The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-05-27
HESOLDIERIKNEW BEST

bod CASTOR. in the Topeka Capital.
Coming across Statehouse square
yesterday afternoon / met a bunch of
bent and stumbling old men. Their
heads were white with the frost of
years and there wasn't a straight back
nor an erect pair of shoulders in the lot.
They were ordinary looking old cod
gers. gnarled by toll and hardships and
CARRIED in the Sunday regalia OF the
rural community. Z noted In passing
that the lapel of each mans coat bore
a little bronze button. / knew the but
ton was there before my eyes sought
1t. / a tell an old soldier as far as
1 ian see him. There is about every
soldier some salient thing-some subtle
individual characteristic which distin-
cuisines him from other elderly men and
which defies the art Of INSTALLATION. 1
knew none of the old men in the party
or four or five. They passed without
needing me. But as I came abreast of
them l involuntarily stood at attention
and saluted the bronze button and the
men who wore it / am not much
given to sentimental display. The we'll
spring of my enthusiasm never gushes.
But the little bronze button and the
men entitled to wear 1t are q part OF
the memory of my life. And having
paid this passing tribute to them, /
am minded to make brief reference to
the simple annals OF the soldier l knew
best.
The soldier I knew best enlisted
when he was 10. His discharge papers
lie before me as 1 write. They show
that he was mustered into the service
at Springfield. ILL.,. in August. 1851, and
that he finally was mustered out at
brownsville, Tex. in March, 1855.
Between the two dates there were
something more than four years N
4 atuhf w nr ~ -~--. -~Z
biyouac, broken only by q furlough OF
W weeks in the winter OF 1868. For
four years, eight months and some odd
Gays he was internationally q unit in
the broad mark at which opposing arm
les shot. In the intervals between ne
strenuous periods of a soldiers business
he fought fever, thirst, hunger and the
elements. protected from their on
slaughts only by a dog" tent, or the
canopy of the skies above him. He
enlisted from a farm and went into the
army q strong, rugged, hearty youth.
lie came out q broken reed. have
often heard him say he never knew a
SICK day before he went Into the army.
nor a we'll one after he came out Of
1t. For 10 years before he died he was
unable to turn his hand to even the
lighter occupations of life
celebrate no hero here. The soldier
1 knew best was q plain man, and. as
VIC WoIio measures achievement. an
srmn-ossAai one ne went into the
porai. The civil war. doubtless. could
have been fought and won Without
him. He had not even the d~istturrSon
norsnnan ainong oaa soioieEs az having
He wasn't at Gettysburg at all I
never heard him boast Of any parricr-
lar achievement although. urttl ira
Gay OF MS death. the civil WIZ was his
-. eopic q conVersatIoa L was
,o,or : sLsaea 20 sQeak az his
.sSoune Re storfss x the
70 M .saoalHsa- ~ Snaf the war
q nI.ir 80 = - sp9saa1 llslasnr 6
: pra LII agMaruN aSa- Ira LIST CT
Tas ~ en.cn sne solo1sr a1aw aest
rs 20 snsassu AS neslaer 80 lang aar
no.;.a N@I WITCH stands ap-
was az nenaiass a1oSaer Re
TicI IosSou AIL aenry and At
n - Win Oia Gsan- He Vas
80 !" oass at Shiloh
,1.as So ok Az re
sra,rd ~ n TIE operations
wbsnh -. .aasaa1uoog Egt q
No .aa1sa LES a.d 1eS- and 10
@ = Lnoss lnrliAsng O bis army ca
We, VII me 2 a. asTcsts Rzvsr-
49,. Aao iAILss reseZs16s TO tie
IIt 4,as y. aalsn,s RiTeF IN war hss.c-T-
| R,t :. a, n ]. ne miner enggsIszsz
: $3.50 seemed TO me b soEdse-
new pest was more closely i6eas5aes
IN 49, l ~asn ~ olasr engagslsnt
TO- ne fought never grew
49, - nsaIing nana ten how his de-
tanea rssamaenI e q Dis
2 mics pe1ore striking TIE
ensIny anG then lost 24o men. killed
AHo "ounoeo. In so minutes
"
0nsse ~ Ihs month OF august the
ts as % winch the soldier I knew
Dest marched two days with
oGI Ndk6x. 102 A5EEiEEfyyDs =Eessn1 SO =