Talk of the Town **Feature Story
R*U*B*L*E
LeMars Sentinel, Friday, March 1, 1929.
John C. Ruble and Miss Lucille Hord leave today for Washington, D.C. to
attend the inauguration of Herbert Hoover as president. Miss Hord's home is
in Washington and she has been in LeMars most of the winter visiting her
mother and sister, Mrs. John C. Ruble and Miss Monnah Hord. Miss Lucille
Hord will move back to LeMars to live if she can dispose of her property in
Washington. Mr. Ruble, who is an old and widely known resident of Plymouth
county and one of the few Civil war veterans living in this county, says he
does not expect to get a job on Hoover's staff, as he made a mistake and
cast his first Democrat presidential vote for Al Smith last November. Mr.
Ruble is 87 years old, but much younger in heart and mind and declines to
"be his age."
[Transcriber note: Further research reveals that Pres. Herbert Hoover's inaugural day was Monday, March 4, 1929]
LeMars Sentinel, March 1929
John Ruble Meets Men Against Who He Fought in the Sixties
John C. Ruble, who is visiting some of the old battlegrounds where he
fought sixty years ago, writes from Arlington, Virginia. "We crossed the
chain bridge into Virginia from Pennsylvania and went by the camp where we
spent the winter of 61-62. From that camp, I carried dispatches twice a day
from Gen. Hale's headquarters to McClellan in the city. Our camp was called
Camp Pierrepoint. From there we went around all the ground where the
entrenchments were until we got to Arlington. There is where many of our
great generals are laid to rest in the beautiful cemetery. We went to Bull
Run where the Confederates have that cemetery fixed up very nice. My wife
has a son living in a house alongside of an old fort which was built to
protect the railroad bridge crossing the Rappauhock River. Tuesday we went
to the battlefield of Brandy Station where was one of the greatest cavalry
fights of the war and from there to the battlefield of Cedar Mountain. I was
in that fight. There were four companies of my regiment, the First
Pennsylvania Cavalry. The old major took us down to the end of the road and
drew us up to attention. "First battalion, do you see that line of battle
coming up there?" Then he pointed to one of the batteries that had about all
the horses killed and said, "I am ordered to break that line and by God we
are going to do it and some of you will see your grandmothers before you get
back." Now I was not anxious to see the old lady just then. However we got
through the first line, and then my horse was killed and I fell into the
hands of the Johnny Rebs, and got a trip to Richmond where I came near
starving to death, but I am glad I was not killed.
"On Wednesday, we went to Washington, VA, where we spend the winter of
63-64, and where we had lots of scraps mostly with Mosby and his men. They
have a large monument erected in the courtyard to him. I met a few of his
men and one of the General Lee's scouts and we had a glorious old time. They
had to have my picture taken with them and the old scout. They sure tell
some good yarns. Will write you further."
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