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THE NEW YOBK
PUBLIC LIBRAR

ASTOR. LENOX AND
T1LDEN FOUNDATIONS]

A. M. Crary

The A. M. Gary Memoirs
and Memoranda

Written by Himself

MOTTO
'ONE COUNTRY, ONE FLAG'

HERINGTON, KANSAS

The Herington Times Printers

S 2984

1 R L

Copyright 1915
by A. M. Crary

"

V

fe

To My Wife and Children

Herington, Kansas

July 1915

PART FIRST
BIOGRAPHY AND GENEALOGY

THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR. LENOX AND
TILDEN FOUNDATIONS

Mrs. Sabra A. Crary

FOREWORD

The preface of a book is more of a matter of form
than of any particular usefulness in getting at the
facts contained therein. I propose, therefore, to sub-
mit this VOLUME to you, kind reader, with the simple
assurance that the design from first to last is to give
Variety rather than Sameness, so as not to weary your
patience with long drawn out Formula, which too often
has a tendency to cause one to become impatient to
arrive at the real pith of the argument, and in many
cases to cause a person to throw a book aside before
reading it half through.

PART FIRST contains Biography, Genealogy and
Reminiscences connected with the Author's Civil and
Military life.

PART SECOND contains a partial Record of the
Crary families from Peter and John Crary down
through Seven generations to the present time. Also

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

of the C. C. Teats Families.

PART THIRD contains a variety of Choice Select-
ions, in Prose and Verse, to which is added a number of
popular Grand Army songs.

With these bare statements I do hereby offer you
these MEMOIRS, REMINISCENCES, Etc. for that
favorable consideration and approval which I confi-
dently hope and expect it will receive at your hands.

A. M. CRARY

INTRODUCTORY

It has been my earnest desire for many years to
leave a part of life's record behind me ; not that I am
vain enough to think that I have been so fortunate as
to "distance" others who may have started in the race
of life along with me, but that what I may have ac-
complished for the benefit of mankind, and as a
member of society in general, during the eighty years
that I have been privileged to remain on earth, may
— in after years — prove of some benefit to my family
and friends.

And I desire, right here at the beginning, to
acknowledge my special indebtedness to each and all
who have so kindly assisted me in the matter of hunt-
ing up the Genalogical records of the Crary families,
from Peter and John Crary down, a review of which
will be found in the Appendix to this work and in its

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

proper place, as well as to all my relatives and friends
who have come to my assistance in the labor before
me. Kindness such as theirs can never be forgotten.

Thrown into life as I was and at a time when all
the energies of mankind had to be quickened to their
utmost capacity, in order to acquire a decent livlihood,
I early learned what it was to labor with my hands,
and at the age of fourteen years to do a man's day's
work in the field.

• A common school education was very hard to
obtain, and a higher knowledge of book learning was
almost next to an impossibility. However, I am pleased
to say that with the kind assistance of the older mem-
bers of our family, I had, at the age of a dozen years
or so, succeeded in mastering the four ground rules of
arithmetic, sufficient at least to graduate from the old
log school house at the Rose Corners, with tolerable
high honors, and was permitted to enter the prepar-
atory course in the Crary school district one mile far-
ther south, where that accomplished educator, Miss

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

Emily Merritt, sister of General Edwin A. Merritt, of
Potsdam, was employed as Law-Maker, Judge, Jury
and High-Executioner, at a salary of Ten Dollars a
month, with the privilege of Boarding Around, which
was common in those parts at that day and age of the
world. And I may truthfully say, that right then and
there was laid the groundwork for an education that
has carried me through life.

And now, before approaching the real matter at
issue, I am prompted to explain that the advent of the
Crary families into America is dated way back into the
year 1663, when two Brothers, Peter and John Crary,
left their native home near Glasgow, Scotland, and
after a tempestuous voyage of many weeks across the
Atlantic Ocean, arrived at Boston, Massachusetts.

Boston was then but a small village, only about
thirty years old, and while the younger brother, John
was willing to take up an abode in that Metropolis,
Peter journeyed southward and finally brought up at
the little town of New London, Connecticut, where in

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

due time, to-wit: In 1677 he married Miss Christobel
Gallup, daughter of Capt. John Gallup, who was at the
time an officer in the British Army under His Majesty
King William 3rd, and it was from that union that my
own line of descent has been traced.

Before going into my immediate line of descent it
is proper that I proceed to explain the real and only
line from Peter Crary down through the six genera-
tions which is as follows :

PETER was blessed with four sons, to wit:

ROBERT, William, Peter 2nd and John.

ROBERT had seven sons, to wit:

CHRISTOPHER, William, Robert 2nd, Aaron, Ben-
jamin, George and Oliver.

CHRISTOPHER had two sons, to wit:

EZRA and Elias.

EZRA had two sons, to wit :

NATHAN and Nathaniel.

NATHAN had eight sons, to wit:

APPLETON, Ezra, Nathan, Orin, Smith, Edward,
Wesley and Stephen.

And according to Bible parlance, the line of de-

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

scent may be stated as follows :

PETER begat ROBERT ;

ROBERT begat CHRISTOPHER;

CHRISTOPHER begat EZRA;

EZRA begat NATHAN; and

NATHAN begat APPLETON and his Brethren.

The other line of descent from Capt. John Crary
we have succeeded in tracing along down to Dr. George
Waldo Crary of 771 Madison Ave., New York City, with
whom I am in correspondence regarding this matter
at this time.

And I may also be permitted to add, that several
other families belonging to that branch of the Crary
family, I have been able to locate in Massachusetts,
Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri and also in Kansas
where the Sunflowers bloom, and where the annual
supply of wheat, corn and other products of the soil,
sufficient to feed a nation, may always be reckoned
upon.

And now, without further explanation along this

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

line for the present, I will come down to the 4th genera-
tion from Peter Crary, above referred to, and will in-
troduce to your notice my Grandfather, Nathan Crary,
who married Lydia Arnold, a near relative of Hon.
Stephen Arnold Douglass, at Clarendon, Vermont, on
the 1st day of May, A. D. 1783 ; and I will further state
that the said Stephen A. Douglass was the widely
known Democratic politician, the same Judge Douglass
who was a United States Senator from Illinois, and was
the author of that celebrated "Kansas Nebraska Bill",
organizing that part of the Public Domain into Terri-
tories.

He was also the Democratic nominee for President
of the United States against "Old Uncle Abe" in 1860,
but was, as we all know, defeated at the polls, and I am
proud to say that after his defeat he was an ardent
supporter of Mr. Lincoln in his war policy to save the
Union, and kindly offered his services to that end.

However, he was taken violently ill at Chicago,
Illinois, and passed into the Great Beyond without be-

6

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

ing able to demonstrate his usefulness to any consider-
able extent, except to say to his political friends, both
North and South, "The Constitution and Laws of the
United States must and shall be Obeyed!" And I am
also very glad to say that the advice given by that
Noble Senator was much heeded by the rank and file
belonging to his party, and that his predictions finally
became true.

Previous to his marriage, Grandfather Nathan
Crary served as a private soldier in the Revolutionary
War from 1778 to 1781, and was honorably discharged
in December, 1781, afterwards drawing a small pen-
sion from the United States Government for honorable
service in line of duty. This pension he drew regularly
every three months until the day of his death, which
occurred on the 3rd day of March, A. D. 1852, and at
the advanced age of Ninety years.

After their marriage as aforesaid, they removed
to Wallingford, Vermont, where several of their child-
ren, including my father, Appleton Crary, was born.

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

They then removed to Swan ton, Falls, Vt., and in the
early part of 1804, hearing of the new country that
was opening up in northern New York, they loaded up
their effects in a couple of lumber wagons, and bidding
farewell to friends of many years, started for, they
knew not where, but without chart or compass they
began their journey westward.

They crossed Lake Champlain at or near where
the City of Rouse's Point now stands, and in due time
and with little trouble, arrived at the crossing of the
St. Regis river at a point where Hogansburg after-
wards was built. There they were detained for several
weeks on account of high water, but after effecting a
safe crossing took their course to the southwest, a
distance of forty miles or more with only a blind trail
to guide them on their way, and finally brought up at
the very point where the village of Potsdam now
stands. There they stuck their stakes, first holding a
council of war, and deciding that "A bird in the hand
was worth two in the bush."

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

My mother was a daughter of John Hopkins, who
was also a soldier in the Revolutionary War. She was
born at Pittsford, Rutland county, Vermont, the family
coming to St. Lawrence county about the same time
the Crary family did, settling between where Canton
and Ogdensburg was afterwards built.

I learn from those who have the records still pre-
served that their claim was on the direct road between
Canton and the "Burg," and that Grandfather Hopkins
built what was afterwards commonly known as the
Woodbridge Tavern which may possibly be standing,
some parts of it at least, at this time.

grandfather Hopkins afterwards purchased land
near where the old County Poor Farm was located, and
where he died in 1825, after raising a family of four-
teen children; and had there been a newspaper pub-
lished anywhere in that vicinity in the year 1808, the
following marriage notice would doubtless have appear-
ed therein:

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

"Married, at the home of the bride's parents, Mr.
and Mrs. John Hopkins, Sunday March the 8th, 1808,
Mr. Appleton Crary of Potsdam and Miss Roby Hopkins
of Canton, Stillman Foot, Magistrate, performing the
marriage rites."

The wedding presents consisted of a good, sharp
axe, presented to the groom by the bride's father, and
a modern, hen's-feather-bed to the bride, a present
from her mother. These were usually the wedding
presents given at that day.

Being each of a family of fourteen children them-
selves, this new couple continued to observe the usual
custom, as poor as they were, and in due time the three
families of Nathan Crary, John Hopkins and Appleton
Crary — my father — could boast of fourteen children
in each family, or forty-two in all, the writer hereof
being the youngest of the three broods.

And as hard times as it was in those days, later in

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

life I often heard my father and mother say that the
happiest days of their life was when they could climb
up the stairs of the old log house and tuck up eight or
ten children in bed every night, knowing that even if
they were under a thatched roof where snow in the
winter beat in apace, they were under their own vine
and fig tree, and knew where they could find them in
the morning.

The entire Crary family, so far as I am able to
learn, were members of the Wesleyan Methodist church
and four or five of them, including my father, were
ministers of the gospel the greater portion of their
lives.

As far as even a common school education was
concerned, they had none at all until the older members
of the family were too old to attend school. I have
heard my father say that he never went to school more
than three months in his life. However, the family
were all of a disposition to acquire knowledge, there-
fore in after life there were few if any in that section

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

of the country who were able to boast of a better knowl-
edge of history and other matters in general than they.
The Holy Bible was always the rule and guide to their
faith, and this naturally led them into the ministry as
above mentioned.

And while the entire family were members of the
Methodist church, all were more liberal in their views
than the majority of their co-workers; my father lean-
ing a good deal more toward the Universalist faith
than any of the rest. He knew the Bible from begin-
ning to end, and could turn to almost any passage in it
at a moment's notice. He could therefore "hoe his row"
with anyone who might attack him in debate.

In all his years of Ministry he always preferred to
avoid as much as possible, the "rocks and shoals"
usually to be found in shallow waters, and to keep along
in the safe channels where the waters are always deep.
Knowing that man in his best estate is subject to frail-
ties and errors, he was ever inclined to cover their
faults and imperfections with the broad mantle of

12

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

charity and brotherly love. He was in full accord with
the thought that the Heavenly Father has far greater
love for his children than an earthly parent can pos-
sibly show.

The dictates of his own conscience always prompt-
ed him in this line of belief, and nothing on earth could
cause him to depart from that conclusion. The words
of the Prophet Mica, the greatest of them all, were
dear to him when he said: ''What doth the Lord re-
quire of thee, but to do Justly, and to love Mercy, and
to walk Humbly with thy God?"

A personally acquired education was all that my
mother ever had, but at the same time she was able to
write as fine a hand as most graduates from the High
School; notwithstanding the fact that she learned to
write on birch bark with a sharp stick. This she learn-
ed too, after she was married. From the first time
she was able to use a quill, she became quite proficient
in the matter of letter writing, and before her death
she had worked up a correspondence in almost one-half
as many states as she was years old.

13

ANOTHER MOUTH TO FILL

So far as I have ever been able to learn, my advent
into the world was little thought of except that there
was another mouth to fill and more wood to be chopped
in order to keep the old fireplace going through the
long, cold winter, which was close upon us. This was
on the 20th day of November, 1834, and in that north-
ern country, with the mercury often down to 38 and
40 degrees below zero, it required most strenuous ef-
forts on the part of the entire Crary family to get
along during the next four months at least, and until
the breaking up of spring should bring new life and
energy to the surrounding multitude.

Our folks were by no means alone in the dread of
the long, cold winter, for about every farmer through-
out the length and breadth of Old St. Lawrence county,
was just about in the same fix. There was but little

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

money in circulation in those days, taxes had to be paid
in gold or silver, and interest on the land purchased of
corporations always had to be promptly reckoned upon.
However, time always flew merrily at our house. The
older boys and girls were soon able to teach school dur-
ing the winter months, but at a very low salary of
course, generally about seven to ten dollars a month,
and board around. And ere I had attained my tenth
birthday, I was proficient in the art of potato planting,
corn hoeing and sap gathering in the spring, which
was and still is the boy's delight wherever sugar trees
are to be found.

My early school experience at the Sam Rose cor-
ners near our house, and in the Crary school house has
already been mentioned, hence I have only to add that
the half dozen terms of select school I attended with
Rev. Philetus Montague as Preceptor, and two terms
at the Potsdam school was about all I had. However,
it was sufficient to allow me a First Grade Certificate,
and to enter upon my twenty odd years of school work

15

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

that followed, first in Minnesota, then several years
in Illinois, and still later on in this, Dickinson County,
Kansas, where I not only taught school for several
terms, but served from 1874 to 1883 as County Super-
intendent of Public Instruction.

16

GETTING INTO POLITICS, NOW

The first remembrance I have of creeping into
politics was in October, 1840, when I was only six years
old. I went to Potsdam village with my folks, to a rati-
fication meeting and hung around the old "log cabin"
erected on the square in front of the American House
of which my Uncle Warren Clark was proprietor;
watching the Coons climbing over it and occasionally
taking a sup of "hard cider," which was free to every-
body, and enjoying the campaign songs of "Tippecanoe
and Tyler too" until way along in the night when we
trundled off home in the old lumber wagon a distance
of ten miles and better.

The next campaign of any note that I remember
of was in the fall of 1844, when James K. Polk of
Tennessee was at the head of the Democratic ticket
for President of the United States, and that accom-

17

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

plished citizen, Hon. Silas Wright of Canton, was on the
same ticket for Governor of the great state of New
York. During that fall the usual number of campaign
songs were in vogue, among which was one with the
following chorus which many no doubt will also recol-
lect. It ran along this way :

"Poor Coony Clay is full of woe,
Democracy has laid him low;
Polk is the man, I told you so,
For Polk and Dallas we're all the go."

While the campaign that fall was going on, Gover-
nor Silas Wright while on his rounds, campaigning,
came to our house for one of his favorite calls, and dur-
ing his stay the neighborhood poet happened in and
the Governor asked him what the political situation
was about there, upon which the old poet took out of
his pocket a scrap of paper and soon produced the
following :

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

"My friend you ask me what I know
Of the campaign that's raging so ;
Therefore I'll tell it you in rhyme,
In common sense if not sublime.

The voters living here abouts,
With Polk and Dallas are at outs,
Nor have they use for Clay's demands,
For recognition at their hands."

We have no faith in promise made,
By men who think it right to trade
In human kind if he be black,
And naught but rags upon his back.

But men like you, true in the past,
We'll surely stand by to the last,
So now don't let them trouble you,
You're Wright, without the W."

Polk and Wright were both elected at the Novem-
ber election that fall, and three years thereafter,

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

Governor Wright blankly refused a nomination for
President of the United States, preferring a quiet life
at home among his tried and true friends in Old St.
Lawrence. But fate had decreed that this quiet was
not to be of long duration, for in May following his
retirement, death came suddenly upon him at his home
in Canton village, at the age of 52 years. His name
has ever been a household word wherever Governor
Silas Wright was known, and his remains are now
safely guarded in the Canton Cemetery Grounds.

20

A COAT OF MANY COLORS

My boyhood days were just about as pleasant and
endurable as most of the others about town, but once
in a while I ran up against a proposition that actually
took me off my feet. One fall along about 1846 or 1847
my mother, the very best she could do, was put to her
wits ends to scrape up cloth enough to clothe us all for
the winter, consequently something desperate had to
be done. Well, she finally hit upon the plan to make up
the garments as usual as long as the cloth would last,
then trust to luck for the balance. And she did, and
with a good deal of coaxing and engineering she ac-
complished what she undertook.

It was in this wise : By the time that all the other
boys and father was provided for in the matter of
coats, pants and vests, the cloth for coats was nearly
exhausted, and there wasn't enough left of any one

21

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

kind to make "Little Mell" a coat, and there's where
the trouble came in.

Well, she went to work with a will, dyed all the
lighter colored patterns as nearly alike as possible, and
in due time produced the "Coat of many colors" refer-
red to above, and the very vexatious situation the
family was brought up against was supposed to be
disposed of.

Not so, however, for as soon as the boys and girls
at school saw it they all began to call me "Little
Joseph" and to hint that the older boys of the family
might get a bit jealous of my preferment, and might
possibly sell me down into Egypt as did once befall the
youngest of a family away back in Bible times. Now
you should have seen little I clipper off home and put
up the most strenuous kick against that coat that the
Crary family had seen for many a day.

But the matter was soon compromised and the
trouble all ironed out under the most faithful promise
that I should go to the very next circus that came

22

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

around and have plenty of pocket money for ginger-
bread and enough to take me into the side-show to
boot. And in addition to this, my brother Ezra, who
taught the school, issued an edict at once that the
pupils should all cease and abandon the title of "Little
Joseph"; and barring the fact that my winter coat
was scuffed out as fast as possible, no one had any
farther reason to complain.

23

THE BITTER WITH THE SWEET.

Much of my home life on the farm I thought to be
the worst kind of drudgery, but there were so many
pleasures mixed along with it that I made out to pass
the time without serious difficulties of any kind. Once
in a while during the summer season a circus would put
in an appearance, either at Canton or Potsdam, and
we were always sure of a good time, for our good
mother was always a great admirer of entertainment
of any kind, consequently she seldom ever failed to
have spare change enough laid up to give the children
a number one outing on such occasions as those, but
when the "general trainings" came up in the fall, we
usually had to shift for ourselves.

I remember of going to mill with a grist to grind
when I was about ten years old, and Uncle Hank Mead,
the miller, gave me the greatest surprise I had ever

24

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

enjoyed. Says he, "Come here Mell. They tell me
there's goin' to be a circus in Canton next week. Are
you going to take it in with the rest of the boys?"

"Sure", said I, "but it's pretty close times at home
this summer, and I don't know yet where the money's
comin' from."

Now what should that good old uncle of mine do,
but to hobble along to his desk with an old cane that
he always used to bring up that game leg of his, and
to reach in and bring out an old, dusty pocket-book he
had, open it up and spirit out a bright, shining silver
quarter, and handing it to me, said "There, boy, go to
the circus and have a good time."

Uncle Hank never forgot the boys, you know,
if it took the last quarter in that old pocket-book
of his. I assure you I never forgot to do Uncle Hank a
kindness after that whenever I could, and the only
chance I ever got, so far as my memory goes, was
several years after that, when he was too crippled up
to run Uncle Ned Crary's mill any longer, I went to his

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

home and presented him with the nicest cane I could
find in the market, reminding him of the good time I
had at the circus spending that bright silver quarter
he had given me.

Our father was always a hard working man him-
self, consequently he expected his boys to work about
as many hours in the field as he did. Also he had
learned to manage us boys in order to get the most
out of us, and with the least bit of scolding too. I
don't remember of getting a good lacing from him but
once, and that scared me almost to death, although it
didn't hurt me a bit. It was on my tenth birthday that
he caught me picking up blocks in the back yard where
he was squaring a log, preparatory to putting it into
the frame house we were expecting to build the next
summer. He kept telling me to keep out of the way
for fear I'd get hurt, but I didn't seem to remember it
long, and pretty soon he grabbed up a little switch that
was near at hand and began laying it on over my
back and shoulders to beat the band. Of course I

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

began to yell, "I'll mind, I'll mind", to the very top of
my voice, but when he came out with the expression
"Eight, Nine, Ten, and one to remember by", I couldn't
help but see the point, and changed my tune to as loud
a ,—t of laughter as I ever uttered in all my born days.
It was customary in those days to take all the
youngsters to Sunday School every Sabbath, and for
each to learn one verse of the lesson a day through the
entire week, and recite them of a Sunday to the teacher
of the class. This I hated a good deal worse than work,
for it was awfully difficult for me to commit to mem-
ory something that I didn't know a thing about. I
remember that if while working in the garden or field,
I complained of having a head ache or any other slight
ailment, father would say, "All right, I don't want you
to work when you are sick, you can go to the house and
get your Sunday School lesson." Now it would sur-
prise you to see what an antidote those few words were
for the sick headache, and to watch me pitch into the
work, remarking that I guessed it would soon wear off,
and that I "felt a little better already."

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

When I look back upon those days, when the
Sabbath was made such a wonderful "day of rest," as it
was, especially among the children who were forced to
meeting in the morning, to the Sunday School after the
preaching hour, and after dinner to sit around and be
quiet when they needed exercise, I often wonder that
children didn't rebel against that sort of religious
training, that was dished up to them by the older folks.
Of course it was then supposed to be absolutely neces-
sary to their salvation or it wouldn't have been done,
but luckily I have lived to see the time that a whole lot
of those old time religious dogmas have been discarded
and done away with. I believe that the world is not
only getting wiser but better, and that while due
restraint and due regard for the Sabbath day is abso-
lutely essential for the cultivation of both mind and
body, it is no longer expected that children shall be
made old folks as they were then.

28

MORE OF MY EARLY HOME LIFE

During all of those years from 1845 to the time
of my trip to Massachusetts in 1853, I helped my
father on the farm at home, with the bare exception
of two summers that I worked out to help pay debts
the family owed, the last being in 1852 when I put in
the greater part of the summer months for Clark
Powers of West Potsdam. Father owed him for a
horse he had bought "on tick", hence I did the act of
squaring the debt at what was then considered to be
good wages — Eight Dollars a month. Clark was a
good friend of ours, therefore I felt myself very much
at home there, for they really treated me as one of the
family, a kindness that I never have forgotten to this
day.

When I say I was helping my father on the farm,
I don't wish to have it understood that all of our time

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

was put in at home, for it was not. There was a great
deal of land to be cleared belonging to others, and
much of our time both summer and winter, was de-
voted to chopping down the big trees and clearing the
land ready for the drag, for what we could make out of
it.

Black salts brought three-fifty a hundred in those
days, and it was about the only way to turn our labor
into cash, to pile the big timber into log-heaps, burn
them to ashes, leach the ashes and boil the lye down
into salts, in great chaldron kettles, and if we were
able to turn off a hundred pounds in a week we thought
we were doing well. Hence Saturday afternoon we
boys were off fishing in the Ferry brook for trout while
father took the said "black salts" to Canton and
brought back real cash, the sight of which was consid-
ered a novelty in those days. Think of it once : Three
Dollars and Fifty cents of money for a weeks work
of father and the team and us three boys. Now what
do you know about that? Nor was that all for while

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the men and boys were all busily engaged in the field
or the woods, do you know what was going on in the
house ? If not, I will give you just a small part of what
my good mother and the girls were doing towards
"keeping the wolf from the door."

We usually kept about twenty or thirty sheep
about the place, and after shearing time in the spring
was over, the wool had to be fitted for the carding
machine, the rolls brought home, and from that time
on until towards fall, the spinning wheels and the old
fashioned loom were buzzing from morning 'til night,
and from two to five days in the week. Then the cloth
was taken to the carding machine again, there to be
colored and pressed and prepared for the making of
coats, pants and vests for the boys — seven or eight of
us, including father, and those who were old enough
to work out about the neighborhood; also woolen
dresses for mother and the girls, three or four of them.

Now compare this mode of securing a livelihood
if you please with our way of living at the present day,

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and then tell me what you think of the poor deluded
mortals who complain of hard work and of hard times,
with a piano in the home, a nice horse and buggy, or
what is more likely, a Cadallac or a Ford Automobile
to do their running about with ; money in their pockets
for ice cream and cigars and living like Kings and
Princes as compared with those who have felled the
forests, laboring night and day to make a home for
you, and you, to enjoy in after years.

But we of "ye olden times" most surely have our
rewards in knowing that our duty was well and faith-
fully done, and in the hope that when our work on
earth is finished, the Grand Architect of the Universe
may receive and accept our labors.

Now I would not have you think that even in this,
the good people of that day had no enjoyment only in
the reflection of time well spent to secure a temporary
livelihood and prepare for those of other days, for that
was in no wise the case. It is true that from a tem-
porary point of view, labor in the field and at the loom

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was mighty hard and brought but little pay, but there
was another side of life that never should be overlook-
ed.

People of that day were very largely of a religious
temperament, and I am almost prompted to say were a
bit more so than at the present time. The Holy Bible
was always the rule and the guide to their faith, so
much so with a good many that this sacred volume,
especially the New Testament was often used by pupils
in our schools both as a reading and a spelling book, in
place of the school readers and the spellers prepared
for that purpose.

The old log school house was good enough for the
country folk to worship in, ordinarily, but when the
time for "quarterly meeting" came around, those not
being large enough to accommodate the congregation, a
good sized neighborhood barn was fixed up, seated
with the common board seats and there the hundreds,
and often the thousands listened for hours to the

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preaching of the "Word", and sang their songs of
praise to the Most High God.

In their evening gatherings about the neighbor-
hood, the elder people would put in their time review-
ing the Songs of Solomon, or the life of Christ, in place
of discussing the topics of the day, the political situa-
tion or the light literature so common at the present
time ; and the last moments before parting were gener-
ally devoted to a few words of prayer to the Author
and Builder of their Faith.

Their's was, indeed, in many respects a desperate-
ly hard life to live, but the sequel showed that they
were building better than they knew. Their lives may
well be likened unto the old man who was found build-
ing a bridge across a deep, wide chasm after he had
crossed it with much difficulty, and was asked why he
was building it after he had passed over the gulch
himself. His answer was :

"Good friend, in the path that I have come,

There followeth after me today,

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A youth whose feet must pass this way,
This chasm, that has been as naught to me,
To that fair haired youth may a pit-fall be ;
He too, must cross in the twilight dim —
Good friend, I am building this bridge for him."

But I must not leave this part of my story without
a few words for the younger element of society whose
customs it was to engage in innocent sports and pas-
time, knowing as I do that young people cannot be
expected to be "old folks," therefore, the civil ball and
evening parties were probably as common in those days
as they are now, or ever since have been. The gay
and festive dance was in no wise considered out of
place even by the older ones, provided it was carried on
with decorum as it usually was.

And now this brings me to my first venture toward
the "far east", to the Old Bay State where I received
my first impressions regarding what the world was
actually made of, and what all the other fellows on
earth were doing.

35

A SUMMER IN MASSACHUSETTS

My first trip from home to any considerable dis-
tance was in the spring of 1853, soon after the Ogdens-
burg and Rouse's Point Railroad was completed. I
had labored hard ever since I was old enough to lift a
hoe, a rake or a scythe, therefore I concluded that it
was high time for me to see what people away from
home were doing. I had only five or six dollars to
the good when I boarded the freight at Norwood
Station, destined for the "Hub", provided my money'd
hold out, and as luck would have it I struck the right
kind of a Railroad Conductor who delivered me at
Rouse's Point free of charge, besides paying for a palat-
able repast we took together at the Moira lunch coun-
ter. He also gave me an introduction to the Vermont
Central Conductor who delivered me to the next, and
he to the next, and so on until on the second night out

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

I brought up at the Cambridge Cattle Market where I
met my older brother, Orin, and with money enough in
my pocket to pay my hotel bill for the night and to do
the town right on the morrow.

I will also note the fact that Old Man Porter who
ran the hotel there, was very loath at first to give us
any kind of a cot to rest our weary limbs upon for the
night, but luckily we found old Uncle Jim Lane of West
Potsdam there, and with his assistance we secured
entertainment for the night. After the landlord had
explained to Uncle Jim that the reason he denied us a
night's lodging was that he thought we were a couple
of "Boston Rowdies, " and "he didn't want any of them
around anyway."

Well, maybe we didn't look like a couple of "Bos-
ton Rowdies," but really we did feel like a couple of
colts just broke out of the pasture, and from our ac-
tions and appearance we didn't blame the old fellow a
bit for taking us as such.

The next morning we were told by the clerk at the

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office that our bills were paid by the cattle man who
had come to our rescue the night before, hence we
boarded the stage for Boston, six miles distant, the
fare being but a York shilling each, and the entire day
we spent tramping over the city, visiting the State
House, Bunker Hill Monument, and last but not least,
the college where the Dr. Webster and Dr. Parkman
tragedy had taken place — an account of which we had
both been reading just previous to our leaving home.
Also we passed a half hour or so viewing the jail where
Dr. Webster was supposed to have been hung, although
many were of the opinion that he had escaped that
ordeal ; their argument being that his immediate family
had soon afterwards removed to a foreign land, which
led them to believe that "there was a good sized nigger
in the wood-pile, somewhere."

We remained about Boston for a time, where we
secured plenty of employment, then taking in the
"General Training" down in Plymouth county, and
witnessing Governor Banks' review of the State Militia

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

the only accident of the day being the unhorseing of
the Governor who it was said, was himself carrying a
bigger load of the "Oh, Be Joyful", than any of his
staff. This ended our stay in the old Bay State, so we
returned by the same route we went, arriving in Can-
ton just in time to take in the fair, and witness the
biggest horse race Canton ever saw, when the old
Frenchman from Canada, with his old rawbone, beat
Tich Warner and the other Canton sports out of all
the money they had by putting in another horse on the
second heat, playing drunk himself and distancing the
entire group of thoroughbreds on the third and fourth
heats.

The next few pages of this book will be devoted
to Reminiscences of several matters of local history of
St. Lawrence county that was no doubt overlooked by
other writers, but are of much importance in the
matter of connecting the early history of that grand
old county with the present time. These things are
not a matter of heresay, by any means, but are true to
life, and are properly an essential part of these
Memoirs.

39

"ELDER CHILDS AND BROTHER JOHNNY"

It was along about this time that our section of
the country was infested by a couple of Mormon Elders
coming into our neighborhood in the early part of the
winter, and trusting to the credulity of the good people
of the place, and anxious to obtain a winter's support,
began preaching a brand new doctrine, and a new, so-
called "religious faith."

They reported themselves from (I know not where
it might have been, from Babylon for ought I know).
They said they were commissioned from "On High",
and had been ordered there by Joseph Smith himself,
and were sent to preach the "new gospel" to all people,
from Nauvoo, 111., even unto the uttermost parts of
the earth.

They also claimed that the said Joseph Smith had
received a vision of this new religious faith, and that

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from that vision and other revelations, he had produced
the Book of Mormon, and had founded the new church
they had the honor to represent.

In their meetings they would talk at times in what
they termed "the unknown tongue," which was sure
enough an unknown tongue, for no one on earth could
understand a single word they said, and I doubt very
much if they knew what they said themselves.

Well they succeeded at length in getting quite a
few converts to their faith, but as soon as they brought
to light their Polygamous doctrine and practices, their
converts dwindled down to two or three, and in the
early springtime all parties concerned took their de-
parture for Nauvoo. And it was learned afterwards
that those who went with them deserted their so called
"Church of God" and departed for parts unknown.

Thus ended the first Mormon raid into Old St.
Lawrence county, and so far as I know it was the last
one of any considerable note.

Now I am not one of those religious enthusiasts

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who think my church is the only one that ought to be
tolerated, but I do draw the line at anything of a Polyg-
amous cast, by whatever name it may be called. To
my notion every person of ordinary intellect is entitled
to his own political and religious opinions, but that
system of faith (if you please to call it a faith) only
practiced in the Dark Ages, certainly has no place at
this day and age of the world.

However, I will say that the New Mormon Church,
or more properly speaking "Latter Day Saints", has no
connection with the old time Mormon faith, and that
as near as I can learn is now reckoned among the many
Christian Denominations of today. In fact I am fully
advised by one of their Elders, a relative of mine by
marriage, that such is actually the case.

42

THE JOHN BROWN'S TRACT

The old settlers of St. Lawrence county — and
there are many of them left — will remember very well
how wild and wooley the territory known as the "John
Brown Tract" was in those early days. To use a more
common expression among the people at that time, we
might perhaps better call it the "South Woods" for it
extended way along over beyond Tupper Lake and was
a dense wilderness known to hunters and trappers only.

The little town of "Matildaville," now called Colton
was clear out upon the outskirts of civilization proper,
and the "Three Falls" or South Colton, as it is now,
was a point so far out that few dared venture with any
hope of meeting a white man, except it be a hunter
with pack on back and going to or returning from that
"far off hunting ground" about the "Bog", or possibly
as far up as what was commonly known as the "Wind
Fall."

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

This was a section of the country that had been
visited with what was afterwards very familiarly
known as a "Kansas Cyclone, " where for nearly a hun-
dred miles a swath had been cut through the timber
leveling everything to the ground, the path of the
storm being something like a quarter of a mile wide.

The tract of country I have spoken of was as we
before said commonly known as "John Brown's Tract"
and was owned by a New York City capitalist by that
name.

This man Brown had never seen a foot of that
ground, but being desirious of knowing what kind of
country it was up there he sent an agent out from New
York with instructions to look the ground over and to
report to him exactly what he thought of the purchase
he had made.

The agent took with him Uncle Alvah Leonard
and True Crary, two of the best hunters the country
afforded, who had familiarized themselves with the lay
of the land during years of experience after game, and

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

after traveling over mountain and hill for two or three
weeks they returned to Colton or Matildaville, as it
was then called, where Bill Starks was keeping tavern
and the agent made out and submitted the following
report :

"Mr. Brown, New York City :--I have spent the last
three weeks looking over your tract of land. You or-
dered me to give you as perfect an account as I could
and to describe the country as minutely as possible.
Feeling a little poetical this morning, I will give my
report in verse:

"It is hemlock and spruce,
"Up hill and down,
"H — 1 and D — nation,
"Old John Brown !"

It is needless to tell anybody who ever travelled
over that section of the country that the agent's de-
scription was true to a fault.

But returning to the "Three Falls," now the beau-

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tiful little village of South Colton, where the tourist
now stops to take on his last supply of eatables for
camp life, and possibly the last cool refreshing draught
of ale that he expects to find, let me mention a thing
or two in regard to the early history of that place.

Way along up from 1842 to '45, the Indians held
sway about that particular locality, but about that
time a brother of mine, Nathan Crary 2nd, who was
afterwards a lawyer at Potsdam and died there during
the last years of the war conceived the idea of utiliz-
ing the immense water power at that point and ac-
cordingly built a sawmill and started a town, which for
many years contained but one log house in which he
himself lived. "Old Captain Peet" was at the head of
the Indian tribe about there at that time and together
with the squaws that made baskets and moccasins to
sell, he would sometimes venture as far down as "Ma-
tildaville" to sell their wares. He had learned to talk
a little English, and it was often remarked that "Cap'n
Peet,, always had a good word to say of everybody on
hearing of his death.

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There was one character about "Matildaville" who
went by the name of "Clucking Charley" and who was
never any good to himself or any body else. Finally
"Charley" sickened and died, and the settlers were all
wondering what "Old Cap'n Peet" would say when he
heard of his death. The great question was, what
could he say of so mean and worthless a character as
he? By and by "Peet" came to town and the boys all
gathered around to hear what he had to say when he
heard of "Charley's" death.

The old Indian was completely nonplused when the
news was finally told him. All waited in breathless
anxiety to hear the old Indian speak. Finally he said
in the worst kind of broken English, "Waal, Sharley he
was a goot schmoker." It was the only good thing
anybody on earth could say about him.

The "South Woods" in those days were filled full
of hunters and trappers, during the entire winter
months, for no protection was then thrown around the
game as there is now. It was no uncommon thing for a

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hunter to bring out, along towards spring, one hundred
to one hundred and fifty "saddles" of venison, besides
forty or fifty pounds of spruce gum to give around to
his friends. Sometimes during the winter, when the
snow was uncommonly deep and the thermometer
ranging from thirty-five to forty degrees below zero,
it was a dangerous place to be in, and many hunters
who got short of rations found themselves in a very
sad predicament to say the least.

One of the very sad instances of the kind was that
of the three Prior boys, brothers of Mrs. Abner Cross-
man, who lived out on the "turnpike" near Pierpont
hill. These three young men were in camp sometime
during the winter of 1845 or '6, according to the best
of my recollection at this time, when there came on
one of the worst storms known for many years.

It seems that their provisions had become almost
exhausted and while the storm was still raging, they
started out for the settlement, but all perished in the
storm before reaching any human habitation. Their

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bodies were afterwards found at different points along
the trail, showing that one had fallen out at a time and
had frozen to death among those hills that are today-
inhabited by well-to-do farmers, with fine houses and
barns, surrounded with all the blessings and comforts
of life.

There were other dangers to which many a hunter
was sometimes subject, as was shown by the predica-
ment my oldest brother, Truman Crary, found himself
in one summer during the early 50' s and which came
very near costing him his life.

It was a common thing in those days for hunters
to use these large bear traps, and they generally set
them in the path where it was ascertained that these
animals mostly kept. Some one had set one of these
large, double spring bear traps way up in the vicinity
of Long Pond and had omitted to leave any sign show-
ing where the trap was set and warning hunters of
the danger in front of them.

While traveling along through the woods, all alone

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and with both eyes out looking for game, and without
a thought of the dangers ahead, he stepped one foot on
a bed of leaves and found himself in the iron grasp
of the most powerful bear trap he had ever seen. A
hatchet was the only implement he had, and that he
always carried along. With this he cut some staddles,
fixed them in shape to constitute a lever, and after
working for seven long and weary hours he succeeded
in prying the jaws open and in freeing himself from
the jaws of death, which at first seemed to be staring
him in the face.

If the famous "John Brown's Tract" could speak
it would be able to tell many a tale of hair breadth
escapes which others, no doubt, may be more conver-
sant with than myself. Several years ago in company
with my wife and some of my St. Lawrence county
friends I had the pleasure of making a trip clear
through what was in those days a dense forest, from
South Colton, by way of the Bog, to Tupper Lake, and
again vis 'ting some of the noted points along that line.

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But what a change. All that country is now filled with
pleasant pleasure resorts, and the mountains and
valleys are the only landmarks left to remind one of
the early history of the famous "John Brown's Tract."

51

BILL PRATT'S BILLY GOAT

It was in the early '50's, the fall that I worked for
Mr. Theodore Caldwell, that Canton, as well as the
country round about received even a worse shock than
that of two years before when the man Erwin attempt-
ed the murder of the Angel boy of Lawrence on the
John Wellington bridge at the dead hour of night. That
incident was still fresh in the minds of the West Pots-
dam and Canton folks and any unlawful act was liable
to stir up the community to fever heat and to cause a
tremor in the hearts of everyone.

For some time past the little hamlet commonly
known as Slab City was infested with the most exalted
bevy of all around jesters of any locality in the known
world. There was Jule Sails, Bill Pratt, Alf White, Roll
Crary, Myron Taft and possibly half a dozen others
whose sole object in life seemed to be to work some

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

kind of a practical joke on each other, or what was
worse still, on the community at large. In fact they
were so skilled in the art that they could "deceive the
very elect", and what their fertile brains couldn't con-
jure up wasn't worth while for any human being to
undertake.

Bill Pratt, the keeper of the Slab City Inn, had a
fine large billy goat that he had brought down from
the Adirondack districts to run with his sheep as a
protection against disease, and incidentally to amuse
the children about town, but the "baste" had become
so cross that it was dangerous for any one to get in its
way lest the "anamile" should get the best of him.

Well, to Jule Sails and two or three of his other
"cronies" this afforded a rare opportunity to get even
with Sheriff Barber who had been instrumental in hav-
ing a couple of their number arrested and fined a few
weeks before for cutting up pranks about Joe Riche's
melon patch and carrying away a few boxes of his
honey, so they decided that as Pratt had gone to

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Russell on a two days business trip the old he goat
should be gotten away with and the little berg be "void
of his presence from now on," and by common consent
Jule was chosen to manage the affair.

This he promised to do, and the next morning the
word was sent broadcast that Jule Sails had been en-
gaged in an altercation with Bill Pratt the night before
that he had murdered him in cold blood, and after
hiding the body or what was more likely after throw-
ing it into the mill pond, and after confessing the same
to his wife and hired man, had departed on horseback
to parts unknown.

The news reached Canton about noon that day,
and in less than an hour Sheriff Barber and a posse of
thirty sworn-in deputies were mounted on horseback
and on their way to Slab City as fast as their steeds
would carry them. On reaching the bridge at the out-
skirts of the town they were halted and given the in-
formation that the murderer had been sighted in the
edge of Frank Bentley's corn field an hour before and

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the entire cavalcade was at once ordered in that direc-
tion.

But before reaching the edge of the field the sup-
posed criminal came out of his own accord, surrend-
ered to the sheriff and offered to conduct them to the
spot where the body lay, upon the Sheriff's assurance
that he should have his protection from the hands of
the mob which had already assembled at the bridge to
see that "justice should be swift and strong whenever
the criminal was caught/'

This assurance by the limb of the law was at once
given and at the head of half a hundred men, women
and boys Jule led the way to an old well in the Bill
Pratt pasture down behind the barn and a rope and
ladder were soon obtained and down the criminal went,
wrapped the rope about the body and gave the agreed
cry of "hoist away" and up came the bruised and
mangled remains, not of Bill Pratt the tavern keeper,
but of Bill Pratt's old billy goat, the terror of the
neighborhood for the past half year.

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At this juncture Pratt himself, was sighted in the
distance and imagine his surprise in finding the proces-
sion marching into the bar-room with Col. Barber, the
sheriff, at its head. Of course the worth of the old
billy goat was nothing to him, compared to the sport
he got out of knowing that the Canton "fellers" had
been duped and that the Slab City crowd was just that
much ahead. Of course, as might be expected, the
Sheriff and his posse waited around until dark, not dar-
ing to return to the County Seat "until the whippoor-
will had sounded his last note, and the katydids had
tired out their throats" as the leader of the gang was
known to have expressed himself.

56

A TRAGEDY AT MASENA

In the year 1857, more than half a century ago,
there resided down on the banks of the beautiful river
St. Lawrence, in the town of Masena, a family whose
name, for the purpose of this sketch it is not necessary
for me to mention. This quiet and unpretentious
household was composed of a father, mother, two sis-
ters and two brothers, young men and women grown,
and their home was a veritable Garden of Eden for all
who were pleased to make their acquaintance.

All the blessings and comforts of life surrounded
this little group. Fortune, up to the days of which I
write, had dealt out to them with a lavish hand, and
their contentment and happiness was all that heart
could wish or that tongue could ask for.

It seemed to them that the bounties of Divine
Providence had been showered upon them in great pro-

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fusion, and that "All the trees of the Garden" had
been given unto them to eat therefrom. Their cup of
joy was more than full.

But in an hour that they knew not, the serpent
entered this Garden of Eden, not crawling on the
ground like the serpent of old, but in the shape of a
young man, "more subtile than any of the beasts of the
field, which the Lord God had made," but professing
love for the fairest of that household — the eldest
daughter — and bent every energy to the securing of
her confidence ; and with a promise of marriage finally
succeeded in accomplishing his work.

But from this time on, a radical change in his de-
meanor towards this young lady became apparent to
herself as well as to the rest of the household, and
within a very few weeks it was known to all that his
affection had been radically changed and that it was
the other daughter, then, upon whom all his "kind
affections" were bent.

At length, greater grief to that most humble

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household came. The elder daughter had sickened and
died, but not until this young man had, by most humble
entreaties and urgent prayers, induced her to make one
last, dying request to the younger sister, that so soon
as she was dead, this second "object of his affections"
should become his wife.

Medical attendance was not so close at hand in
those days as now, and 'ere the physician could be
obtained, the angel of death was hovering around, the
gentle spirit had quit its tenement of clay, and the
arrangements for the burial had been commenced.

Up to the hour that the funeral services were
taking place, and when the remains were being lowered
to their last resting place, no suspicion of that foul
deed was cast upon this young lover; but his actions
at that moment betrayed a secret which afterwards
resulted in placing him just where he belonged.

Only for an over anxiety on his part to cover up a
crime by overburdened professions of sorrow and grief,
he might possibly have escaped; but those were so

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much overdone that suspicion of foul play was riveted
upon him, and before another day was passed he was
in the clutches of the law and safely landed behind the
bars in the Canton jail.

His trial soon followed and by the efforts of Dis-
trict Attorney Tom Russell, who in summing up the
case before the jury at Canton, made the supreme ef-
fort of his life, this young man, whose name I do not
care to speak, was adjudged guilty of murder in the
first degree, by poisoning, and sentenced to death at
the hands of the law. His guilt was established so
firmly that no motion for a new trial was made, and
before the day for the execution had arrived he sick-
ened and died, and that hateful, domestic tragedy was
at an end.

60

TESTING GREELY'S ADVICE

It was along about this time that Horace Greely,
who had no doubt learned something of that famous
Proclamation issued by King Cyrus of Persia when he
released the Hebrew Children from bondage, came out
with the advice, "Go west, young man, and grow up
with the country." I had been reading his New York
Tribune for many years and had made up my mind that
if anybody on earth knew, Horace did ; so in the spring
of 1855 I packed my trunk and struck out for the west,
landing in due time at Fond-du-lac, Wisconsin, where
my sister, Mrs. Salmon Hemenway, mother of Mr. M. C.
Hemenway, now Editor of The Hope Dispatch, then
lived.

During those long summer days, I labored on the
farm, haying, harvesting, etc., but finding that a little
bit too irksome a job, I joined a theatrical combination

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that was doing the season at Fond-du-lac; and if I do
say it myself, I soon became quite an adept in the art,
so much so at least as to be able to carry a leading part
in half a dozen of the best plays going, such as Don-
Caezar-De-Bazan, The Golden Farmer, Toodles, and the
like, song-singing between acts and making myself
generally useful in about everything that came up.

But tiring of this, I finally, along in January,
joined a lumbering gang and tried my hand at cutting
down the large pine trees way up on Wolf river, haul-
ing them to the banks and dumping them in the river ;
and right there was where I missed my calling.

The snow was from three to five feet deep, and I
soon got powerfully sick of wading around in it, so
they gave me the job of hauling great, big logs to the
river bank and dumping them off, when down they
would go two hundred feet or more.

I enjoyed that kind of a life the very best, but the
thing that worried me most was being all the time in
close proximity to a tribe of Indians that was always

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on the alert, watching every thing that was going on
about camp; and wherever one went, half a dozen or
more of those dirty Red Skins were to be seen watch-
ing every movement the "pale faces" could make.

I had just been reading of the massacre of the
Oatman Family by a roving band of Apache Indians
while on their way to California in wagons way out in
the New Mexico or Arizona country, how they had
murdered all but two little girls — Mary Ann and Olive
and had carried them into their own country — a cap-
tivity that was worse than death itself. The papers
were all full of accounts of that atrocious deed, hence
it was only natural for each and every one of us to be
on the lookout both day and night fearing the treach-
ery of every Red Skin we came across.

Well, one Sunday, half a dozen of us lumbermen
went up to Shawano, the only town in that part of the
woods, and while there we noticed half a dozen of the
Menominee tribe that we had seen hanging around our
camp before and what was more they had offered to

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treat us out of a jug from which they had been imbib-
ing pretty regularly themselves.

We left the place well along toward night and
supposing we were rid of those drunken scalawags en-
tirely we ate our supper and turned into our bunks as
usual for a good night's rest, when lo and behold we
heard a terrible noise outside, and opening the cabin
door, in burst the boss of the camp yelling at the top
of his voice: "Indians, Indians, Indians, are upon us
every man for himself, see 'em coming.

Of course we were all scared about to death, so
much so that we couldn't have used guns if we'd had
'em ; but as the matter turned out we did'nt need any
guns, for we soon discovered that the old boss himself
was carrying so large a load of the Indian's whiskey
that it was no wonder he thought the entire Menom-
inee tribe was after him.

However, knowing as I did that the boss was lots
more to blame than the Red-Skins were, I couldn't sleep
a wink that night, and the more I thought it over the

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more satisfied I became that I had missed my calling
again ; so next morning I called for my time, accepted
a check on an Oshkosh bank for forty dollars — the
price of two months wages, struck out down the river
on foot, and the third day out brought up at Fond-du-
lac, there enjoying the first safe moment I had seen
since my introduction to the Pine Woods of Northern
Wisconsin.

Remaining with my people there for a time, I
concluded that I had learned about enough of Greely's
plan about "growing up with the country" to last me
for a while, so bidding my friends "good bye" for the
present, I took the train for the east and in due time
brought up in the little town of Farmer, Defiance
county, Ohio, where I found a goodly number of rela-
tives I had never met before.

Among these was a young cousin of mine, Ervin
Chapman by name, a bright young fellow whom I have
never seen since although I have just lately found out
where he is. That boy is now the man and I am glad

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to say is a Methodist Divine, and is at the head of the
State Temperance Organization of California with head-
quarters at Los Angeles where his home is, and has
been for many years. Also I found there in Ohio sev-
eral of my Uncle Ezra Crary's children and grand
children — some of the latter of whom I am in communi-
cation with at this time. These are my cousin Nathan-
iel Crary's children, one or two in South Dakota, and
the same number in Ohio.

After a couple of months in Ohio, working a part
of the time and visiting the rest, I continued my
journey eastward, arriving in old St. Lawrence county
just one year to a day from the time I left.

I then concluded that it was time to settle down
and be steady, therefore on the 20th. day of November
— which was my 22nd birthday anniversary — I was
married to Miss Caroline Myers, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Henry Myers — Rev. I. N. Hobart, Pastor of the
First Baptist church of Potsdam the officiating clergy-
man. However, our married life was of short duration,

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for while I was serving my country as a United States
soldier, and on the 3rd day of June, 1863, my wife's
spirit passed into the Great Beyond at the home of
her parents in Potsdam, interment being made in the
Bayside Cemetery at that place.

The greater portion of the time from this date up
to my enlistment as a Soldier Boy in 1862 was spent
in teaching school, with the bare exception of the two
years that I was employed in the George B. Swan, Sash
Door and Blind Factory at Potsdam, and in reading
law in my Brother Nathan's Law Office at the same
place. And in the matter of Events this brings me up
to the commencement of my three years service in

the Civil War.

The War had been going on a little more than a
year and a half already, and although there were well
on towards a million and a half of soldiers in the field,
I decided to lay aside both business and pleasure for
a while, and to take my chances with the rest, trusting
to the Fortunes of War, and to a firm reliance in the
Great I. AM. to bring me through.

67

MY FIRST REAL TASTE OF WAR

It was on the sixth day of August, 1862, that my
enlistment as a real soldier dated. President Lincoln,
two days previous to that date had issued another call
for 300,000 volunteers for three years or during the
war, and Illinois' quota was set at 52,000 but in less
than thirty days, 58,000 were armed and equipped as
the law directs and ready for duty.

Our Company, (first known as the Morrison
Guards) went into camp at Dixon, Lee County, August
15, 1862. Other Companies soon swelled the number
and within a week ten Companies, numbering 1,000
men were drilling from six to ten hours a day and
preparing for active duties in the field. And on the
second day of September, a regular United States
mustering officer was on the ground and mustered us
into service as the 75th Illinois Infantry, and when

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the moment came for us to be sworn in, the words
"for three years or during the war" fell pretty heavily
upon our ears. But then, we were in it for keeps,
hence we took our little medicine as brave boys always
do. Whether that meant for life or not we did not
stop to argue, but it surely did, for more than one-half
of those who that day stood in line never came home
again.

Dr. George Ryon was named as Colonel of the
regiment, John E. Bennett as Lt. Colonel, and William
M. Kilgore as Major; and the drilling in squads, pla-
toons, companies and battalions was there kept up until
the order "to the front" was received.

During this time the Confederates under General
Braxton Bragg had pressed Buell's army back all the
way from Nashville, Tennessee to Louisville, Kentucky,
and all the western troops possible were rushed to the
front, the 75th with the rest, for on the 27th of Sep-
tember, the regiment passed through Chicago with
drums beating and flags flying, and two days later re-
ported at Louisville for duty.

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That was the very clay that the altercation be-
tween General Nelson and General Jeff C. Davis took
place in the Gault House at Louisville ; General Nelson
being shot dead for an insult given to Davis, an inferior
officer in rank, but one of the bravest in the army.
General Davis was placed under guard at once, held
something like two weeks, released, and ordered to
report at the front for duty, which he did.

During the next two days at Louisville, Buell's
army was thoroughly reorganized, the new regiments
mixed in with the old who had seen much service in
the field already, and on October 2nd, the orders to
advance was hailed with joy. Seeing that Buell's army
had been very largely increased, Bragg had given up
the idea of capturing Louisville, and was retiring
southward, our cavalry reporting the main portion of
his force at or near Bardstown, thirty miles distant.

Our first days march out of Louisville, was a day
long to be remembered, I assure you. The regiment
was made up of boys from the farm; boys who had

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been brought up in town with few hardships, many
of them ready to graduate from the high-school; doc-
tors, lawyers, barbers, clerks from the stores and quite
a goodly number of old men whose only plea for en-
listing was that they desired to accompany their sons
and care for them in case of sickness, or to bind up
their bleeding wounds in case worse came to worse on
the field of battle. And all these mixed in with proba-
bly a dozen or so who had some little experience in
military affairs during the early part of the war,
When we left camp at Dixon, Illinois, on roll call, one
thousand of such answered to their names and barring
half a hundred or so who had been detained as team-
sters, or for service in the hospital corps started on
the march, little realizing just what a soldier's life
meant.

It was a fearful hot day — the Second of October—
and the dust so thick that it almost smothered a man,
perspiration standing in great drops on his face, only
to be mopped off with a 'kerchief, or if he wasn't lucky

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enough to have one, with his dust covered blue coat
sleeves. It was march, march, march, fifty minutes
by the watch, then, with a ten minute's rest in order to
take breath and reflect upon soldier life, as we found
it. Then to think that a term of "three years, or
during the war" was before us.

As we encountered some of the older regiments
on the march that day, a good many of them, in fact
most of them in uniforms they had worn for months,
while we new recruits had just been issued navy-blue,
with hats and caps having the letter of the Company
in front, we were often accosted by "Hello Boys, How
do you like it anyway ? Oh, never mind, you'll get used
to it after a year or so. Keep a stiff upper lip and
you'll come out all right. Glad to have you join us,"
and the like. Of course we all recognized the fact
that they had a right to make merry while they could,
hence about all we could say back was : "All right boys,
we're new at the business, but give us a chance and
we'll show you we ain't quite as green as we look."

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That night we went into camp a little after dark,
on ground that had been plowed early in the fall but
had grown up to weeds a foot high or so ; no chance to
make a fire to cook a drop of coffee; probably half a
canteen of water apiece, and a sorry looking sight we
were, too. Well, all we could do was to make the best
of it. That was to make a supper out of hard-tack
mixed in with a slice or two of raw bacon, after which
to lie down to "Peace and Pleasant dreams. "

The march southward was continued day after
day, each day bringing us closer and closer to the
enemy; passing through Bardstown, Kentucky, where
the engagement was expected to take place, but finding
that Bragg had still moved southward, in hopes to find
a more advantageous ground, where water was more
plenteous, the march was continued until the after-
noon of the 7th of October when much to our satisfac-
tion the two armies stood face to face along a range of
low, wooded hills, familiarly known as Chaplin Hills,
about two miles north of Perryville; each looking

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anxiously forward to what was to be expected of them
the following morning.

The night was a beautiful moon-light night. Soft-
ly Luna shone on hill and valley, on forest and on the
field. The scene was grandly sublime, and all through
that October night, it was as still as death, excepting
now and then a shot or a shell came whizzing in the
air as a monitor, heralding the coming of a bloody
tomorrow near at hand.

It was scarcely day break on the 8th — for the
beautiful night still slumbered upon the hills — when
Bragg threw two of his divisions against McCook's
Corps, and up to the middle of the day fighting was
general all along McCook's line. There was plenty of
soldiers standing in readiness to help McCook, but
with that jealousy often existing among military com-
manders, Buell stood patiently by and allowed his men
to be slaughtered under the pretext that "McCook had
brought the battle on, now let him fight it out."

The 30th brigade to which our regiment belonged,

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had been standing in readiness all day until 3 o'clock
in the afternoon, expecting every moment to get the
orders to advance. And those orders finally came, for
at 3:30 p. m., an orderly was seen riding our way at
the top of his speed, and Col. Bennett of the 75th, who
was ranking officer of the Brigade at that moment,
was told that there was a break in the battle line at
the front, and the 30th brigade was to occupy that
space at once.

Col. Bennett immediately rode his horse to the
front, and drawing his sword, gave the command:
"Attention, Battalion! Prepare to Load! — Load!" Of
course we all knew what this meant, although the old
75th had never heard the order before. The next order
from the Colonel immediately came : "Shoulder Arms !
Right Shoulder! Shift Arms! Forward, Double quick,
March !" And in less than thirty minutes by the watch
the gap in the line was filled by the entire Brigade,
and the order: "Commence Firing!" was responded to
all along the line.

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In the front of the 75th, the 15th Alabama In-
fantry rained their leaden hail upon us, and a battery
of six guns was pouring grape and canister into our
ranks from a rise of ground close by. However, this
was soon silenced by the 5th Wisconsin Battery on
another elevation immediately in our rear, and during
the next three hours and until night-fall the work of
destruction wTas kept up on both sides. When the 75th
mustered for roll-call next morning, there were 225
missing — 43 lying dead on the field, and 182 absent
and not accounted for. These of course were among
the wounded who were not able to report for duty next
day.

The loss to the Union forces that day was 3,944
in killed, wounded and prisoners ; and to our regiment
was 214 as follows: 43 killed in action, 154 wounded,
and a dozen or more taken prisoners. By the way, we
had a good natured Dutchman in our company who
always afterwards had this for a by-word: "Well, I
tell you, boys, dot war was beesness", and sure it was,

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for what we failed to learn about war that day we
surely learned afterwards.

The rebel loss during the engagement was given
by Bragg in his official report, 4320 in killed, wounded
and missing. No doubt many of the missing were
deserters who being near their Kentucky homes had
taken "French Leave," having already got all the war
they thought they were entitled to.

The second day afterwards, a detail of twenty
men (including myself) was sent to the battle-field to
bury the dead belonging to the 75th, and to report for
duty as expeditiously as possible.

When we had located the ground on which our
regiment stood for three long hours before darkness
closed in and tenderly relieved us of our unpleasant
task, we went about it; first gathering our own dead
in groups, then with spade and pick in hand we pro-
ceeded to dig four trenches about two feet deep and
sufficiently long to receive the forty three good Illinois
boys with whom we had marched side by side through

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sunshine and rain since our departure from Louisville,
and with whom we had associated for the past two
months or more many of them for the past two years,
and some during all our lives. Then wrapping each
in his soldier blanket as best we could, we crowded
them in side by side, and after taking a last fond look
at each pale face, with our spades covered them over —
not with "beautiful flowers," as the poet would say,
but with Mother Earth which fair nature supplies for
our every want and at the same time calling to mind
a few lines of poetry that always seems proper on
occasions of the kind :

"How wonderful is Death,
Death and his brother Sleep,
One pale as yonder waning moon
With lips of lurid blue ;
The other rosy as the morn,
When throned on oceans wave
It blushes o'er the deep,
Yet both so Passing Wonderful."

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I found a piece of a cracker box close by and
printed thereon with my lead pencil-— "Nathan Myers,
Company C, 75th, Illinois Infantry,'' placed it at his
head as best I could, afterwards writing to his brother
Reuben Myers at Morrison, 111., who soon hunted it out
among the rest, removed it home and buried it in due
form. Permit me to say that the said Nathan Myers
was a cousin of mine and I was very anxious to have
his remains taken home for final interment.

Well, without tarrying even for a day to bury their
own dead, Bragg's army retired to Murfresboro,
Tenn., and Buell's forces proceeded to Nashville. But
before reaching Nashville, General Rosecrans succeed-
ed to the command and while resting at Nashville the
army was again reorganized and the plans laid for
the next campaign which came on during the ap-
proaching holidays.

79

THE MURFREESBORO CAMPAIGN

The Stone River, otherwise known as the Mur-
freesboro campaign was of short duration, but en-
tirely satisfactory to the Union cause. General Rose-
crans had reorganized the entire command which was
ever afterwards known and designated as the "Army
of the Cumberland." It was organized into three Army
Corps, t he right wing under the command of General
Alex. McDowell McCook, the left under Gen. Crittenden
and the center under "Old Pap Thomas," afterwards
known as the "Rock of Chickamauga". The 75th
Illinois regiment was assigned to the 1st Division of
McCpok's Corps, the division being commanded by
Gen. Jeff C. Davis, and the Brigade by Col. — after-
wards Gen. P. Sidney Post of the 59th Illinois, which
was also assigned to our Brigade.

The movements upon the enemy which wag en-

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camped about Murfreesboro, 30 miles distant, began
on the 26th day of December 1862, the announcement
being made Christmas night.

Bragg did not expect Rosecrans to make a winter
campaign, therefore seemed not to be ready for him
when he came ; but for all that, he put up a good fight
for three days from the morning of the 31st, when the
two armies faced each other. There had been a little
skirmishing along the line the evening previous, and
knowing that he had to take desperate chances, Gen-
ial Bragg had, during the night, massed his entire
rebel force on McCook's Corps. And before daylight
on the morning of the 31st, "Pandemonium" broke
loose — the rebs coming on in ranks abreast and eight
to ten columns deep, hurling such a blow against each
of McCook's three Divisions as to press us back in dis-
order for a full half mile or more.

Rosecrans, during this retreat, had gathered most
of his artillery together and posted them on an emi-
nence where they had full view of the entire rebel

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line, and then another "pandemonium" broke loose, for
shot and shell from fifty guns halted Bragg's army
where they stood, and their retreat threw his rank
and file in such confusion that they fell back in half the
time they came, for more than a mile before they
came to a halt.

By this time "Rosy" had reorganized his ranks,
and for hours the fighting was general all along the
line, but night coming on both armies bivouaced for
the night, glad to get a little much needed rest. Again
the battle was renewed on the afternoon of January
1st ; this time only by Hardee's Division against Rose-
cran's left wing, when the most continuous musket
firing I ever heard was going on from 3 o'clock until
night-fall.

Bragg in his official report admitted a loss of
more than ten thousand in killed and wounded, but
that did not include two thousand eight hundred
wounded, which he left on our hands.

The rebellion had received a terrible blow, but at a

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fearful loss in life and limb to the Union cause. Again
the nation rejoiced and mourned.

Our army at once occupied Murfreesboro, throw-
ing around it a cordon of camps, the position of our
regiment — the 75th 111. — being two miles south of town
on the Shelbyville pike.

The balance of the winter was a desperately cold,
rainy one and much sickness and many deaths in camp
and hospital was the result. But when spring came
the soldiers were all in good glee again and anxious for
the summer campaign which we knew was bound to
follow, and that, too, as soon as reorganization could be
effected.

Our regiment was always glad to do outpost duty,
for out in the country south of there garden truck was
plenty and the foraging was always good. I remember
of an old planter who was too decrepit to do duty in the
rebel ranks, complaining to Col. Bennett one morning
that the boys who were guarding his home were mak-
ing too free with the milk in the milk-house, and the

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vegetables in the garden. Col. Bennett was sitting
upon his horse — being officer of the day on that oc-
casion— all ready to make his regular rounds on the
picket lines. After the old fellow had told his story
and made his complaints, Bennett called the men about
him and said : "Men this man says you are making too
free with things about his plantation. I didn't think
that of you. Now I want to say to you all, that here-
after you are not to take anything you don't want. If
you do, I'll put every one of you in the guard house."
A good "Hurrah for Col. Bennett," ended the matter
right then and there.

The Vallandigham Case in Ohio came up that
spring, and he was tried and convicted of uttering
opinion disloyal to the government, and to the Union
cause. He bitterly opposed the war policy of the
President, and became famous for being a noted symp-
athizer of the Confederacy so much so that the
Supreme Court (upholding the decision of the com-
mission that tried him for disloyalty) ordered that he

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be put through our lines, which was accordingly done
while our regiment was on duty six miles south of
Murfreesboro.

General Garfield, who was at the time Rosecran's
Chief of Staff, came out to our Head-quarters the night
before, preparatory to putting him, the said Vallan-
digham, through the lines the following morning. Of
course we were all anxious to see the old traitor him-
self, consequently we were all out and ready for action
when the dawn of day arrived. Very soon a squad of
Cavalrymen was on the ground in command of an
officer of appropriate rank, and in their midst was a
buggy with a span of horses attached, and halting in
front of Gen. Garfield's tent, down from the carriage
stepped a good looking man, apparently about forty
years of age, wearing citizens clothes and a very light
colored hat. He was apparently as supple as a cat,
and showing no signs of fear called for the command-
ing officer.

Gen. Garfield was at once notified, and as he step-

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ped out of his tent in his night clothes, the two men
met and shook hands, when the following colloquy took
place, Vallandigham remarking as he pointed his finger
towards where the sun was just shining over a spur
in the mountains: "Night's candles have burned out,
and Jocund Day stands tiptoe on the misty mountain
top." Garfield simply smiled, and always ready for a
retort of any kind, followed this up by saying: "Thou
canst not say I did it, shake not thy gory locks at me."

As soon as a slight repast was served — all parties
sitting on the ground — the orders were duly read and
the act of putting the rebel sympathizer through the
lines among his friends was begun. At first the officer
of the day on the other side refused to take the Ohio
man into his care but after parleying back and forth
the greater portion of the day he was turned over to
the proper rebel officer, and the first act of putting a
politician through the lines for disloyalty during the
war was accomplished.

But the confederacy had no use for a man who

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claimed to be their friend but was too cowardly to turn
in and help them, hence by order of President Davis
himself, Vallandigham was sent to Charleston, there
placed upon a blockade-runner and sent way around to
Quebeck, and in due time found his way back to Ohio
again. He was nominated by his party for Governor
of Ohio that same fall but was defeated by Governor
Brough by a majority of 100,000 or more.

87

MICKEY'S BLASTED OLD COW.

We had a little Irishman along with us by the
name of Mike Burns, whom the boys always called
Mickey. He was a real little home body before going
into the service, a fellow everybody liked, always ready
to crack a joke but not so easy to take one himself,
consequently the boys were apt to impose upon him,
for after getting in the army so far away from Biddy
and the baby, he took things more seriously, always
asking the boys if they had heard from home lately
and whether the home folks said anything about Biddy
and the kid. He couldn't write a lick in the world, but
always got some of the comrades to write for him.

While in camp at Murfreesboro that spring,
Mickey asked for a furlough — for he was as homesick
as a dog — and had a fellow write to his wife telling
her to send him some money for his expenses home.

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Well, when the letter came from his wife, the
comrade who read it to him made it to read in answer
to his appeal for money, that she had a hard time to
get along with only her hands and the one cow Mickey
had left, and she wouldn't sell that cow for anybody.
This nearly broke Mickey's heart, but it finally turned
out that before the furlough came, the regiment was
called to Franklin to help to repel a rebel cavalry raid,
and in the skirmish that ensued Mickey himself re-
ceived a slight wound, on account of which he was sent
to the field hospital near by.

One day soon afterwards a couple of the boys went
over to see how Mickey got along, and of course he
asked whether they had heard anything from his fur-
lough yet, They told him in a kind of a sympathetic
tone, the chances were that he wouldn't live to go
home anyway, and asked him what they should say
to his wife in case he should die.

Right then and there poor Mickey's love of home
as well as of country failed him, and says he: "Boys

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you can write to her or not, just as you darn please, but
if you do, jist tell her that I died to save that blasted
old cow of her's."

Well Mickey finally got well again, but the boys
never forgot to joke him about that "blasted old cow"
of his, whenever they got him in a crowd. Mickey ac'
companied the regiment in all of its rounds afterwards,
and was finally discharged at Chicago with the rest.

90

CAPTURED BY MORGAN'S MEN

It was in the latter part of January 1863 while we
were in camp at Murfreesboro that the sutler of our
regiment, an old chap whom the boys were always
playing jokes upon, had disposed of his entire stock,
got his accounts all into greenbacks, and asked the
Colonel for an escort to Nashville where he wanted to
lay in another big stock of sutler goods such as canned
fruit, tobacco, crackers and cheese, sauer kraut and
the like — all of which he would ask four or five prices
for and even then he made the limit to his crediting
capacity to each soldier of three dollars a month. Now
you can draw your own conclusions as to the probable
amount of love we all had for the old fellow who hadn't
a bit of fighting to do, but was ever ready to make the
dollars off the boys who always had to "bear the burden
and heat of the day."

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Well, the Colonel who had little use for the old
man himself, ordered him an escort consisting of one
man, and that was myself. It was a blessed cold Sun-
day that we started out for Nashville with his two
horses hitched to his sutler's wagon, and about night-
fall that we reached LaVergne the half way place.
There was only about a dozen houses in town and they
were occupied by Secesh as we well knew, so the best
we could do was to go into camp in an old negro hut
with a big fireplace, spread our blankets down on the
floor and do the best we could by turning in for the
night.

Before going to sleep the old sutler confided to
me the fact that he had on his person three or four
thousand dollars in greenbacks, every dollar he posses-
sod in the world, and was afraid the Johnies might
take us in before morning. Of course it looked a little
hazardous to us both, but we were in for it, let come
what may.

We had a fair night's sleep, as far as I know, but

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in the morning while the old sutler was hitching up
the horses, here came a squad of horsemen and the
leader yelled out "whose horses are these?" "Mine",
was the old man's reply, trembling in his boots, for he
thought sure enough he was a goner. "Well hitch
'em up as quick as you can, I'll just take you down here
apiece and introduce you to Gen. John Morgan I guess.
He wants just such horses as yours, they're mighty
good ones I notice."

All the old sutler could do was to obey orders ; so
he went about it with a will, but pretty soon he was
relieved of his distress, the cavalryman letting him
down as easily as possible by saying "Sir, you ought
to know better than to be caught here alone in this
way. Don't you know that Morgan's men are raiding
all over this section of the country? If you want to
save your bacon, get out of this as quick as you can,
and don't let the grass grow under your feet." I ex-
pect the old man would have divided his money equally
with 'em if they had asked it.

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

Of course it was a dangerous thing for us to do,
but there was danger any where about that time, hence
we didn't stop to consider very much what might or
might not come. However, I can assure you, as the
Dutcher would say: "We always looked a leetle oudt
after that."

Morgan's men were always a holy terror to friend
and foe, alike. Always the best of fighters, and Mor-
gan himself the bravest of the brave. But he was
caught napping in a large, brick residence at Green-
ville East Tennessee two years later, after which the
very familiar cry of "Morgan's got y'r Mule" was drop-
ped out of sight and hearing, entirely.

94

THE CHICKAMAUGA CAMPAIGN

After a good long rest at Murfreesboro, reorganiz-
ing, drilling and building half a dozen forts — appar-
ently not for use but to keep the boys all doing some-
thing— it was announced that everything was in readi-
ness for an advance; Chattanooga supposed to be the
objective point. This news the soldiers all hailed with
joy, and the good old song: "Rally Round the Flag
Boys" was begun, and the refrain was taken up all
along the line until all the woods echoed back the
sound : "Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom."

By the 20th of June the location of the enemy
had become thoroughly understood. His main infantry
force was in the neighborhood of Tullahoma, his left
resting at Shelbyville; and on the night of the 30th
both armies were in front of each other again.

The next morning, however, it was learned that

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

Bragg had abandoned his position, leaving only a rear
guard which was soon put to flight, and again our
army went into camp, its right resting at Winchester,
Tenn., and its left at McMinville, where it recruited
from exhaustion, as the rainy season had now come
on. The rivers that we had to cross were all over-
flowing their banks, and the infantry was obliged to
wade through waist deep, holding their guns and ac-
coutrements high above their heads. However, it was
my good fortune, occasionally, of being allowed a stand-
ing place behind Col. Bennett on horseback, he being
a particular friend of mine, thus passing over dry-shod
for which I was always truly thankful.

During chis stay which lasted only for a few
weeks, it was learned that the enemy had crossed the
Cumberland Mountains, doubtless with the intentions
of leading us on, and if necessary giving battle again
at or near Chattanooga, the real objective point of the
campaign. Therefore, on the 16th of August, Rose-
crans army was in line again and on the 21st the three

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

Army Corps was resting on and along the north bank of
the Tennessee river from Stevenson, Alabama, north-
ward as far as the Sequatchie Valley, the center rest-
ing at or near Shell-Mound. While McCook's Corps to
which our regiment belonged, was resting at Stevenson
I was ordered to report to Gen. Rosecrans' Headquar-
ters for examination before a board of regular army
officers, as to my qualifications for duty in the Signal
Corps of the Regular Army. I passed the examination
all right, and was about one month thereafter trans-
ferred from the infantry service to that other branch
which I liked much better.

Rosecrans' army soon moved from its position on
the Tennessee river as above stated, and by about the
middle of September, the two armies faced each other
south of Chattanooga, along what was and is still
known as the Chickamauga Creek. And by the way,
this creek was rightly named, as in the Indian language
that name signified "The River of Death."

The outcome of that terrible battle fought on the

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

19th and 20th of September, 1863, is too well known to
require any kind of a description here. Suffice it to
say that the Union forces only numbered 55,000, and
the Confederates about 70,000 effective men including
Long-street's corps from the Army of the Potomac.
The official reports filed on either side gave the Union
loss at 15,000 and the Confederate loss at 16,000, a
total of 31,000 good Americans killed, wounded and
missing.

At its close Rosecrans found himself hemmed in
at Chattanooga with only one pontoon bridge across
the Tennessee river, but with three lines of entrench-
ments six miles long, from Lookout Point to the river
above, and Bragg's army in front preparatory for the
two months siege that followed.

In all of these marches and warlike engagements,
the old 75th 111., to which I belonged did well its part,
for which the Commanding officer complimented the
regiment for its bravery in action, and for the good
work performed during the entire campaign. And

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while its loss was small in killed and wounded,
it was often in the thickest of the fight, but as eager
as ever for the fray during the almost two years that
followed.

99

HOOKER'S ARMY ARRIVES

Soon after the close of the Chickamauga campaign
our regiment was ordered to Whiteside, a few miles
west of Chattanooga, and the order soon came from
the War Department at Washington, transferring
Albert M. Crary to the Signal Corps of the regular
army, and ordering me to report to Gen. Rosecrans'
Headquarters at Chattanooga for Signal duty. This
of course terminated my service with the regiment,
although I was always in touch with the boys I had
served with from the beginning.

When the Eleventh and Twelfth Corps from the
Army of the Potomac arrived, the Signal Detachment
to which I was first assigned was ordered to Hooker's
Headquarter's for duty, and from that time on until
after the Lookout Mountain and the Misionary Ridge
fights I was on that old fighter's staff, sending and re-

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THE A. Me CRARY MEMOIRS

ceiving messages by Flag, and by the Field Telegraph
so much used in a mountainous and wooded country
like that.

This department of the service was always fur-
nished with the best of horses when not on signal
station or at Headquarters sending and receiving
messages ; therefore it was my privilege as well as my
pleasure to be with Hooker when he attacked the
enemy entrenched along the west side of Lookout
Mountain on that November day, and to see the Stars
and Stripes raised on Lookout Point, after his famous
"battle above the clouds."

The old 60th New York was there, and I remember
well of meeting and talking with some of the St. Law-
rence county boys I had known all my life, and of assist-
ing them as best I could in burying on that mountain
side some of their dead comrades left upon that field
the day before. General E. A. Merritt was Quarter
Master of the regiment, as I remember it, at that time.
I also found Charlie Morrill, App Robinson and many

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

others whose names I am not able to recall. I also
visited that regiment several times while on the Atlan-
ta campaign, and I know of my own knowledge that it
was one of the very best regiments in the service. No
doubt many of the old comrades are still left, in fact
I know the address of some outside of Old St. Lawrence
at this writing — provided they have not already "mus-
tered upon the other shore." The last time I met the
60th New York as a regiment, was while resting for a
time at Atlanta previous to Sherman's famous March
to the Sea.

102

THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN.

Immediately following the Lookout Mountain and
Missionary Ridge battles, General Grant left for Wash-
ington to take personal command of the entire Union
forces, leaving Gen. Sherman in command at Chatta-
nooga.

The battle of Gettysburg, and Pemberton's sur-
render at Vicksburg added to the union victory at
Murfreesboro had in reality broken the back-bone of
the Confederacy, but the American soldiers it seemed,
never know when they are whipped, consequently it
became necessary for the Confederacy to be cut in two,
which Sherman now proceeded to do.

In the reorganization of his army here in Chatta-
nooga the detachment of the Signal Corps to which I
then belonged was assigned to Sherman's Headquarters
hence I had the best opportunity I had ever before

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THE A, M. CRARY MEMOIRS

enjoyed to note the real operations of an army in the
field. Tii fact a soldier in the ranks sees little more
than what happens in his immediate vision, but in the
Signal service his vision is greatly extended, as that
branch of an army is always supposed to be "the eyes
and ears of the commanding officer", during the entire
Campaign.

The rebel Gen. Bragg had been succeeded by Gen.
Joseph Johnson, his forces being now encamped about
Dalton, with a good strong detachment at Grayville
and Tunnel Hill. The Union troops destined to operate
in this campaign were designated as the Army of the
Tennessee under the command of Gen. McPherson, the
Army of the Cumberland under Gen. Thomas, and the
Army of the Ohio under Gen. Schofield who afterwards
did such noble work at Franklin, leaving between seven
and eight thousand of Hood's brave men dead upon the
field. Gen. Sherman's army now consisted of 98,797
men, including soldiers in rank, teamsters, the hospital
corps, and thousands of men detailed to guard our line

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THE A. M. CHARY MEMOIRS

of communication by railroad from Nashville to the
front. He also had 254 cannons distributed through
the command at the rate of one battery of light artil-
lery to each brigade.

Under the physical obstacles before him, Sherman
resolved upon turning the enemy's flank; and accord-
ingly, after making a feint on the right towards Gor-
don's Mill he came upon a small force in front of Rocky
Faced Ridge, shelling them out of that and capturing
Dalton and Buzzard's Roost with less than a hundred
in killed, wounded and missing.

Atlanta being the objective point in this campaign,
it was Sherman's policy from first to last to save his
men by his "flanking" tactics, hence he continued to
press the enemy back with but few slight engagements
at Resaca, Kingston, Dallas, Pumpkin-vine creek, and
finally in front of Atlanta where on the 22nd day of
July, Gen. McPherson was killed.

Sherman finally concluded to flank Atlanta and
force Gen. Hood who had just succeeded to the com-

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mand, to get out of that stronghold without bringing
on a general engagement. This plan succeeded admir-
ably, for after striking the railroad at Lovejoy station,
some twenty miles south of Atlanta on the last day of
August, the enemy blew up what ammunition they had
in store at Atlanta and retired in the dead of the night
in the direction of Lost Mountain, avoiding the Union
forces as much as possible; and on the next day Sher-
man returned and took possession of Atlanta after
four months of hard campaigning over a distance of
141 miles.

No thought had as yet entered the mind of the
Union Commander of destroying Atlanta, the capital
of the great state of Georgia. But when Gen. Hood
swung his army around to the west and northward,
gobbling onto the railroad between Kennesaw Mountain
and Allatoona Pass, and had thrown his entire force
against the little fortress at Allatoona, where rations
enough were deposited to last an army for a couple of
months or so, the plans of the campaign were changed

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entirely, and Sherman was ordered to leave Gen. Thom-
as, 'The Rock of Chickamauga" to take care of Hood, to
destroy Atlanta and to cut loose to the seaboard, which
he at once proceeded to do.

107

FRANKLIN AND NASHVILLE

At this juncture of the campaigning, the Detach-
ment of the Signal Corps to which I belonged was as-
signed to General Thomas' Headquarters for duty,
therefore Sherman's famous "March to the Sea" was
kept from us entirely, however, it gave us an oppor-
tunity to be eye witnesses to the most desperate hand
to hand fighting that ever took place on the American
Continent, possibly barring Pickett's famous charge at
Gettysburg.

Sherman cut loose for the sea two or three days
after the Allatoona fight, and Hood's entire army then
swung around to the west again, and in due time
crossed the Tennessee river at Florence, Alabama,
45,000 strong, bent upon the capture of Nashville and of
bringing Tennessee back into the Confederacy again.
But he soon found out that "The best laid plans of mice

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and men Gang Aft Aglee" for Thomas and Schofield
were prepared to crush him at Franklin and Nashville,
which they proceeded to do in the following beautiful
style.

It was the last day of November, 1864, Thomas
was on his way to Nashville with part of his army,
and Schofield was keeping an eagle's eye on the enemy
farther to the west, expecting to join Thomas at Nash-
ville before any thing like an engagement was brought
on,

Hood on the Confederate side had hoped by a
forced and rapid march from Florence, Ala., to inter-
cept and destroy Schofield before he could join Thomas,

The two forces first met at Columbia, and raced
desperately in parallel columns towards the goal at
Nashville. Hood had the advantage. He gave orders
for the leading Corps to take and hold possession of the
pike at Spring Hill, a task which as the matters then
stood would have been comparatively easy ; would have
cut Sehofield's army in two, thus giving the Confed=

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erates time to attack separately and to crush both
wings of the divided army. But by some means his
orders were miscarried, and when the Confeds were
massed and ready for action in front of Franklin, Scho-
field was strongly intrenched along the north side of
the Harpeth river which bends around the town, and
while the Federal guns were pouring their shot and
shell into the enemy's ranks as they were forming for
action, Gen. Hood sat upon his horse in plain sight of
both armies, writing and sending out orders for the
charge.

Across the open field more than a mile wide they
came, charging against Schofield's solid line of in-
trenchments. Half a dozen times or more they fell
back, reformed and charged again, to the very mouths
of the guns inside the works at times, but each time
sent back by a defense as brave and determined as
the attack itself.

The next morning the dead lay over the field so
thick that one might have walked for a mile, using the

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dead bodies as stepping stones. Cleburn and his horse
lay dead in the immediate front of our regiment on the
Columbia pike. Adams and his horse lay dead half
way across our breastworks. Gist, Strahl and Gran-
berry had fallen in front of their commands, and Car-
ter, mortally wounded had been carired through the
Federal lines to his own house near by and died in the
arms of his family — probably the only officer on either
side throughout the whole war who met his death in
pitched battle at his own door.

Cut and haggled to pieces as his army was, Hood
was before Nashville in three days time, and facing
the united armies of Schofield and Thomas, too. Both
sides lay most of the time inactive there for several
weeks and until Thomas was ready to strike the final
blow.

Hood's army had been reduced by desertion to a
considerable extent, and when Thomas' advance from
Nashville commenced the Union forces had little to do
except to advance and occupy the ground on which we

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had camped just exactly two years before. However,
there was a few rather sharp engagements here and
there, but by the 20th of December, 1864, Hood's army
(what few there was left of them) again crossed the
Tennessee river into Alabama and the war was virtual-
ly at an end.

112

BACK INTO CIVIL LIFE AGAIN

The two battles of Franklin and Nashville prac-
tically ended the active campaigning, so far as our
department was concerned. Therefore we passed the
winter and spring moving about from place to place,
and the 9th of April, when Lee surrendered to Grant
at Appomattox found our detachment of the Signal
Corps at Greenville, East Tennessee the home of Vice
President Johnson. We arrived there by rail the next
day after Morgan was killed in the same brick residence
that Gen. Stanley, who commanded the Division sent
there, established his headquarters.

This entire Command was soon ordered back to
Nashville and went into camp for the last time six
miles south of that city. Active campaigning now be-
ing entirely over, I asked for and soon was granted a
30 days furlough, and on the 26th. day of June, while

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

yet a "bold soldier boy" was married to Miss Sabra A.
Teats, daughter of Judge and Mrs. C. C. Teats at Erie,
Whiteside county, Illinois, Reverend J. W. Jacobs of
Morrison, performing the marriage ceremonies.

Soon after this event took place I returned to Nash
ville expecting to be sent to Texas where there was
some trouble brewing yet; but when I reported at
Signal Headquarters for duty, Captain Joseph H.
Spencer, who was then in command, handed me my
discharge, and told me to go to the Paymaster in Nash-
ville, draw the six months pay that was due me, and
the one hundred dollars bounty I was allowed by law,
then to go home and commence life over again. Of
course that kind of an admonition sounded good to me ;
therefore after serving my country faithfully for three
long years, I was free to come and go as I pleased again.
It was three years of the best part of my life, but I
never have regretted for a moment the sacrifice so
made.

During the next seven years after our marriage,

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I taught school the greater part of the time in that —
Whitside — county, and there were born to us three
children, two sons and a daughter, all of whom togeth-
er with their children and our grandchildren, fifteen in
all, are now living near us. Then learning of the great
opportunities presenting themselves in the great state
of Kansas, we pulled up stakes, struck tents, and cast
our lots in this (Dickinson) county where we have re-
sided ever since.

I had homesteaded my quarter-section of land
eighteen miles south of Abilene, the fall previous, but
not being able to locate on it myself within the six
months time the law required me to do so, my good
wife took the three small children herself, came to
Abilene by rail and hired a man to build us a shanty
on the land large enough to meet the requirement of
the law; thus holding it until I came and joined them
a couple of months afterwards. I count that an act
on my wife's part, coming among almost entire strang-
ers as she did, worthy of the highest commendation,
and I know that you, Mr. Reader, will join me in that
conclusion.

115

RAIDED BY GRASSHOPPERS

The first two years of our Kansas life was success-
ful in the main, during which time I had set out hedge,
broke up the prairie, built a fair sized house and barn,
and in 1874 had succeeded in harvesting twenty acres
of as fine wheat as was ever taken from the threshing
machine. We also had a nice field of corn from eight
to twelve feet high, and all went well until wheat
threshing time came, along about the middle of August,
when Lo and Behold, the heavens above became over-
cast, not with clouds of rain, but with myriads of grass-
hoppers as far as could be seen in every direction.

No one can realize the extent of the demoraliza-
tion these little pests wrought among us. We at once
decided that there was no use at all in using language
in any manner irreverent, for none among us felt that
we could do the thing justice; so we unhitched horses

116

THE A. M, CRARY MEMOIRS

from the horse-power, staked down the machine to
prevent it from being carried off bodily, each repairing
to our respective homes bent on waiting the issue what-
ever that might mean.

The next morning the sun arose, but the hoppers
clung to the earth ; we poor homesteaders still waiting
the outcome. By sun up an hour and a half high, it
was easy to be seen that the corn in the field was go-
ing, so the order was "Fall to, and Spare not", and
directly the corn knives were at work in the fields to
beat the band.

Well, after cutting and slashing for twenty rods
or more, we looked back and the piles of corn stalks
we had made were nowhere to be seen. So not propos-
ing to cut it down for their particular accomodation,
we all retired in good order and left it to its fate.
Suffice it to say that not one ear of corn that year was
ever harvested in this section of the state, although
we succeeded in saving what wheat the hoppers didn't
want ; and that ended the farming about here until the

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

frost came, after which the lands were planted to fall
wheat again, and all went into winter quarters, hoping
for the best.

That fall there was a county electon to be held, and
having taught school the winter before in this, Dick-
inson county, I entered the race for County Superin-
tendent of schools, and at the November election went
into office "hands down."

We then moved to Abilene where we resided until
1883, and until my last term as County Superintendent
had expired.

By this time the hopper scares were all over,
the cyclones and the tornadoes had disappeared from
the state — had all gone East and South I learned after-
wards— and "Kansas was herself again." The prairie
schooners that had gone east in '75, '76 and '77, all
labeled on their sides, "In God we trusted, and in Kan-
sas we Busted," nearly all came back and from that
time 'till now Kansas has shown the best figures for
stock and grain of any of the Western States.

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My ten years service in the office of Superintend-
ent of Schools of Dickinson County, naturally brought
me into close touch with all the people of the county,
both old and young; therefore it is quite natural that
I should regard this as my permanent abiding place. It
was a part of my duties to visit each and every school
in the county once or twice each year, consequently
this brought me so very many acquaintances that hun-
dreds of the kids who attended the district schools
thirty and thirty-five years ago, even at this late day
hail me as of old, and remind me of those far off days,
when as they sometimes say " we attended school to-
gether."

119

NOW INTO THE EDITORIAL FIELD

As soon as my ten years work in that office was
done, we moved back to our Ridge township farm and
commenced to raise wheat, corn, oats, cattle and horses
again. But finding this to be rather down hill business
on account of the prevailing low prices at the time, I
accepted a call from Mr. Royer, owner of the Abilene
Daily Gazette, to come back to the County Seat and
edit that paper, during the coming political campaign ;
and that three months service gave me such a desire
for Newspaper Work that we moved to Hope, and with
the assistance of a couple of printers from Council
Grove, added to the kind advice of the Hope business
men, commenced the publication of the Hope Dispatch
which my nephew, M. C. Hemenway, now owns and
publishes.

And this brings me up to the Summer of 1889 at

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

which time I sold my interest in the Dispatch to Mr.
Hemenway, and together with my son, Bruce, who had
learned the printing business in the Dispatch office at
Hope, commenced the publication of The Herington
Times which we continued to build up during the next
Twenty years, and until the Summer of 1909 when we
disposed of the plant to W. H. Smith, and he in turn
selling out to Harris and Barton, its present owners
and publishers.

The next fall after coming to Herington I was
elected to the office of Justice of the Peace, which office
I have held ever since; having been re-elected every
two years. In addition to this I have served as Coun-
cilman two years, Mayor of the City one year, and am
at this time serving as Police Judge, to which office 1
have been elected and re-elected four or five times.

During the last fifteen years Herington has grown
from a little town of one thousand inhabitants to a
City of the Second Class — our population now num-
bering Four Thousand Three Hundred and Seventy

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Five, almost one third of whom are Rock Island Rail-
road men and their families.

Herington has at this time : three large, first class
School Buildings, ten Churches, and plenty of first
class business houses. Also, we are erecting at this
time a large High School building, a Carnegie Library
Building, and an elegant Masonic Temple which we
expect to occupy by about the first of October 1915 —
this present year.

With one, bare exception, our children and grand
children are all settled around us, the same being with
us at the time of our Golden Wedding Anniversary,
June 26th, 1915, an account of which will be given on
the next few pages, the same to close the Author's
personal Memoirs, and Book ONE of this volume.

122

OUR GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

Before closing these Memoirs I desire to re-
turn thanks to the several Masonic Lodges of Hering-
ton for the very pleasant and enjoyable reception
tendered to Mrs. Crary and myself on the Fiftieth
Anniversary of our Wedded life, the following account
of which I clip from the Herington Times of date July
1st, 1915.

GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
It has been a long time since a Golden Wedding
Anniversary was observed in Herington with such
splendid ceremonies as those that attended the anni-
versary of Judge and Mrs. A. M. Crary at the Masonic
Hall last Thursday night. The event was planned and
executed by the various branches of the Masonic order
and in its success it exceeded by far the expectations
of the committees which had it in charge. The guests

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

included the members of the Masonic orders in Hering-
ton and Hope and the members of the W. R. C. and
G. A. R. These guests with the relatives numbered
about 200.

The hall was beautifully decorated, the profuse
display of wild daisies especially adding beauty to the
scene. At one end of the hall, was "1865" the date of
the marriage of the Crarys and at the other "1915"
both in large gold figures.

The ceremony was performed by Dr. R. M. Tinnon
after which the 200 guests pasesd in review before the
bridal couple and extended congratulations. In behalf
of the lodge Dr. Tinnon presented to Judge Crary a
beautiful gold headed cane and to Mrs. Crary an ele-
gant gold-headed parasol. This called for a speech from
the Judge who thanked the donors in a few appropriate
words for these gifts and for the ceremonies which had
been planned for him and Mrs. Crary.

A. C. Bertsinger of Hope lodge presented to Judge
Crary a set of gold cuff buttons, a stick pin and a gold

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

neck-tie band as remembrances from the Hope lodge
of which the Judge was the first master.

Following these ceremonies, the Ladies Band of
Herington played a selection, Mrs. L. D. Blachly gave a
reading and Miss Mattie Beam rendered a solo. Miss
Ruth Hemenway, a relative of the Crarys sang "Silver
Threads Among The Gold." Miss Laurene Crary of
McPherson, a grand daughter, played the wedding
march, A. H. Wheat of Salina was best man and Mrs.
Wheat bridesmaid.

After the ceremony a sumptuous repast was serv-
ed in the banquet hall.

Mr. and Mrs. Crary were married in Erie, White-
side county, Illinois, fifty years ago. At the time of
their marriage the Judge was on a furlough from his
regiment then stationed at Nashville. They have been
residents of this county for forty years or more and
perhaps no more popular couple live in the county than
they. Although the Judge has reached his four score
years, he is in good health and his faculties are unim=

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

paired. Always cheerful and youthful in spirit, time
has not made of him what it usually does with the
average man of his years, and all of his friends believe
and hope that he will remain young as long as he lives.

Among the guests at the anniversary were a num-
ber of Masons from Hope, Delavan and other towns.
The relatives present were: M. C. Hemenway and
family of Hope, Mr. and Mrs. Merrill Bradshaw of
Wichita, E. C. Crary and family of McPherson, Mr. and
Mrs. Walter Crary of McPherson, Mr. and Mrs. S. W.
Tobey of Hope, Mrs. W. A. Hawley, Mrs. D. R. Under-
wood, Mrs. F. A. White of Kansas City and W. A.
Crary of Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Judge and Mrs. Crary were the recipients of many
presents, all of which they prize highly. Among other
things, they received $100 in gold.

126

THE r*ew YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTQtv Lt^QX AND
TILDEN FOUNDATIONS

=

OS

-

C
C

PART SECOND

RECORD OF THE CRARY-TEATS

AND HOPKINS FAMILIES

APPENDIX

Descent Of The Crary Family From Peter and John
Crary Down To The Present Generations.

I do not claim to have in my possession a perfect
Record of so numerous a family as I, myself belong to,
and I doubt very much if such a Record ever was or
ever will be found. Officials were not as particular in
those early days as they are now to record and to
keep up the family records as they should be kept.

Family Traditions have it that during the time of
Robert Bruce of Scotland the family name was Mc-
Quary, and that in due time the Mc. was dropped,
leaving the name of that clan, Quary. That finally,
this name was changed to McCrary, and that farther
on the Mc. was again dropped, which left our name
just, simply CRARY, nothing more and nothing less.
Any way, wrhen those two brothers, Peter and John
landed in America they were known then, and ever
after have been, and always will be known and recog-
nized as CRARY.

With this brief explanation, I now proceed to the
task of giving you the Record as I find it, which is
practically correct, so far as it goes to say the least.

128

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

Record of Nathan And Lydia Crary

The Record of the NATHAN Crary family from
Peter Crary down may be briefly stated as follows :
Peter Crary was born in Scotland in 1645.
Robert, son of Peter was born in 1690.
Christopher, son of Robert was born in 1713.
Ezra, son of Christopher was born in 1737.
NATHAN, son of Ezra was born at Voluntown, Conn.,
March 9th, 1762, and married Lydia Arnold May 1st,,
1783.

Their children were as follows :
Ezra, born 1787, died 1844.
Appleton, born 1789, died 1867.
Dolly, born 1790, died 1819.
Nathan, born 1791, died 1861.
Orin, born 1793, died 1878.
Lydia," born 1796, died 1855.
Edward, born 1801, died 1853.
Oringe Smith, born 1803, died 1889.
Sobrina, born 1806, died 1861.
John Wesley, born 1808, died 1902.
Stephen, born 1812, died 1880.
Julia, born 1814, died 1890.

There were also two children in this family who
died in infancy, making in all 14 children born to
NATHAN and Lydia Arnold Crary.

129

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

Record of the APPLETON and ROBY CRARY Family

Appleton Crary married Roby Hopkins at Canton,
New York on the 8th day of March A. D., 1808. Their
children were:

Truman, born in 1809, died in infancy.
Albert, born in 1811, died in 1826.
Polly, born in 1813, died in 1833
Dolly, born in 1815, died in 1901.
Lucretia, born in 1817, died in 1824.
Truman Hopkins, born Dec. 21st, 1819, died Aug. 1876
Nathan, born Oct. 28th, 1821, died May 15th, 1864.
Wililam H., born Aug. 4th, 1823, died July 31st, 1849.
Ezra M., born Jan. 18th, 1825, died Aug. 10th, 1902.
Lydia, born Jan. 31st, 1827, died Jan. 24th, 1908.
Praxa, born Oct. 22nd, 1829, died June 7th, 1870
Royal J., born Aug. 7th, 1831, died Oct. 24th, 1869.
Orin M., born Oct. 20th, 1832, died Sept. 21st, 1886.
Albert M., born Nov. 20th, 1834, Author of this Book

130

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

Family Of Appleton and Roby Crary.

Dolly the eldest daughter of the family who lived
to any considerable age, married Parker Robinson of
Parishville, N. Y.

Their children were : Albert, Nathan, Polly, Myron
Appleton, Elma, Ezra and Ruth. Albert married
Marie Brooks. Nathan married 1st Mary Pemperton,
2nd Vesta Crary- Polly married Horace Raymond.
Elma married Warren Turner. Myron married Matil-
da Roony. Ezra married Mattie Howard. Ruth mar-
ried George Turner.

Truman H., the eldest son who lived to any con-
siderable age, married, 1st Olive Wellington. 2nd Mrs.
Emily Olmstead. His children by the first wife were :
Calista and Ezra Mead. By the second wife were : Silas
W., Lucius T., Almeron and Alvah. Calista married
Andrew Cole. Ezra Mead married 1st Mary White,
2nd Julia Finley. Silas W., not married. Lucius T„
married Mira Chase. Alvah married.

Emily Olmstead's children by her first husband
were : Lydia, Hepsy, Mariette and George Olmstead.

131

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

Nathan 3rd, married Lorain Cornish. Their child-
ren were Amelia Ann, Harriet R and Nathan. Amelia
Ann married Dr. Barney. Harriet R. married John W.
Prince of Springfield, Mass., and Nathan married Eliza
Emmons Dickinson.

William H, married Louesa Amond. After Will-
iam's death there was born to this union a son, named
William H. in loving memory of that good brother of
mine whose untimely death came upon us within six
short weeks after his said marriage.

Ezra M. married 1st Julia A. Brown. There was
no issue to this union ; 2nd Margaret Bell. Their child-
ren were:

John Hopkins, married Mina N. Montague.
William Appleton, married Mabel McDonald.
Merril Malcolm, married Vesta Hemenway.
Edward Baker. Single.
Philip Sheridan. Single.
Frances Camelia, married 1st Burton Cook, 2nd Geo.

W. Hadley.
Ezra Milton, married Frances Mc'Donald.

132

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

Albert Millard, married Anna E. Patmode,
Clayton Bell, married Lelia Fulton.
Lydia Lucretia, married Harry B. Olin,

This large family, with but two exceptions, is now
living in North Dakota, where they went when the
country was new and they could get land cheap. Al=
though we are more than a thousand miles apart, we
visit each other, generally about once a year.

Lydia Lucretia married Salmon Hemenway of
West Potsdam, N. Y. Their children were Lovinus
who was a Locomotive Engineer and unmarried. Mar-
cellus who died in infancy. Millard C. who married 1st
Gussie Channon ; 2nd Carrie Carnes. Herbert T. who
married Ella Hearns. Corrie M. who married E. Col-
wert Adams, and Vesta A. who married Merril M., son
of Ezra and Margaret Crary.

Praxa Ann, married Truman Moore of West Pots-
dam. Their children were:
Lettetia V. married Orry W. Barlow.
Erskine T. married Ella Barber of Canton.
Florence V. married Gillie Howard.
John M. married Clara Felton.

133

THE A. M. CHARY MEMOIRS

Nathan C. married Jennie Bellows.

Mildred J. married Dr. F. M. Crain of Redfield, South

Dakota.

The above named Erskine M. and Lettetia V. now
living in South Tacoma, Washington, and John M. and
Nathan C. living in New York state.

Royal J. married Louesa Crary. Their children
were: Charlie, who died young. Emma who married
Angus R. Grant of North Tonawanda, N. Y. and Lor-
aine. who married Chas. E. Knight of Bradford, Pa.

Orin M. married Sarah E. Barlow. They had one
daughter by adoption, Lottie E. who taught the Scien-
ces in the Kansas State Normal School in Emporia for
many years — now living in South Tacoma, Wash.

Albert M. (author of this book) married 1st Caro-
line Myers of Potsdam N. Y. — no issue ; 2nd Sabra A.
Teats of Erie, Whiteside County, Illinois. Their child-
ren were:
Elwin C. married Inez Phinney of Council Grove, Kans.

134

THE A. M, CRARY MEMOIRS

Mabel C. married Charles Bradshaw of Hope, Kansas,
Bruce C. married Rose Beagle of Hope, Kansas.

Record of the Stephen Crary Family

STEPHEN CRARY married 1st Julia Reynolds,

Their children were:

Betsy who married 1st James Healey, 2nd Thomas Sal-
isbury.

Ellen who married Horace Butetrfield.

Judson R. who married Jessie A. West.

Alson who married Sarah Searles.

William E. who married 1st Mary Peck, 2nd Eunice
Northrup.

Mahlon S. who married Martha A. Leonard.

Children of Stephen A. and Mary Montgomery

(his 2nd wife) :

Ryland A. who married 1st Maria Bacheller, 2nd, Ora
Lamb.

Nathan C. who married Elma A. Taggart.

Record of the Smith Crary Family

Oringe Smith who was commonly known as "Uncle
Smith, the Poet," married Minerva Sanford. Their
children were:

135

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

Eliza, who married Stephen Miles.
Marcia, who married Sherman Royce.
George L. who married Julia Clark.
Leslie who married Philena Montague.
Caroline, who died single.
Minerva, Emerett and Emogene Maria.

Record of the Wesley Crary Family.

John Wesley Crary married Pamelia Holmes. Their
children were:
Charles W. known as "Doctor Charley," married Mary

Porter.
George H. married Kate Cooper.
Harriet, married Gen. Amos S. Kimball of the Regular

Army.
William H. married Mary Sabin. He is now known as

Dr. W. H. Crary, and is one of the leading dentists

of St. Paul, Minnesota.

"Uncle Wesley", as he was commonly known by
everybody, lived to be the oldest of the Crary families,
dying at the advanced age of ninety four and a half
years. He was hale and hearty, and as sprightly as a
boy up to within a few weeks before his death.

136

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

Record of the Ezra Crary Family.

Ezra was the oldest of my Grandfather's family.
He married my mother's sister, Sobrina Hopkins,
March 23rd, 1806, and removed from Potsdam, N. Y.,
to Defiance County, Ohio in 1844, with his entire fam-
ily. Their children were:
Elias who married Clarissa Smith.
Armenius who married Alzina L. Covey.
Nathaniel, married 1st Mercy Wartenbee, 2nd Mate

Hopkins.
Osgood S. married Frances Bullock.
Laura M. married Nelson Stone.
Hannah married Philip Ellsworth.
John H. and Ezra Mead, not married.

Record of the Nathan Crary 2nd, Family.

Nathan the 2nd, married Catherine Lamb. Their
family consisted of but one son who married Abigal
Brown of Parishville. After his death in 1853, Case's
widow married Ingram Leonard of Pierrepont Hill.

Record of the Orin Crary Family.

Orin Crary married Laura Clark. Their children

were :

137

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

Edward who married Lorain Thomas of Madrid.
Heman who married Susan Dimick of Hanaway Falls.
Harry who married Hannah Thompson of Vermont.

Record of the Edward Crary Family.

Edward Crary married Ruby Clark. Their only
daughter, Caroline, married Captain Charles Church of
Crary Mills, N. Y.

Sobrina Crary (my father's sister) married Rev.
Elijah Smead. They had no children of their own, but
had an adopted son — Thomas Stack.

Record of the Lydia Crary Family.

Lydia, sister of Appleton, married Warren Clark
of Potsdam. Their children were: John, Nathan and
Emerson. John was the first passenger conductor on
the Ogdensburg and Rouse's Point railroad for many
years. Nathan was a barber in Potsdam until
the Mexican war broke out. He then enlisted in the
army and served as long as that war lasted, then lo-

138

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

cated in San Francisco, since which time I have lost
track of him, entirely. Emerson, at last accounts, mov-
ed from Chicago to Los Angeles, California.

Record of the Dolly Crary Family.

Dolly, sister of Appleton Crary, married Aaron
Howard. Their children were: Oliver, Merril, Apple-
ton, Nathan, Orin and Lucy.

So far as I am able to find out, their children,
grand children, and great grand children are still living
in St. Lawrence county where their progenitors as far
back as my Grand Father, Nathan Crary lived and died.

Record of the Julia Crary Family.

Julia (my father's youngest sister) married Asa
Goodnough. Their children were: Thercleva, Andrew,
Julia and Orin. Farther than this I have no record of
this family.

Record of the Judge Teats Family.

Christopher C. Teats was born in Pennsylvania,
Sept. 26th, 1816, and died at Erie, Whiteside County,
Illinois, March 3rd, 1874, aged 58 years.

139

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

Chloe S. Warren was born in Wyoming county,
New York June 23rd 1820, and died at Herington, Kan-
sas, Oct. 13th, 1909, aged 89 years.

These were married at Erie, Illinois March 3rd,
1842. Their children were: Josephine, Clayton M.,
Sabra A., Delilah R., Lilly R., and Govnor.

Josephine married Stephen W. Tobey. Their
children were: Wallace, who married Addie Stratton,
Winnie, who married William A. Hawley, Warren and
Wyman.

Clayton M. married Mary Tobey. Their children
were: Lena, George, Walter, Lota, Millard and Clayton
M.

Sabra A. married A. M. Crary. Their children
were: Elwin C. who married Inez Phinney, Mabel C.
who married Charles Bradshaw, and Bruce C. who
married Rose Beagle.

Delilah R. married Elias Underwood. Their only
daughter, Edith, married William C. McQuiston of
Kansas City.

Lilly R. married Frank A. White. Their only
daughter, Mildred, married William Brace, also of
Kansas City.

Govnor. married, 1st Ella Reeves, 2nd Florence J.
Robb. Children were: Roscoe, who married Marion A.
Mychalska, Leo, who married Cathleen Fau, and Ralph
who married Olive Graham. All now living in Tacoma,
Washington.

140

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

Record of the Hopkins Family.

I will say in the outset that I am indebted very
largely to Mrs. Nellie Mead Southworth of Canton,
New York, for the greater part of information I have
been able to gather regarding this family. From that
lady, together with what I have gleaned from other
sources, I find that John and Hannah Mead Hopkins
emigrated from Rutland county, Vermont about the
year 1804 or 5 and that they settled on a farm between
where Canton and Ogdensburg now stands.

Their children were: Melinda, Roby, Praxa, Sob-
rina, Dorcas, Rice, John, Royal and Narcissa. Melinda
married Henry Mead, Roby married Appleton Crary
(my father), Praxa married Joseph Thomas, Sobrina
married Ezra Crary, Narcissa married Rev. George
Chapman, Dorcas married Anson Field. I am not able
to state whom the wives of Rice, John and Royal were.

The Henry and Melinda Mead family consisted of
Chloe who married Emery Raker, Harriett who mar-
ried Spencer Hopkins, Orville A. who married Emily
Clark, Sarah who married Silas Doolittle, Cyrus who
married Cordelia Way, Heman who married Chloe
Spaulding, and Luman B. who married Julia Goodman.

My mother's three brothers, to wit : Rice, John and
Fioyal removed to Defiance County, Ohio in an early
day, each raising large families, and so far as I am

141

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

able to learn, most of their posterity are living there
now. Any way, they are holding what they are pleased
to term: "The Hopkins Family Reunion" year after
year even unto this day.

For any further information desired in regard to
the Hopkins families, you are hereby referred to Arby
Hopkins of Seattle, Washington, as well as to Truman
H. Hopkins of Edgerton, Ohio, who will no doubt be
greatly pleased to answer any and all communications
addressed to them.

Record of the Jerry Crary Family.

Mr. Jerry Crary of Warren, Pennsylvania, fur-
nishes me with the following line of descent of his own
family from Peter Crary down.

Peter 1st married Christobel, daughter of Capt.
John Gallup ; Peter 2nd, son of Peter 1st married Ann
Culver ; Nathan, son of Peter 2nd married 1st Dorithy
Wheeler, 2nd Ruth Searls; Thomas, son of Nathan,
married Mehitabel Mason; Thomas 2nd married Polly
Holmes ; Calvert, son of Thomas 2nd married Eliza Hill
Jerry, son of Calvert, married Laura A. Dunham Sept.
13th, 1870.

Jerry and Laura Crary's children were : Horace A.
born June 1st, 1873 ; Miner D. born August 4th, 1875 ;

142

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

Clara J. born April 3rd, 1879 ; Marion, born Dec. 17th,
1880.

From the record sent me it appears that the above
named Jerry Crary had five brothers and two sisters
as follows: Horace H., Joseph M., Thomas, Dennison,
George, Mary Ann, and Sarah E.

Horace H. married Polly Burr. Joseph M. married
Ann B. Hill. Mary Ann married John N. Young.
Thomas married Frances M. Bradley. Dennison mar-
ried Elma A. Hoxie. George married Mary A. Fisk and
Sarah E. married Denison Fisk.

The Courtney D. Crary Record.

The Record of the Courtney D. Crary family of
South Haven, Michigan will be found somewhat incom-
plete, as the statement I have from him is several years
old and in some respects hard to cipher out. However,
it shows that his line of descent comes down from
Peter Crary, 1st who married Christobel Gallup, to
Peter 2nd, who married Ann Culver, then to Nathan,
who married Ruth Searls.

He also gives as a part of his Genealogy, the name
of Amos Crary who married Mary Denison. Denison
Crary who married Henrietta W. Williams. Horace

143

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

Ciary who married Harriet E. Barkley. Courtney D.
Crary who married Charlotte R. Vroman. Kittie M.
Crary who married Charles Daube. Ralph Crary who
married Hazel Cowles. Arthur Crary who married
Marie E. Corbet. Susan M. Crary who married Andrew
Allen. Sally Ann Crary not married. Dorothy E.
Crary who married Amos S. Faville and Geo. C. Favilte
who married Melinda Cleaver.

The Dr. George W. Crary Record.

The Record of Dr. George W. Crary of New York
City comes down in a straight line from John Crary,
brother of Peter Crary 1st who married Christobel
Gallup.

The seven generations from John Crary seems to
come along down thus : Roger, son of John ; Roger 2nd
son of Roger 1st; Joseph son of Roger 2nd; Leonard
Proctor Crary, son of Joseph Crary ; George Crary, son
of Leonard Proctor Crary and Dr. George Waldo Crary
born in Brooklyn, New York, January 3rd, 1864 and
married Julia Treadwell Ogden of Philadelphia, Pa.,
April 30th, 1891.

So far as I have been able to find out, this is the
only direct line of descent from the first named John

144

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

Crary down. There are quite a number of offshoots
from the above named families of Crarys, but to this
date, I am sorry to say, I have not been able to find
them out.

The Judge Samuel D. Crary Record.

A few years ago I had some correspondence with
Judge S. D. Crary of Ute, Iowa, and ascertained that
his line of descent came down from Peter Crary the
same as my own, as far as Christopher who married
Polly Witter, but when it came down to Oliver, son of
Christopher, there our two lines diverged.

I find along down his line these names: Joseph
Crary, Lucy Crary, who married Amos Whitter ; Elisha
Crary who married Abigal Avery; Dolly Crary who
married another Amos Avery; Christopher G., Ebene-
zer, Charles W., Harry Dunwell, Stephen C, and Will-
iam Albert, son of Henry Dunwell Crary.

So far as I have been able to learn, the greater
part of these families are now residents of these west-
ern states; say in Iowa, Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan
and Illinois.

145

The Old Packard Hotel, as shown on the reverse
side of this leaf, was in the early day one of the most
favorite pleasure resorts in St. Lawrence County. It
stood about one-half of the way between Russell and
Pierrepont Hill, on what was known as the Old Russell
Turnpike. Many of the older generation will of course
remember the pleasant dancing parties they attended
there in their younger days. This is the only picture
in existence of that old hotel, and this I took myself in
1899, with Lute and Alvah Crary standing on the
porch as you see them there. A few weeks after this
was taken that old resort was destroyed by fire, as
many of the present generation of course know.

A. M. CRARY.

PART THIRD

RECITATIONS SONGS

ETC,

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

LINCOLN'S ADDRESS AT GETTYSBURG

Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought
forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liber-
ty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are
created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil
war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so
conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are
met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come
to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting
place for those who here gave their lives that that
nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper
that we should do this. But in a larger sense we can-
not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and
dead, who struggled here have consecrated it far above
our power to add or detract. The world will little note
nor long remember what we say here, but it can never
forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rath-
er to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which
they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.
It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task
remaining before us, that from these honored dead we
take increased devotion to that cause for which they
gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here
highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in
vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new
birth of freedom, and that government of the people,
by the people, for the people shall not perish from the
earth.

148

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

OPPORTUNITY

Master of human destinies am I.

Fame, love and fortune on my footsteps wait,

Cities and fields I walk; I penetrate

Deserts and seas remote, and, passing by

Hovel, and mart, and palace, soon or late

I knock unbidden once at every gate!

If sleeping, wake — if feasting, rise before

I turn away. It is the hour of fate,

And they who follow me reach every state

Mortals desire, and conquer every foe

Save death; but those who doubt or hesitate,

Condemned to failure, penury and woe,

Seek me in vain and uselessly implore,

1 answer not, and I return no more.

-John J. Ingalls

THE INVINCIBLE VETERANS

When the nation was burying the body of Mr.
Lincoln at Springfield, a citizen touched a soldier and
said, "Sir, you are standing in front of me." The soldier
replied "I have been for four years." This gave the
soldier the right to stand anywhere. Thus the right to
stand anywhere inheres in the wornout preachers, the
invincible veterans. For God honors "the arduous
greatness of things achieved" and judges by the deeds
done in the body.

149

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

A German baron went with Bishop Ames to see
the great review of the armies in Washington at the
close of the war. Some soldiers came by with new uni-
forms. The baron said, "What fine men !" The Army
of the Potomac came by with firm tread. The baron
said, "Bishop, those men can whip the world !" Bishop
Ames said, "They can." By and by the Western army
marched by. Their ranks were decimated and their
uniforms were tattered. They swung along in open
order. Some carried mess kettles on their shoulders ;
some had a chicken or part of a ham hung on their
guns. On they swung up Pennsylvania Avenue, making
all kinds of noises, imitating all kindo of animals as
they passed the grand stand. The baron, springing up,
threw his arms around Bishop Ames, saying, "Bishop,
Bishop, those men can whip the devil."

— Western Christian Advocate.

WEBSTER'S REPLY TO HAYNE

When my eyes shall be turned to behold for the last
time the sun in Heaven, may I not see him shining on
the broken and dishonored fragments of a once glorious
Union ; on states dissevered, discordant, belligerent ; on
a land rent with civil feuds, or drenched, it may be, in

150

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

'traternal blood! Let their last feeble and lingering
glance rather behold the gorgeous ensign of the repub-
lic, now-known and honored throughout the Earth, still
full high advanced, its arms and trophies streaming in
their original luster, not a stripe erased or polluted, nor
a single star obscured, bearing for its motto no such
miserable interrogatory as "What is all this worth?"
Nor those other words of delusion and folly, "Liberty
first and Union afterward," but everywhere, spread all
over in characters of living light, blazing on all its
ample folds, as they float over the sea and over the
land, and in every wind under the whole heavens, that
other sentiment, dear to every true American heart —
"Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and insep-
arable."

TENTING ON THE OLD CAMP GROUND.

We're tenting to-night on the old camp ground:

Give us a song to cheer
Our weary hearts; a song of home,

And friends we love so dear.

CHORUS — Many are the hearts that are weary tonight
Waiting for the war to cease;
Many are the hearts looking for the right,
To see the dawn of peace

151

THE A. M. CHARY MEMOIRS

Tenting to-night, tenting to-night,
Tenting on the old camp ground.

We've been tenting to-night on the old camp ground, .

Thinking of days gone by,
Of loved ones at home who gave us the hand

And the tear that said good bye. — CHORUS.
We're tired of the war on the old camp ground;

Many are dead and gone,
Of the brave and true who have left their homes,
Others been wounded long. — CHORUS.

We've been fighting to-day on the old camp ground,

Many are lying near;
Some are dead, and some are dying,

Many are in tears.

CHORUS — Many are the hearts that are weary to-night
Waiting for the war to cease;
Many are the hearts looking for the right,
To see the dawn of peace
Dying to-night, dying to-night,
Dying on the old camp ground.

VOT DID DEM BRIVATES DO?

I.
Vot's dot vot you vellers is talkin'
'Bout beples vot fight in de war?
Und licked all dem secesher-repels
Till dey didn't could fight any more.

152

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

You tell how dem Shenerals licked 'em:
Veil, maype dots all very drue,
But while dey vas doin' dot fightin'
Vot's dot vot dem Brivates do?

II

I read in de bapers pout Gurnels
Vot sharge on dot strong Rebel line,
Und gobbel 'bout tain tousand rebels —
Py kracious! dot reads mighty fine!
Und I look on dot peaptiful bicture
Till I'm yust about "gone" on dot view,
Und I tink dot dem Gurnels was bully,
But, vot did dem Brivates do ?

III.

Und Somedimes I hear of some Majors
Vot did somedings pig in de fight,
Und Captains sometimes, und Lieutenants, —
But dey doned shine 'em out werry pright,
Vor dey march on der groundt mit de Brivates,
Und, I tells yer now somedings dots true: —
Ov dey didn't vas Brivates derseluf
Dey know vot dem Brivates do!

IV

Ov you fights in de ranks in dem battles,
You vish you somedimes vasn't dere!
You vish you vas von of dem Shenerals
Vot ride on a horse in de rear.
Den, ven ve are chased by dem rebels

153

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

Dot horse, he skedaddle mit you; —
You doan haf to run like a son of a gun
De same vot dem Brivates do!

V

Who marchet all de day in de rainstorm
Und stood on de bicket all night,
Und den had to go in de mornin'
Mitoued hes "grub" into de fight?
Who made dem old Johnnies Skedaddle,
Und sometimes get skedaddled too?
Veil, if dem pig officers did it, —
Den vot did dem Brivates do?

VI

Who marched in de dust and de sunshine,
Und carried his knapsack und gun?
Und hunt all de while for a furlough,
Und didn't find never a von?
Who buildt all dem vorts und dem Bridges,
Und trenches und Rifle-pits too ? ?
Ov dem "shoulder strap" vellers did it,
Den vot did dem Brivates do?

VII

Who took all de rough und de tumble

In rain and in snow and in heat?

Who stood in de front in de battle

Und brot up de rear in retreat?

I doaned vould go back on dem Shenerals,

Vor dey did purty veil, und dots true,

154

THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

But vot give dem deir stars and deir glory,
Vas de dings vot dem Brivates do!

VIII

So den, ven you give dem some glory,

Youst dink of de men in de ranks.

Und rememper dem shattered old veterans

Grows awful tired livin' on "thanks."

Ven you ask how much pension to pay dem,

Youst tell us how much to pay you

To stand youst one hour and be shot at

Like, for years, dem poor Brivates do ?

IX
But dem officers earn all yer give dem,
Vor dey somedimes doan fare werry veil;
Und dem Brivates dey find all de Shickens,
Und dem officers deoan get a schmell.
But den ve vas all on a level
Ven dem "kraybacks" vas goin' for you,
Vor you all had to scratch like everydings, —
Youst de same vot dem Brivates do!

X

So ve stands by dem Shenerals und Gurnels

Ov you offer dem any abuse,

Vor ef VE gets a chance to be Shenerals

By gracious ! you dink we refuse ?

But I yust vas a goin' to mention,

Dat now — ven dot var vas all droo; —

Dem officers go vor dot Bension —

Yust der same vat dem Brivates do!

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BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM

Yes, we'll rally round the flag, boys, rally once again,

Shouting the battle cry of Freedom.
We will rally from the hillside, gather from the plain,

Shouting the battle cry of Freedom.

CHORUS
The Union forever, Hurrah, boys Hurrah,
Down with the traitor, up with the star;
While we rally round the flag, boys, rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom.

We are springing to the call of three hundred thousand more,

Shouting the battle cry of Freedom;
And we'll fill the vacant ranks of our brothers gone before,

Shouting the battle cry of Freedom.
CHORUS

MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA.

Bring the good old bugle, boys! we'll sing another song-
Sing it with the spirit that will start the world along —
Sing it as we used to sing it fifty thousand strong,
While we are marching through Georgia.

CHORUS— "Hurrah! Hurrah! we bring the Jubilee!

Hurrah! Hurrah! the flag that makes you free!"
So we sang the chorus from Atlanta to the sea,
While we were marching through Georgia.

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How the darkies shouted when they heard the joyful sound!
How the turkeys gobbled which our commissary "found"!
How the sweet potatoes even started from the ground,
While we were marching through Georgia.

CHORUS
Yes, and there were Union men who wept with joyful tears,
When they saw the honored flag they had not seen for years;
Hardly could they be restrained from breaking forth in cheers,
While we were marching through Georgia.

CHORUS

"Sherman's dashing Yankee boys will never reach th« coLrft,"
So the saucy rebels said, and 'twas a handsome boast;
Had they not forgot, alas! to reckon with the host,
While we were marching through Georgia.

CHORUS
So we made a thoroughfare for Freedom and her train,
Sixty miles in latitude — three hundred to the main;
Treason fled before us, for resistance was in vain,
While we were marching through Georgia.

CHORUS

BANTA TIM

I reckon I get your drift, gents,
You 'low the boy sha'n't stay;

This is a whiteman's country,
You're Dimocrats, you say.

And whereas and seein' and wherefore,
The times bein* all out of jint,

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The nigger has got to mosey,

From the limits of Spunky Pint.

Let's reckon the thing a minit;

I'm an old fashioned Dimocrat, too;
But I laid my politics out o' the way,

To keep till the war was through.
And I come back here allowin'

To vote as I used to do,
Tho' it gravels me like the devil to train

Along with such fools as you.

Now dog my cats if I can see,

In all the light o' the day,
What you've got to do with the question

Ef Tim shall go or stay,
And furder than this I give you notice,

Ef one of you teches the boy,
He kin check his trunk to a warmer clime

Than he'll find in Illinoy.

Why, blame your hearts, jest hear me,

Do you know that ungodly day,
When our left struck Vicksburg Heights

How torn and tattered we lay.
When the last retreated I staid behind,

For reasons sufficient to me,
With a rib caved in, and a leg on a strike,

As I sprawled on that cursed glacee.

Lord, how the sun shone down,

And how br'iled and blistered and burned,
How the rebel bullets wrhizzed around us,

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When a cuss in his death grip turned;
When along toward dusk I seen a thing

I couldn't believe for a spell;
That nigger — that Tim — was crawlin to me

Through that fire proof — gilt edged hell.

The rebels seen him as quick as me,

And the bullets buzzed like bees;
But he jumped for me, and shouldered me,

Though a shot brought him once to his knees.
But he staggered up and packed me off,

With a dozen stumbles and falls,
Till safe in our lines he dropped us both,

His black hide riddled with balls.

So, my gentle gazelles, that's my answer,

And here stays Banta Tim.
He trumped Death's ace for me that day,

And I'm not goin' back on him.
You may rezoloot till the cows come home,

But ef one of you teches the boy,
He'll wrastle his hash in hell to night,

Or my name's not Tilmon Joy.

—JOHN HAY

THE LITTLE BRONZE BUTTON

How dear to the heart of each gray headed soldier

Are thoughts of the days when he still wore the blue;
While memory recalls every trial and danger

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And scenes of the past are brought back to his view,
Though long since discarding his arms and equipments

There's one thing most surely a soldier will note
(Though features be changed and wrinkled his forhead).

Is the little bronze button he wears on his coat.

Chorus —

The sacred bronze button,
The Grand Army button,
The little bronze button,
He wears on his coat.

"How much did it cost?" said a man to the soldier,

"That little flat button you wear on your coat?"
"Ten cents in good money," he answered the stranger

"And four years of fighting and marching to boot.
The wealth of the world cannot purchase this emblem

Except that the buyer once wore the brave blue,
And it shows to mankind the full marks of a hero,

A man who to honor and country was true."

Then let us be proud of the little bronze button

And wear it with spirit both loyal and bold.
Fraternally welcome each one who supports it

With love in our hearts for the comrades of old
Each day musters out whole battalions of wearers

And soon will be missed the love token so dear;
But millions to come will remember with honor

The man who'd the right the bronze button to wear.

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

WE'RE OUT OF MEAT.

Governor Taylor of Tennessee, commonly known
as "The Pardoning Governor" tells a good story in one
of his Chautauqua lectures, about an old colored "Mam-
my" who applied to him for a pardon for her old man
who was in the Pen and she wanted very much to get
him home in time for Christmas.

The Governor heard the old "Mammy's" story
through, then asked her what the old man was in for,
to which she replied: "Jest for stealin' a few sides of
meat, Honey." Of course the Governor refused, point
blank to issue a pardon, therefore the old 'oman started
for the door, crying.

The Governor finally called her back and asked
her what particular reason she had for wanting the
old nigger home. To this the old "Mammy" replied:
"Well, Gov'nor, Honey, de truth of de matter is, We're
Jest 'bout out o' Meat."

BRYAN ON A WATERMELON.

I was eating a piece of watermelon some months
ago and was struck with its beauty. I took some of
the seeds and dried them, then weighed them and found
that it would require some 5,000 seeds to weigh a

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

pound. Then I applied mathematics to that forty-
pound melon. One of these seeds was put into the
ground, and when warmed by the sun and moistened by
the rain, it takes off its coat and goes to work. It
gathers from somewhere two hundred thousand times
its own weight and forcing this raw material through a
tiny stem, constructs a watermelon. It ornaments the
outside with a covering of green ; inside the green it
puts a layer of white, and within the white a core of
red, and all through the red it scatters seeds, each one
capable of continuing the work of reproduction.

Who drew the plan by which that little seed
works? Where does it get its tremendous strength?
Where does it find its coloring matter? How does it
collect its flavoring extract? How does it develop a
watermelon ? Until you can explain a watermelon, do
not be too sure that you can set limits to the power
of the Almighty and say just what he would do or how
he would do it. — The Prince of Peace.

THE RETURNED BATTLE FLAGS

Nothing but flags, but simple flags,
Tattered and torn and hanging in rags;
And we walk beneath them with careless tread,
Nor think of the hosts of the mighty dead

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

That have marched beneath them in days gone by,
With a burning cheek and a kindling eye,
And have bathed their folds with their life's young tide,
And, dying, blessed them, and blessing, died.

Nothing but flags, yet methinks, at night
They tell each other their tale of fight;
And dim spectres come and their thin arms twine
Round each standard torn, as they stand in line.
As the word is given — they charge, they form,
And the dim hall rings with the battle's storm,
And once again, through smoke and strife,
These colors lead to a nation's life.

Nothing but flags, yet they're bathed with tears;
They tell of triumphs, of hopes, of fears,
Of a mother's prayers, of a boy away,
Of a serpent crushed, of the coming day.
Silent they speak, and the tear will start
As we stand beneath them with throbbing heart,
And think of those who are ne'er forgot —
Their flags come home, why come they not?

Nothing but flags, yet we hold our breath,
And gaze with awe at those types of death,
Nothing but flags, yet the thought will come,
The heart must pray, though the lips be dumb;
They are sacred, pure and we see no stain
On those dear loved flags come home again;
Baptized in the blood of our purest and best,
Tattered and torn, they're now at rest.

— Moses Owen

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THE A. M. CRARY MEMOIRS

WHEN YOU AND 1 WERE YOUNG.

1 wandered today to the hill, Maggie,

To watch the scenes below;
The creek and the creaking old mill, Maggie,

As we used to long ago.
The green grove has gone from the hill, Maggie,

Where first the daisies sprung;
The creaking old mill is still, Maggie,

Since you and I were young.

CHORUS — - And now we are aged and gray, Maggie.,
And the trials of life are nearly done;
Let us sing of the days that are gone, Maggi#,
When you and I were young.

A city so silent and lone, Maggie,

Where the young and the gay and the best,
in polished white mansions of stone, Maggie,

Have each found a place of rest.
Is built where the birds used to play, Maggie,

And join in the songs that were sung,
For we sang as gay as they, Maggie,

When you and I were young.

They say I am feeble with age, Maggie,

My steps are less sprightly than then,
My face is a well written page, Maggie,

But time alone has the pen!
They say we are aged and gray, Maggie

As sprays by the white breakers flung;
But to me you're as fair as you were Maggie,

When you and I were young.

164

THE END

INDEX

Page

Introductory 1

Another Mouth to Fill 14

Getting Into Politics 17

A Coat Of Many Colors 21

The Bitter With The Sweet 24

More Early Home Life 29

A Summer In Massachusetts 36

Elder Childs and Brother Johnny 40

The John Brown's Tract. 43

Bill Pratt's Billy Goat 52

A Tragedy at Masena . 57

Testing Greely's Advice - 61

My First Real Taste of War . 68

The Murfreesboro Campaign 80

Mickey's Blasted Old Cow . 88

Captured by Morgan's Men 91

The Chickamauga Campaign 95

Hooker's Army Arrives 100

The Atlanta Campaign 103

Franklin and Nashville 108

Back Into Civil Life Again 113

Raided By Grasshoppers 116

Into The Editorial Field 120

Our Golden Wedding Anniversary 123

Crary-Teats and Hopkins Genealogy 128 to 145

Recitations And G. A. R. Songs 148

^m^^m^m

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