Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-02

hat by some mysterious device and
companying the veteran is his twin
brother. s. A. Campbell. who 10 less con-
spicuously dressed. The two Of them en-
listed together and fought together
yet they said yesterday they had come
especially to hunt for an uncle who had
fought at the battle Of Gettysburg.
Col. Thomas s. Hopkins, head Of the
District camp. is the guest of the Penn
sylvania commission. with headquarters
In the Gettysburg College buildings. He
is In camp. however. each day.
When the entire quota of governors ar
rive there will be twenty-five on hand.
Gov. Sulzer Of New York has little
camp all to himself for his staff Of nifty
seven.
Capt William E. Miller of the Sd Penn
sylvania Cavalry is in camp and Is proba-
bly, the only man who ever received a
congressional medal as the result OF a
disobedience of orders. He was told to
stay in one spot with his command dur
ing the battle of Gettysburg, hut he saw a
column of the enemy advancing toward a
vital weakness in the Union lines He dis
obeyed orders. drove the column back and
was reprimanded terrifcally-and got q
medal of honor.
Jacob Heater of California. youth of
eighty. wearing a gray uniform, strolled
through the District camp today with a
canteen on his arm. 1t was rusty, bat
tered and as old any war relic ever
seen.
II picked this up he explained. while
l was chasing some Of you fellows right
across this field here during the battle.
It's got name on 1t. William Stemple'
have never been back to Gettysburg
since we left 1t fifty years ago hRve
kept this canteen all this time and l was
hoping to find Bill Stemple and hand 1t
back to him."
Veterans from the state of Washington.
$50 strong. arrived here In a special train
equipped with a travelling hospital, doc
tors and nurses, and not a man sick. OF
the entire number all but sixteen fought
on the Union side in the battle Of Gettys-
burg In the delegation is the man who
claims to have fired the first shot In the
battle. He is Col. W. H. Rugg. an ex-
cavalryman, now of Orting. Wash.
"A reminiscence of old Washington war
days, and the assassination of President
lincoln. Is recalled by the presence here
Of Ed A. Stevens of Minnesota.
He was in Berryville, Va, with the list
Minnesota Infantry early in the war.
The town was deserted at the approach
OF the regiment, and one OF the indus
tries Of the town which was left in the
midst of activities was the local print
shop and weekly newspaper. Stevens in
yestigated and found that the editor and
his staff. including printers and press
men. had left with a paper only two
days off from press time. Stevens went to
the commanding officer and said:
II used to be a newspaper man my
self. Why don't you let me get that pa
per out with a lot of union news to off,
set the Confederate stuff that's in type
already
and it is probably the only newspaper
half Confederate and half Union. It has
editorial paragraphs biting sharply at
the north. and the next paragraph an
swers 1t with the same sharpness Mr..
Stevens has copy in camp with him.
Later Stevens was in charge of the War
Department printing shop and got out
the first government circular offering a
reward for Booth after Lincoln was shot
Some of the old fellows love to get of
on the quiet and have reunion not
down on the programs. Two Of these
came wandering back to camp early this
morning, singing war songs in cracked
voice and minor key The sun was just
peeping over the horizon:
Wed better hurry said one, ''there's
the moon coming up. and 1t will be dark
before we get to our tents"
That's the sum-" explained his COM
panion. I'VE have been out all night
That's the moon"
Its the sum-"
Its the MOON
Its the SUM-
well. let's leave it to that regular
appealed to to decide whether the IL
Elimination on the horizon was Old Sol
or his sister, Luna. The regular ought
to be In the diplomatic service, despite his
twenty years of youth.
Il don't know which it is myself" he
said. Pm stranger around these parts.
l haven't been here since the battle"
There's little brass cannon about two
feet long out in front Of the tent &C.
cupied by Joseph Trax. veteran of unu-
sual activity. Trax was Clusters orderly
throughout part of the war and wears
the flaming, enormous red necktie that
all old Custer men show at an encamp-
ment like this. Trax was member OF
Company B. I'd West Virginia Cavalry.
He brought with him a suit case full Of
gun powder This morning. dreaming
dreams Of war. he rushed out and fired
the piece. which had been loaded with an
enormous charge at shutdown, after he
had fired voluntary sunset gun. He
veterans around him all happened to be
of the gray suited sort and they yipped
out the rebel yell and raised Cain gen.
orally. until all hands found out that 1t
was only half past 3.
a cannon shot is always like a good
stin drink to a southerner, said Trax,
1T rallies them. A musket shot doesn't
effect them bit but a cannon shot
brings them around like hornets"
Trax's cannon Is a unique instrument
of noise The owner and manufactures
has attended thirtytwo G. A. r. encamp-
ments and has always carted away a
lot of souvenirs, which he melted up and
cast into the famous little gun. He says
1t contains four pounds of brass buttons,
three division bugles, four regimental
bugles two brass drum rims. forty-four
United States infantry buckles. thirty-six
United States cavalry buckles, two brass
keys said to have come from Ford s
Theater in Washington, five spears of in
fantry flags. three eagles of cavalry
flags two eagles of division flags. thirty
three pairs of spurs, twenty-four copper
cents. one hundred and four Spencer car
bine cartridges thirteen caps from shells,
four pounds of artillery harness buckles,
five sleeve buttons, five metal cases from
army service watches, sixteen army