Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 236, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 October 1910 — AROUND THE CAMP FIRE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AROUND THE CAMP FIRE

TAPS SOUNDED DURING YEAR Men Who Fought In Three Wars Among Tf\ose Claimed by Death Bince January 1. Death has claimed many famous soldiers during the last year. Gen. O. O. Howard is one. He was the last of the officers of the army to receive by name the thanks of congress. “The gratitude of the American people and the thanks of their representatives in congress are due and hereby, tendered to Maj. Gen. O. O. Howard and the officers and soldiers of the Army of the Potomac for the skill and heroic valor, which, at Gettysburg repulsed, defeated and drove back broken and disspirited beyond the Rappahannock the veteran army of the rebellion." Brig. Gen. Daniel H. Rucker died in Washington just at the time of the birth of the new year. General Rucker sleeps in Arlington. At his death he was ninety-seven years old. For sew

enty-three years he was a Midler ill the United States army. He saw service in the Seminole war, In the Mexican war, in the Civil war and for, years he did duty on the plains against the Indians. His body lies with that of Lieut. Gen. Henry C. Corbin and Brig. Gen. John J. Coppinger, both of whom heard the last call within the year. MaJ. Gen. Alfred E. Bates, last June, visited West Point during the commencement exercises. Every year since his graduation and whenever his duties permitted General Bates went back to the academy. He loved the old place, and on his last visit he made a request that when taps sounded for him he might be buried in the cadet, cemetery which lies almost under the shadow of the academic halls. Within a few months of the time that his request was made taps sounded, and General Bates is at rest In the little cemetery on the Hudson plateau. Brig. Gen. Hamilton S. Hawkins, who died within the year, saw service in the Civil war as a subordinate offl- 1 cer. In the Spanish war he distinguished himself. General Hawkins entered West Point In 1852, but he failed to graduate. The-academy had such a hold on his affections, however, that he asked before his death that he might be buried at the place which his boyhood experiences had endeared to him. General Hawkins was a southerner by birth, and with many other southern officers who had received their military education and their lessons In loyalty at West Point, he remained true to the union. Of all the regular army officers of southern birth, who either rose from the ranks or were appointed from civil life to commissions, not one remained true to the flag at the outbreak of the Civil war. Of the southern graduates at the military academy nearly one-third remained true to their oaths jof allegiance and to the spirit of love for a united country which the academy had Inculcated.

Gen. Daniel H. Rucker.