Capt. W. W. Bush

It is claimed for Capt. William Wirt Bush, who recently died in Lockport, N. Y., that he was the first man to respond to President Lincoln's cali for 75,000 troops April 15, 1861. Others dispute the claim. Here is his story! showing his reasons for his aseertions. He had been a very strong Union man, and his friends who disagreed with him had repeatedly annoyed him with the statement that " mau who was in favor of war ought to be willintf to Üght. So he made nu his mind to be the first to go to tbe front if war broke out. On April 14 it was announceil that the president's procla mat,on would be issued the next day, and Btish went to the telegraph office early on the morning of the 15th, waiting for the news that it had been issued. The operator was his intímate friend, and as soon as the proclamation arrived, shortly after noon, he gave Mr. Bush its substance. Said Capt' Bush, in telling the story some years later: "I at once ran down the main street and into the hardware store of Erastus Mack. George Stoll, who was the clerk in the store, at my request took a rough wooden box cover which was handy, and made the following cali for volunteers with a marking brush: 'Fall inl Volunteers received here to organizo a company under the pi-esident's proclaraation for the war.' I immediately took the board across the street to uiy place of business and nailed it up on the corner. Then 1 wrote out the necessarv heading for the enrollment list on a sheet o"f paper and signed my own name flrst." All this occurred within dve minutes after the dispatch announcing tho proclamation was received. Eighteen men were enrolled insideof four bours, and within as many dayi a company of sixty-four men was completed. Capt. Bush was bom in Lockport Aug. 1.1832. Hiswholecareerwaseventful. Some years befure the war his brother got into a row with a fanal boat captain named Frost, It seemed to William that tbe brother was likely to suirer severe personal injuries, and so he ran to his defense. The result was the death of Frost and the trial on the charge of nmrder of the subject of this sketch. He was acquitted, huwever. Capt Bush's war record was a brilliant one. His (wrsorml bravery was lemarkable. He went into the battle of Cedar Mountain armed only with a club, being under arrest at that time under, soma trumped up charge. This led to his court martial, but he was honorably acquitted. At this battle Capt. Bush was wounded in the left elbow, and some time later was taken piïsoner and' conflned In the Staunton, Va., jail. From Staunton he was taken to I,ibby prison, at Kichuiond, but was afterward exchanged. After his release he was mustered out' with the regiment June 3, 1863. He then became a sutler in the Shenandoah valley, and entered the employ of the governmeiit as a detective. His health was not good during the last years of his life.