Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 84, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 April 1912 — William Clift Still Has The Cap He Drew in 1861. [ARTICLE]

William Clift Still Has The Cap He Drew in 1861.

William Clift, who belonged to the 31st Indiana rdfeiment during the Civil war, still has the soldier’s cap that was shot from his head fifty years ago today, Feb. Bth, 1862. Although once a bright blue, the cap is now a dull green and the heavy leather beak is as rough as alligator’s hide. The button that held the strap on the right side of the cap is missing and a bruised place on the strap shows .where a Johnny's bullet scraped it and tore the button off. It was at the battle of Shiloh and Mr. Clift relates the circumstance as vividly as though it was yesterday instead of a half century ago. He was firing from a trench at confederates who were only as far away as across the road and was taking aim when the bullet struck his cap and knocked him senseless Into the pit. He recovered shortly and proved to he only slightly wounded, the bullet having stunned him with a scraping wound that hnly broke the skin. An inscription on the cap shows .that he drew it on Chrißtmas evening, 4861. r