Butler County, famous for rocks, hills, buckwheat, psalm-singing, and
soap mines. Psalm singing? Yes. The sturdy Scotch-Irish that grew among
her hills, as a rule, would sing to the Lord with no other words than
those of the warrior king and the holy men of old. Have you heard their
solemn songs? I hear them to-night--it is not imagination, not "their
songs," but "our songs." A voice of singing floats down through the
years, very holy and very tender; for now all the singers are "evermore
before the throne," except two, whose infant lips could scarce pronounce
the words:
"Lord, bless and pity us,
Shine on us with thy face;
That th' earth thy way, and nations all
May know thy saving grace."
Yes, psalm-singing! But the soap mines? We protest! We have hunted
huckleberries on her hills; we have pursued the groundhog in her woods,
the 'coon around her cornfields; we have swum and fished in her
sparkling streams; from Dan to Beersheba we have worked, played, done
"many things we ought not to have done," and left undone many things it
was our duty to do; but we never saw a soap mine. We can testify before
all the world that the people of Butler County make their soap in the
usual innocent and odorous manner.
PROSPECT, Butler County, a dreamy village of the olden time.
The houses accommodate themselves to the cross-roads. One road stretches
from the county seat westward; the other from the "stone house" goes
winding along toward Pittsburg. The houses have also a contented, self
satisfied look; the stores and the tavern seem to consider themselves
permanent factors in the world's machinery. On a pleasant day an
"honorable" or two might be seen sunning themselves in front of store or
tavern, whittling, and adding dignity to the surroundings.
In this quiet village one chilly morning in December, 1863, the writer
mounted the stage-coach and went rattling over the frozen ground toward
Pittsburg, to enlist in the volunteer service. Just seventeen years ago
that very morning I had begun the business of life on rather limited
capital; and although it had been improved with considerable success,
yet the kindly prophecies, particularly of my copperhead friends, did
not portend a very lengthy nor brilliant military career. The next day I
made my way to the provost-marshal's office, and, after due examination,
was pronounced all right, and sworn into the service. If I lied about my
age, obliging memory has written it over with something else, and it is
gone from me. But I think Captain ----, of Prospect, did the lying; at
least let us hope that he has sufficiently repented of it long ere this.
I selected Company D, of the Eleventh Pennsylvania Regular Volunteer
Corps, and was assigned accordingly. The recruits were retained for some
time at Camp Copeland, then about the dreariest, most uncomfortable
place I ever saw; shelter and provisions insufficient, bad whisky and
blacklegs abundant. Joe Stewart, John Alexander, and myself tented
together here. They had enlisted for the One Hundredth Pennsylvania, the
"Roundheads." Joe was an old acquaintance. He served gallantly till the
close of the war. John was a noble boy and found a soldier's death at
Cold Harbor. After one of the fruitless charges made there, when the
Roundheads came back foiled of their purpose, John was not with them. In
the darkness of night which quickly closed around, Joe went out to
search for him. As he was picking his way stealthily among the dead and
dying, he heard a well known voice calling softly near by, "Joe, Joe, is
that you?" It was John, lying there, shot through the breast. He warned
his rescuer to be very cautious, as the rebel videttes were near. With
much difficulty he got him back to our lines. This was the night of June
2d, and he died on the 4th.
I left the latter part of January to join the regiment, then camped at
Bristoe Station, on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. With me were two
recruits for Company E, Abe Eshelman and Mike Coleman. The former was
killed at Petersburg; the latter, a live Irishman, was mustered out at
the close of the war, after a year and a half of valiant service for his
adopted country. We went by Harrisburg, Baltimore, and Washington,
thence by the Orange and Alexandria road, every mile historic ground,
past Bull Run, where, the soldiers say, the dead would not stay buried,
and finally we alight at Bristoe Station. On the right over there are
the Bucktails; a little further toward the west the Second is camped.
Over the hill toward Brentsville, past the artillery camp, is the
Eleventh.
Here I found John Elliot, who had served with the regiment since its
organization. He, brother William, and myself had been boy companions
before the war, although I was younger than they. I went into the mess
with him, S. L. Parker, and Benjamin Mushrush. After being with them but
a short time, I was taken with that scourge of the army, measles, and
was removed to the surgeon's tent. I was on picket when the disease made
itself felt. The day and night on which I was on duty were stormy, rain
and snow. As a result, I had a lively time of it. The disease left my
voice so impaired that, for a long time, I was unable to speak above a
whisper. During my stay at the surgeon's tent, I employed myself
studying his books on surgery, and acquired a knowledge on the subject
which was utilized at a later period.
John Elliot had enlisted April 25, 1861, although not mustered into the
United States service until July 5th of the same year. He felt that he
should be mustered out at the former date of 1864. As the time drew near
we conversed frequently on the subject, and he was in some perplexity as
to duty in the case. The morning of the 25th found him on picket. I
prepared the morning meal for the mess and then relieved him until he
should breakfast. Soon he returned in a more than usually cheerful
spirit. After chatting pleasantly for a time, he spoke of his term of
enlistment.
"I have that matter all arranged now," he said, "as far as I am
concerned. I am not certain whether the government has a right to hold
me any longer or not; but I will stay till it sees fit to discharge me.
The country needs soldiers this Spring. I would like to visit home. It's
been three years since I saw mother and the boys; but it's all right.
God has kept me safely through all these battles, and I can trust him
for time to come."
This was the substance of his language, his exact words, as near as I
can remember. They are noble words; as grand as ever fell from the lips
of Christian hero. Many a time afterward they were an inspiration to me.
His face was bright that beautiful Spring morning with a joy that was
not of earth. The night watches had been spent communing with God,--yes,
face to face. Had he known that the midsummer sun would look down upon
his grave, would his decision have been different? I think not. He knew
too much of war and battles not to count the cost. From a Southern
prison-pen his brave spirit went up to God.