White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-01-09

came to be known was adopted.
The day the recruits assembled
at Smethport, April Is, 1861,
James Landregan, member of the
Mexican County Rifles, while pass
ing a meat market where deer's
carcass was on display, cut off
the animals tail, stuck it in his
hat and proceeded to headquar-
tiers. Thomas L. Kane, who later
became a general, observed the
bucks tail and selling upon the
idea, announced that the force he
was recruiting should be known
as the Bucktails. Within short
time the deers carcass was di.
vested of it's hide which was cut
into strips to resemble buck tails
and attached to their caps.
After marching over the noun
tains the Mexican and Elk county
troops joined those of Cameron
county at Emporium and contin-
ued their march to Driftwood on
the Sinnemahoning, branch Of
the SuSQuenanna river.
Rats had been constructed Of
lumber for their journey down the
Susquehanna to Lock Haven. And
on April %, 1861, the forces num-
bering 315 men embarked and at
Lock Haven boarded train for
Harrisburg where they were mus
tered into service
Visitors to the state capitol at Har.
risburg, Pa, can see in the cases
which hold the battered ensigns OF
the Keystone state regiments that OF
the One Hundred Fiftieth Pennsyl
vania Rifles, a flag which has an in
teresting history. During the battle
of Gettysburg the "Bucktails" were
forced to abandon their position on
Seminary Ridge and fall back into the
town. During this retreat the wound
his comrades and the flag fell into the
hands of the Confederates. Later it
was presented to President Jefferson
Davis, and was found among his effects
when he was captured in 1865, and in
1869 it was restored to the state Of
Pennsylvania.
In the city Of Alexandria, Va, lives
the sole survivor now Of the 600 or
700 Alexandrians who fought with the
Confederates. He is Edgar Warfeld,
member of Company Fl, Seventeenth
Virginia regiment, known as the Old
Dominion Rifles.
Last year also saw the passing of
an even more famous "last survivor
of the "Lost Cause" For when Mai.
Charles M. Stedman died on Septem-
Der %, $780, the Congress of the
United States lost it's sole survivor
Of the Civil war serving our national
legislature. Up until recent years
there were number of Civil war vet.
Grams, both those who wore the Blue
and those who wore the Gray in both
houses Of congress. But the last
decade saw the number cut down
steadily until 1925 when there were
only three left. In that year Gen
] Isaac Sherwood Of Ohio retired tc
private life at the age of ninety and
his departure marked the passing OF
the last Union veteran from the
house Of representatives. In 1926
! Senator Francis Warren of Wyoming
| died and the last Union veteran was
| gone from the senate. And last yeal
| the death of Major Stedman of NORTH
Carolina removed not only the last
| Confederate veteran but also the last
| Civil war veteran on either side from
both houses.
Major Stedman was born January
20, 1S41, in Pittsboro, N. c., and en-
tered the University Of North Caro-
lima at the age of sixteen. He wa:
graduated from the university in 1856,
and received his diploma, but before
held he had responded to a call fo
volunteers and enlisted as a privat,
in the Fayetteville Light Infantr,
company which was a part of tn,
First North Carolina Cor Bethel
regiment. Upon the disbanding O
this regiment he joined compan,
from Chatham county, rose to tn,
rank of lieutenant, then captain an,
finally major. He served in the arm,
of Gen. Robert u. Lee throughout tn
war and was present at the histori
surrender at Appamattox. Majo
Stedman was wounded three time
during the war but survived hi
wounds to become lawyer and to b.
elected from the Greensboro distric
of North Carolina to the Sixty-secon,
congress 20 years ago.
10 by Western Newspaper Uaion.l