented the
rout of Washlngton's army. It was q
brilliant achievement. The Americans
brought Into action a strange cannon.
made by William Deming, an ingenious
blacksmith, Of four layers OF wrought
iron slaves, hooped with bands OF the
same HHtlAl Inc cannon was captured,
taken to England as a trophy and
curiosity, and can be seen to this day in
the Tower Of London. It was a mighty
and a picturesque battle. Washington
oUtmaneuvered Howe, and though he was
technically defeated, so historians assert,
he saved his army and displayed remark
able generaliship. Chevalier DuportalI, a
military engineer. engaged in France by
Benjamin Franklin, participant OF the
battle, said that If the English had fol-
lowed up their advantage that day Wash
ington's army would have been spoken
Of no more
Brandywine Was Not Bloody.
"BraHdywine, celebrated in song and
story, quickens the heart beats OF all
Americans, and will live forever in our
literature and memories. But only 800
patriot soldiers gave up their lives on
that occasion, and only LOO were counted
among the wounded or missing. The old
l1lth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which /
commanded for several years, numbered
lO0O men when 1t was sent TO the front |
Eighty-five recruits were received while
IT was in the field. OF the lbs men
serving from first to last. "a were dis
charged for disabilities, 200 died in camp,
and 2S2 were killed in battle or fatally
wounded on the firing line Ny one
regiment really suffered greater losses
than did WashingtOn's whole force at
Brandywine. 1 refer to Brandywine that
you may get the right proportions, ap-
proximately, Of the terrible war between
the North and South. Brandywine was
bloody. but $50 battles of the civil war
were bloodier.
The Revolution lasted seven years.
Fifty-five battles and skirmishes were
fought, totaling a loss in killed OF l.TSs
men. More than 81, 900 men were killed
in the 2,255 battles Of the civil war. and
$4,000 died of wounds or diseases York
town, and the name is Immortal, defended
by Washington, Rochambeau. and a fleet
Of French warshlps, cost the Americans
$50 men, killed. wounded, and missing.
The Federal losses at Gettysburg aggre- |
gated 1922 men-a,072 were killed, 80 died
of their injuries, and 14,400 were wounded
or missing. The fatalities OF that single
battle were just 740 less than were the
fatalities Of the Revolution, the war of
1872, and the Mexican war combined.
A new generation Of Americans have
come to manhood and womanhood since
the year 1855. They are voting, talking, !
reading, and creating public opinion. 1t
is well. for them, I think, to be reminded
Of the titantic contest between the Fed
erals and Confederates by which the
unity of the nation was preserved The
old soldier merits neither ridicule nor
scorn. As n fighting man, his equal in |
courage, endurance, and patriotism has
never yet lived on this earth.
SherwOod's Greatest battle.
Which was the deac1iesr battle coming |
within my own experience, you .asky
Franklin, seventeen miles southwest OF |
Nashville, and fought on November 30. |
1854, between SchohsId and Hood. We lost
2,S25 men; the Confederates $50 Gen
Grant said II was a very desperate and
sanguinary' fight. 1t was. we buried |
I,750 Confederates on the battle field and
gave surgical attention to 3sQO OF their
wounded at our hospitals. More C,onfed- |
crate officers were killed than at either |
Chattanooga or Gettysburg. NY regiment
held the front of the line and sustained |
the main attack of the enemy About /
half of the men were in locust grove |
Two hundred Of the trees. large around |
as a mans thigh, were shot down and |
fell on the ground. Nevertheless. my
regiment charged the enemy time and I
again. We crossed bayonets' with the !
Confederates, to use the language OF a /
general order of compliment written on /
the field OF battle, ana fired SO rapidly |
that many of our muskets grew so not
that they could not be handled In all
we used 2cO rounds of ammunition. The
I11th lost 50 per cent OF its men that day."
Every soldier" said, must go into /
battle with considerable fear and more
or less trembling?"
Not IL he is a Presbyterian" Gen.
Sherwood Immediately answered. 'I am |
a Presbyterian, and believe in predesti-
nation. That substantial old doctrine Of