Old Soldier Writes Letter Special to the Times
The Gallia Times, Thurs., July 22, 1920

     Permit me to say a word in regard to the “Old Home Paper” of which I have become a recent subscriber. For a good, clean, county paper it cannot be excelled, giving all the county news in a brief way that makes it very interesting. While I am not acquainted very much in the “backwoods” district, yet I see many old familiar names of long ago when I lived in Gallipolis during the Civil War, and where I enlisted in Company G, 195th O.V.I. 
     Almost the entire company was from Gallia County. Andrew J. Beardsley was our first sergeant, and he was dandy to we boys from your city. Most of us being under 18 years of age we made it “warm” for the older ones from the country district. I often see the names of Halfhill, Hawley, Needham, Sheets (four of them in the company) and many others that bring back memories of 65 years ago. Ben Rutherford of Cheshire was our captain, John Porter first lieutenant. I think in later years he was elected sheriff of Mason County, W.V. I do not think they made a mistake in electing him, for he was not afraid of man, beast or that old fellow who is super-intendent of the place that Gen. Sherman said war was.
     Fifty-five years ago this 4th of July we were in camp near a big woods near Winchester, Va., and a few days later we started for Washington, D.C., then to Alexandria, Va., and Bull Run and the Manassas Valley. So far as I can find out there are but few of the old comrades living. A few more years and all will have answered the last roll call. They are not dead, but gone to bask in the smiles of a loving Heavenly Father, and to be with those who have served their country and loved their God.
     I appreciate more than I can tell you the fine letter from Rev. Samuel Denney. I have wondered if he is a son of John Denney, I believe a city officer during the war and a great old shouting Methodist, a companion of the venerable Lud Langley. No one went to sleep when they were at meeting.
     I wish your Crown City correspondent would hunt up some more “wall paper” newspapers. My, how interesting it was, and what made it more so many old Gallia and Meigs County boys were with Gen. Grant and the old Fourth Virginia regiment was there and “helped to catch the rabbit.” Let us all thank God that now there is no North, no South, no East, no West, but united we stand and divided we fall. 

Robert Haley,
320 N.Western Ave.
Springfield, Ohio

Submitted by Linda Halley Criner