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Show VETERAN LIVES AT GRANT'S FIRST CAMP Sole Survivor of General's Original Command. Springfield, 111. Eight miles west of Springfield, on the public highway to Jacksonville, Israel F. l'earce, iiatri-urch, iiatri-urch, veteran of Grant's army and participant In Sherman's march to the sea, lives In solitude on the land where General Grunt pitched camp on his first day's march into the Civil war. Penrce, the only man now living out of the entire regiment which went into encampment on this spot of ground the night of July 3, 1S61, maintains main-tains a guard over the old camp ground and over "General Grant's tree," a large, peculiarly shaped black walnut tree under which Grant wrote his orders. Raises His Flag Dally. Every morning at sunrise the tattered tat-tered old flag belonging to Tearce is raised from a SO-foot flagpole near his house, and every evening at sundown the flng Is lowered. Pearce acts as a guardian for this historic spot and is glad to relate Its history to passing tourists, althougf. the historical connection is known to few people, nnd no marks, save the veteran's flag, are to be seen on the land. "General Grant's tree," some three feet In diameter,, stands near the house. Here, Pearce tells tourists, he saw Grant, sitting astride a peculiar limb growth, near the ground, writ-, Ing out .the first day's orders. Grant's tent was pitched a few feet from the tree, and he once addressed the regiment regi-ment from a spot near where the tall flagpole now stands. "The first day's march of the regiment, regi-ment, the Twenty-flrs,t Illinois infantry, infan-try, was started from Camp Yates, in this city, about 11 a. m., and the first camp site was reached about 5 p, m.," Pearce relates. "The regiment was halted In columns col-umns of companies In the woods, arms were stacked and when wagon trains, came into camp each company unloaded un-loaded its wagon, arranged the tents by opening and spreading them on the ground, and at one sound of the drum the tents were raised; at two sounds ropes were stretched, and at the third sound, the stakes were driven and the regiment was under canvas in its first tented field. ... Many Stragglers In March. "The first day's march was attended with hardships, and there were stragglers strag-glers and absentees. The punishment given was extra guard duty both for officers and men. The men made camp fires and cooked their first meal in camp at this time. "During the first evening, officers' call was sounded and Grant, then Colonel Grant, talked to the men, cm-' cm-' phasizlng . the absolute necessity of enforcing respect for the Inhabitants of the country through which the regiment regi-ment was passing. The captains of the. companies were made personally responsible for the acts of the men." Pearce was quartered both at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, and on July 4, 1S03, marched Into Vlcksburg with Grant and his army ; Just two years after the regiment left Its lirst camp ' near the walnut tree. From Vlcksburg. Vlcks-burg. Pearce went with Sherman on his march to the sea, through the Carolines and on to Washington. He participated in the grand review up Pennsylvania avenue at the close of the. war. u |