but soon found that this comrade's mind was somewhat off its balance, and I subsequently learned that it was caused by a wound in his head.
Incidentally our correspondence did me a valuable service, for which I shall always hold him in kindly remembrance, for it led to my acquaintance with a comrade of his company, Sergeant W. R. Ramsey—an acquaintance which ripened into a warm and lasting friendship. As the Sergeant has something to say on the "recapture canard," I claim the privilege of introducing him to my auditors with a few complimentary remarks.
Comrade Ramsey's marvelous power of endurance enabled him to survive war experiences which not one man in a thousand could have passed through and lived. He had a leg shattered in the Battle of the Wilderness at the most advanced point to which our line had penetrated, lay for a time between the firing lines, and as our troops were driven back, was unavoidably left.
Mr. Ramsey is a gentleman of fine intelligence; and, that he is one of the notable men of his splendid regiment, is evidenced by the fact that he was selected as one of the speakers at the dedication of their battlefield monument; and, that the very complete roster of his regiment, involving a vast deal of correspondence, and which is embodied in Chamberlin's history of the 150th, is from his pen. He is a historian by natural instinct; brimful of facts relating to the first day's fight at Gettysburg; has carefully investigated all points of interest that presented themselves; among them Comrade Kensill's above mentioned pretensions, and through pure love of truth and fair-play, he sifted to the bottom, the recapture claim as set forth in Bates' history. It gives me great pleasure to present to you the result of his investigation in the following letter:
Capt. J. H. Bassler, Late Co. C, 149th P. V.,
My Dear Comrade: I have yours of Aug. 5th, in which you ask me to furnish you with the result of my investigation of the Kensill claim to have headed the squad of the 150th, men who were said to have recaptured the colors of the 149th P. V., in charge made by the right wing of the 150th regiment, during the battle of July 1st, 1863, at Gettysburg.
