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THIRD SECTION
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Vol. VI PALLS CITY, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1909. Number 50
Marching Through Georgia
ii 111 | iimiiniii ii i I, t -3r—niiwiwff’rg-^aMa—' «
My J. L. CLBAVBll, Post Historian,
Hurrah, hurrah, wo shout the jubilee,
Hurrah, hurrah, the fke, that makes U3 free;
And so we’ll swell the chorus from Atlantic to the sea
While we are marching through Georgia.
Away back in the sixties, when
Micro was need of an army to prevent
toe southern slavery states from es
‘ blishing a Southern Confederacy
smith of the Mason and Dixon line,
large number of the best young
n an hood of our country; young men
Com the colleges and schools; from
• he farm, workshop, factory, office,
tiunk and business houses; doctors,
lawyers, and preachers, representing
t iery walk in life enlisted in that
uemorable army. From ’61 to ’65
-iiider the leadership of able generals,
•they won victories on southern battle
iields that preserved us as one coun
try under one flag. "The Union for
• ter, one and undividable,” being
their battle cry. Many of them left
heir bones in southern soil; many
of them were maimed for life; but
many survived the terrible ordeal,
./ho young, able, and self confident
niter their duty to their country had
cen fulfilled, came to Nebraska, set
ied on its virgin prairies.and in forty
tars have made out* state blossom
;> the rose.
Falls City received its quota of this
.voting blood and energy. Bach year
, few of these noble men, with hair
whitened witli age, have been laid
g< ntly to rest, their life work limn
, ully done. Of those that survive,
ione are less than sixty, many being
M-vent.y, and some of them are eighty
years old, who can he with us but
few more years.
These men keep up camradeship
d reminescences of the war through
'cir Grand Army Post in this city,
which nearly all are active mein
Vt rs.
At. their meetings many recitals are
- y.en of their individual experiences
lien a soldier and during their sub
sequent life.
.The following, a fair sample of a
soldier's experience was read bv the
ustorian of the Post, at the last moot
ing:
dr was born in Fulton County. 111 i
nis, on August 16, 181.'. His father
.is a Cambollite minister, who spent
/ ,
thy most of his time traveling over
the country from Illinois to Texas as
s. circuit rider, engaged in evangelical
-;ork. When quite young he made
t wo journeys, with his father to Tex
\f.y. but the most of his youth was
spent at his homo with his mother at
Canton, Illinois.
At the age of thirteen or fourteen
hi started out in life for himself, at
first working by the month for tarm
i >s. He learned the trade of brick
r. asott and plasterer and followed this
occupation.
On November 4. 1862, when eigh
t<nn years old, lie enlisted as a re
cruit in Company F. of the 102 Illi
nois Vol. Infantry. This regiment
had been in the servifee since Au
_ust, 1862, and lie joined this partic
ular company and regiment because
he had a cousin there. The recruits
/ r* tnained at Camp Butler, near Spring
field, until December, 1862, when they
started south to %in the regiment,at
Tftllyhome, Tenn., the trip occupying
three or four days. They traveled
in freight cars loaded with wheat.
During the day they rode on the top
of the freight cars and at night slept
on the wheat in the cars.
From here the regiment moved
south gradually, arriving at Lookout
Mountain early in February 1864.
They camped at Wauliatchio Station
until May 2, 1864, when they broke
camp and started ori the Atlantic
campaign. He had with him one suit
of clothing, a woolen blanket and a
rubber blanket and a shelter tent,
his canteen, haversack and gun. The
rubber blanket he wore when it
rained and slept on it at night,spread
ing it. and the woolen blanket on
the ground under the little shelter
tent, which was just large enough for
two soldiers to crawl into and lay
down. It was only high enough for
them to sit up in.
His regiment was armed with the
Spencer rifle, which was the best
magazine gun used by the Union Ar
my during the war, and but few regi
ments \\*t>re so armed, most all other
✓guns being muzzle loaders and single
shooters. Because they were so
armed, they were kept much of the
time on the skirmish line in the ad
vance of the army.
On the night of May 10, he was
taken off the skirmish line, and al
lowed to rest until the next morning,
which was Sunday. At about 10
o'clock his regiment was pushed to
the front and formed in line. Here
they unslung their knapsacks, piled
them up in company piles, and placed
a guard over them. This was the
last he ever saw of his knapsack.
A valley was between them and the
rebel works at Resacea, which was
on the crest of a hill just beyond
them. Pine trees covered the hill
side and masked them from the rebel
fTosition while they were fixing bay
onets and getting ready to advance,
lie heard General Hooker tell Goner
el Butterfield, who was their com
mander. that he wanted them to cap
ture those rebel guns in the redoubt
on the hill, and go as much further
its possible.
This battery of four guns in the
redoubt \v:is about six hundred yards
away. As soon us they emerged from
the shelter of the pine trees, the re
doubt opened on them. They went
down into the valley of a little gully
or ditch, then across the open space,
and then up the steep hillside, run
ning, yelling and firing until they
were under the guns, lie vas prob
ably thirty feel in front of the guns
when they were fired the last time.
The powder blast knocked him down,
and. rolled him over and over clear
down the hill. He thought he was
done for. hut when he got up he
found he was not much hurt, lie
ran up the hill again and into the
redoubt, which his regiment had
captured and taken possession of.
This position was covered by guns in
other rebel lint's of works about
seventy-five yards off, whose fire was
so fierce they could not slay in the
redoubt, or use the captured guns,
hut had to lay low in the ditch, in the
meantime keeping up a steady fire
from their Spencers, while scarce
ly daring to show their heads until
nightfall. About, midnight, oeing re
inforced. they dug down the works
and with ropes pulled out the four
twelve-pound guns and took them
down the hill and into the Union liner
These were the only rebel cannon
captured by Sherman’s Army during
the Atlantic campaign, and their cap
ture made their regiment famous.
During the charge the regimental
flag was riffled with bullets, 4ml the
flag-bearer had his teeth shot out,
ltis regiment losing eighteen killed
and seventy-six wounded. Next morn
ing they buried the dead ones in
one grave. He helped pick up the
dead for that purpose. About two
o’clock the next day they started in
pursuit qf the rebel army, which had
evacuated their strong position dur
ing the night.
At liuriH iucivory i ires mis n |
merit was moved to the front battle
line. It turned out all right, but to
him it seemed one of the most, dan
gerous and scary places he got into
during the whole war. The battle
was raging fierce in the deep woods;
balls and bullets were coming fast
and thick, carrying away three tops
and cutting off limbs and leaves, and |
dropping men right and left. They ;
marched into the woods, and during j
the afternoon, passed over six lines j
of tmops, all laying down in line of]
battle, .who opened up 1 li <-i r ranks to,
let them pass to the front. A little j
in advanc ■ of the sixth line of troops,
they formed in line of battle and lay |
down, it being then about dark. That j
night it rained and he lay there all.
night. ^
During the night the rebels evaeu-!
ated their position.
At Kenesaw Mountain his regiment
was in the reserve and he just look
ed ori. They swung around tho
east side of Kenesaw anil was in tho
sharp fight at Marietta. They threw
up entrenchments vjdierever they
wi nt, often laying in them for days
and nights. When out on the skir
mish line they dug rifle pits in/ the
night, which were small holes in the
ground, with the dirt thrown out in
front, large enough to hold two or
three soldiers, and deep enough to
protect them from the bullets. They
would go out at about 11 O’clock at
night, taking rations, water and am
munition to last them twenty fore
hours, and they would stay until r«
lieved the next night.
At the battle of Peach Tree Crock
on .July 20, 1864, about noon, his
regiment drew up along the bank of
the creek and stacked their arms;
only a little ways off the skirmishers
were? engaged and the firing sharp.
It was an awful hot day.(many of the
soldiers being sunstruck). The tool
water of the creek looked so Inviting,
many of the regiment pulled off their
clothing and tumbled into the creek,
and were having a good time when
tlie skirmishers from the east came
running through the corn field yelling
that the rebels were coming, the
bullets all the while tearing through
the corn. Their officers got the men
out of the creek and into- line, many
of those in swimming not having time
to get on all their clothing before
they had to grab their guns, and by
the time they were in line the reb
els were coining out of the corn field
on the hill. His regiment in line of
battle forded the creek and started
up the bill to meet them, as they
were advancing three or four lines
deep.
They returned the rebel lire with
t’aeir Spencers, which was severe
enough to split the rebel lines, who
surged to the right and left of them.
The rebels were held hack Icy other
troops on thetr left.but those on their
right gave way and fell back three
fourths of a mile. Ilis colonel was
urged to get out of there as they
were liable to be surrounded ami
taken prisoners. Instead, however,
they turned their fire to the right and
held their position, the rebels final
ly being driven back, the battle last
ing all the afternoon.
They had nothing to eat since early
morning, and nothing to eat. at night,
and were very tired. The ground was
covered with rebel dead and wound
ed,ho laid there all night among them
Beside him lay a wounded rebel who
often called for help. lie tied up
his bandages and did what lie could
for him. but in the morning he was
dead.
Settled down in this neighborhood
for a seige of Atlanta, being in the
rifle pits or entrenchments day and
night for over a month, livery third
day he would be on the skirmish
line in the rifle pits, and then for
two days he would be back in the
main trenches, being under artillery
and musketry fire all the time.
From here ids regiment was sent
back eight or ten miles to the Chata-1
hoochee River, where they went into
camp, until Sherman flanked the reb
els out of Atlanta.
On September 2d marched through
Atlanta and camped outside of the
city, liis regiment guarding the rail
read. They broke camp about 10
o'clock one morning in November
and started on the memorable march
to the sea. His regiment moving at
a snail’s pace, owing to the slow
movements of an immense wagon
train they were guarding. They
marched all that day and night,with
out halting for supper, in the morn
ing they made a short halt for break
fast, resuming the1 inarch as soon as
the meal was finished. Marched un
til night, when tired, sleepy and hun
gry they went into camp. Marched
through a good country where
forage was plenty, fiesii polk, , llicll
pus, mutton, molasses, honey, sweet I
potatoes were brought into camp in
abundance; one company driving into
camp about thirty head of < attic
they h;ul picked up during tin- day’s
march.
t sually UK* Hue or march was in
dicated by tlic smoke of burning
buildings and cotton, only a lew pri
\aT residences were destroyed how
evi r, tis tb'iy' dealt mildly witii the
citizens.
The darkies were overjoyed to see
them and followed the army in large
numbers, showing their joy by sing
ing and dancing.
On November 2b, his regiment was
in the advance and they had the
choice of chickens and other forage
along the roadside, and at night
when they camped almost every sol
diet- was loaded with something good
to eat. A flock of sheep was discov
ered close to where they were going
to camp, and about a dozen soldiers
broke ranks and charged in on the
sIhm p. They were good at dodging,
hut so were the soldiers, and when a
sheep was caught, it invariably ear
tied the soldier to the ground with
it, amid laughter and cheers of the
whole regiment. In a short time the
sheep were all captured. When the
fun ceased, the feasting began.
Four or five soldiers were detail
ed every morning from each com
l>any, making forty or fifty from lhe
regiment, who would gallop awn.'
early in the morning across the coun
try, and away from the roads fol
lowed by the marching army. Thej
would pass the poorer looking farms,:
and dash up to the rich looking plan
tat ions, dismounting, some going to
the smokehouse, others to the kitch
en and cellar; some would tackle
the bee-hives with water and smoke,
and others dig sweet potatoes. Chick
ens, turkeys, ducks, and geese would
be caught; flour barrels emptied into
sacks and canteens filled with mol
asses.
Harkies wore easily threatened in
to disclosing the hiding places of
horses and mules. Those would be
harnessed to a wagon or carriage,the
plunder loaded up. the foragers re
joining their regiment by nightfall.
It would be distributed among the
several army messes, and feasting
would last well into the night.
In the southern part of Georgia,
they struck a swampy country.
Here teams were often mired in the
mud holes. The nights were cold,
but they built rousing camp fires of
fence rails, whit li were very plenty.
At Savannah immense quantities
of rice was found stored near the
river. Darkies were put to work
with mortar and postal hulling the
rice, and details of soldiers ran the
rice mills day and night, while a con
stant stream of wagons were engaged
in hauling it to the numerous army
camps.
Embankments that the soldiers
used as roads, ran across the low
rice fields near the streams, in the
center of which were canals that fill
ed .with water at high tide. Uy
means of sluice gates, as the canals
were higher than the land, the water
was distributed over the rice plnnta
tions.
Christmas 18bi was a decidedly
gloomy and cheerless day :n camp.
Ii had 1 en raining hard every day
for nearly a week. Ii was very wet
and foggy, and a hard mallei to keep
up fires out doors, and in the tents
the fire made more smoke ijian heat
When on guard or picket duly lie
would get wet to the skin. Ilis only
recreation was playing cards and
swapping yarns. He did not hang up
his stocking, or receive any presents.
New Years day was the coldest
that had been experienced in this
country for many years, and in Geor
gia it was near zero. This ex
treme cold occasioned a great deal of
suffering among the soldiers who
were poorly clad to stand such ex
treme cold.
Early in February, 1865, the army
broke camp at Savannah and start
ed northward, sixty-thousand strong,
moving In four columns, with a front
covering the country forty miles
wide, cavalry and foragers swarming
on each flank.
Columbia, the capital of South Car
olina, was captured and nearly the
entire city burned, and Charleston
was evacuated by the rebels the
next day.
At Charlotte, on the Charleston and
Augusta Railroad, his regiment for
three days was engaged in destroying
the railroad. The soldiers would
string out along the track, and at the
word of command from the officers,
each soldier would grasp a railroad
tie, and by united effort the track for
a long distance would be aimed up
side down. The ties were then torn
loosi' from tic rails, (he ties plied up
like cord wood, and tin* rails pul
Across them, and fired. When thej
rails were red hot in the middle,they j
we i bent or twisted so that they |
coni I not he used again
His regiment was in tin fierce;
fighting at Bentonville, where rebel;
H-nei^jJ .lohn-on and Ills army wen
driven back.
A" uoldsborough lus drew new
, 'otbing. and then the soldiers of his
urged regiment appeared in an en
tire new ruit of blue.
The route to Raleigh was swampy i
and it was during the rainy season,1
so that the roads were terrible. Day!
after day and sometimes at night his!
regiment built corduroy roads through
the swamps, so that the artillery and
baggage could move.
He was here taken sick with a drop
sical trouble, rendernig him unable
to march, and he was sent to More
head City on the coast, when h<
boarded t^e transport ‘Illinois,"
hound for the north by way of the
Atlantic. He was put in hold of the
vessel, although it was so crowded,
there was scarcely room for them all
to lay down. The weather was calm.;
and the transport kept close to the1
land, and in two days they were at
Fortress Monroe, where he learned
i
that President Lincoln had been as
sasslnatcd.
lie was then transferred to all
other transport and Liken to New
York, going past the city up the Hud
son River to Port Schuyler, where
there was a general anny hospital
Soon he was aide to get around on
his feet, lint not well enough to
march. Ho remained at the hospital
until .Line !), 1N05, when he was dis
charged and furnished transportal Ion
to liis home at Canton, Illinois. On
his way home lie stopped at ('Idea
go. and at Camp Douglas stayed till
night with Ids comrades of his regi
ntent. they having arrived in Chicago
ahead of him.
On reaching home lie found his
mother and brother there, hut Ids
father had died during Ids absence
in the army.
In March 1880. he visited relatives
in Parker County, Texas, where he
had a good time as cowboy, tiding j
after cattle and hunting.
In April 1S(*7* he came to Palls
City, Nebraska, and investing the lit
tle money he had In a farm of eighty
acres, north of (own, where lie after
wards made Ids home for so many
years.
His farm was only a raw piece of
prairie, and lie let it lay until the
spring of 1K7N, when lie broke It
up and pul in u crop.
On August 17, 187!) at Canton, Illi
nois, he was married to Miss Kmma
c. Hendricks, and they started for
Nebraska tin* day after their mar
rittge in a movers' wagon drawn by
horses, the journey occupying four
teen days.
I le settled down on his farm for one
year,when on the death of his only
brother, he and his wife returned to
Canton, Illinois, to take care of his
mother, with whom (hey lived during
the next five years, and until her
death.
lii the spring oi I sm. mine hack to
his farm id Nebraska and went to
farming. In September I HUM bis
wife died. They were two children
horn to Ibis marriage, one child dy
ing. the other child, Almeda, is now
living with her father, lames A. Hill
in Kails City.
He lived on the farm for four
years as a widower, when lie mar
ried Mrs. Emma I! Hough, at Omaha.
Neb. on August in, HIOII. In HI04
be left tbi' farm and moved to Kails
City, buying him a home.
In IK,SI at Canton. Illinois lie be
came a comrade of the Grand Army
of the Republic, and on May 17. I KUO,
he joined Veteran Host No. HI of
Falls City, where lie has always been
an active and influential member,hold
ing office in the Post frequently, and
at one time being the Commander of
the Post.
The following comrades were elect
ed as officers of the post for the en
suing year.
Commander. .1. L. Cleaver.
Senior Vive Commander, Levi Fred
erick.
Junior Vice Commander, Israel ,Mes
sier. |
Quartermaster, .1. R. Messier. I
Adjutant, 10. I*. Clines.
Chaplain, VV. A. Whitaker.
Patriotic Instructor, J. C. Vut/.y,
Officer of the Day, Thus. Kelsey
Sargeant Major, J. II. Cline
Quart. Sergeant, J. VV. Nausler.
Surgeon, Dr. W. II. Kerr.
Trustees, .1. A Hill. C K. Kreker,
and VV'. S. Korner.
Delegate, W. S. Korner.
Alternate, T. K. Plumb,
Committee on Installation, J. L.
Cleaver. J. A. Hill and J. It. Messier
Stony Meteorites.
Stony meteorites, according to Prof. ,
William M. Picketing, who favors a
theory promulgated by Prof. “Clmmber
lin, may have bad their origin in the
eaith as by-products of the catas
trophe which split liie moon off from
our globe. The fact that they could
not get cosmically very far away from
us accounts for them dropping in on j
us occasionally when so inclined. "In
support of this view of their terres- I
trial origin, we have the fact that 29
terrestrial elements, Including helium, I
have so far been recoguized in meteo
rites. ten of them being non-metallic.
No new elements have been found. ;
The six which occur most frequently ,
In the earth’s crust, named in the or- |
der of their abundance, are oxygen, j
silican, aluminum, iron, calcium and
magnesium. The eight most common
ly found in the stony meteorites are
these six. besides nickel and sulphur.”
Pursed Up Lips.
••Why do you pout, girl’.1.lie went
awav without kit sing me." "Petter
pout while the ■ H, man is around,
lie might take the hint.”
I
WORTHY A PLACE IN HISTORY
Horemheb, During His Reign, Did
Mce for Egypt, Perhaps, Than
Any Other Ruler.
lloreinheb was at thin time (of bln
accession) 45 years of age, full of en
ergy and vigor and passionately an
xious to have n free hand in the car
rying out of his schemes lor the reor
ganization of the government. It wan
therefore with joy that. In about the
year 1360 it. C. lie sailed up to Thebes
in order to claim the crown.
Had lie lived longer lie might have
been famous as a conqueror as well as
nn administrator, though old age
might retard and tired bones} refuse
their office. As it is, however, hia
name is written sufficiently large in
the book of the world’s great men;
and when he died, about 1315 It.'C.,
after a reign of some thirty-live years,
lie had done more for ICgypt than had
almost any other Pharaoh. He found
the country In the wildest disorder
and he left it the master of itself anil
ready to become once more the mas
ter of tlie empire which Aghnuton’s
doctrine ol peace and good will hud
lost.
I'nder tiis direction the purged wor
ship of tlie old gods, w/hfeh for him
mcanl only the maintenance of some
time proved customs, had gained the
mastery over tlie chimerical worship
of Atom Without force or violence he
substituted the practical for the vi
sionary; and to Annin and order lila
grateful subjects were able to cry,
"The sun of him who knew thee not
lias set, but tie who knows thee
shines, the sanctuary of him who as
sailed thee is overwhelmed in dark
ness, but tlie whole earth is now In
light."—The Century Magazine.
GAMBLING HOUSE IN THEATER
Famous Resort of Rich New Orleana
Idlers Had to Be Abolished
. by Law.
The old French theater which wu3
patronized hy the Four Hundred of
Now Orleans In the days when my
father was a young man was n unique
institution," said Dr. J. L. Devonne, to
the lialtimore American.
In those days not only was it the
scene of the finest acting In America,
but the big building was devoted t*
other pleasures far outside the thea
plan entertainments. It had a spacious
ballroom, and nooks where the best
caterers of the day served exquisite
suppers, and there was beneath the
same roof a great apartment where
gambling was In full blast during the
progress ol a play. I have heard my
sire tell how the rich young creole
bloods would slip out between the
acts and win or lose thousands before
returning to their seats. Some of
them, of course, got too fascinated or
too doeply Involved ever to return.
The acting of the greatest artist was
a tame show bv contrast to the excite
ment ol the gambling tables. Many a
young fellow squandered his patri
mony In this old place, for then, as
now, the manipulators of the roulette
wheels and the faro dealers had a
shade the bpst of the public.
"The losses were so many and mia
ous that eventually the mutter at
tained the proportions of a public
scandal, and long before the civil war
legislation was enacted that made
gambling a felony and freed the his
toric old opera' of the degrading part
nership In games of chance "
SHOW SKILL OF GARDENERS
Dwarfed Trees Product of the Knowl
edge and Patience of the
Japanese.
These charming dwurfted trees are
entirely a product of the patience and
skill of Japanese gardeners, says a
writer in St. Nicholas The dwarfing
oi these is kept a secret by them and
has as yet mm r been found out or
imitated to such a marvelous degree
by any other nation. While there are
dwarf fruit trees grown in Kurope,
especially in Gdrnmny and Holland, no
such tiny . pecimens have ever been
produced there. The trees which are
used lor dwarfing by the Japanese ein
brut " all varieties of conifers, such as
pines, cedars, eryptomerias, junipers,
many evergreens, such as Ilex, citrus
trifoliata, etc.; some flowering plants
like azaleas, maples; also some fruit
trees, such its oranges and plutus,
which blossom and bear the most tiny
fruits to perfection It is claimed for
some specimens of cedars that they
are ovei .>00 years old. These very
ancient trees are handed down from
f.ither to son in some families, regard
ed as priceless heirlooms. It Is to bo
regretted that so many of these beau
tiful dwarfed trees are lost through ig
norance ol the attention they require.
I he danger lies in overcare more than
in neglect Too many people imagine
tli.it these pretty foreigners need spe
cial attention and coddling, when, on
the contrary, a great deal of fresh air,
a reasonable amount of water and not
too much warmth are the cltier re
quirements. rhey are all hardy, and
too much warmth in overheated rooms
is sure to kill them.
