Capt. J. J. Kellogg
COPYRIGHTED BY
CAPT. J. J. KELLOGG
1913
THE DAY WE STARTED
FOR WAR.
Recollections of Captain J. J. Kellogg.
The day we left home for the war was an eventfulone, and the incidents crowded into that day willnever be effaced from my memory.
There was a rally that afternoon, upon whichoccasion we added some important names to ourcompany roll. Some of the boys who then enlistedin our ranks were prominent in our local societyand passed current in the ranks of our best youngpeople. Others came out of their obscurity for thefirst time on that occasion, and were first knownand noticed on the day of their enlistment. I hadnever intimately known Isaac Haywood, who was afterwardsmy bunkmate, until that day. I first madethe acquaintance of Tom Wilson then, but it wouldrequire too much space to name all the comradesI then met. And when the great struggle finallyended, how few of those fair-haired, bright-eyedboys were permitted to return to their old homes.Only a small squadron of lithe-limbed, bronze-facedfellows came back. I loved Ike Haywood onsight. I think I was mainly attracted towards Ikebecause of his eccentric ways, odd manner of speech[pg 4]and his wonderful good nature. Dame Nature hadgotten Ike up without especial regard to good looks,but had braced, propped and generally supported hisirregular features with wonderful bones and sinews,all contained in a close knit wrapper of inflexiblecord and muscle. Like other unusually powerfulmen, Ike was usually the very soul of good nature;but when fully aroused and forced on the aggressivehe was known and acknowledged to be a holyterror. He had long powerful arms and hands,broad shoulders, thick neck, surmounted by a bullet-shapedhead with small ears. He had thin redhair, faded red mustache, was squint-eyed and worea half smile on his peach blossom face, and his underlip sort of slouched down at one end. He lookedfunny at all times, but more particularly was hecomical when he tried to be in sober earnest.
Tom Wilson, on the contrary, was a handsomeboy and a school teacher by profession, but I can'twaste time and space in extended personal descriptionsof my comrades.
The war excitement had fully aroused the patrioticcitizens of our city, and the simple messagewhich the gallant Major Anderson had sent underthe first flag of truce to Governo