Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER V. Peace Hath Its Victories No Less Than War— Career Of The Anamosa Tigers An outside enterprise, undertaken by me while at Anamosa, may be deemed worthy of mention. Shiloh had been fought and Fort Donelson taken. The little village had early sent to the front the flower of its manhood, embracing a goodly proportion of heads of families, and some of the latter were none too well provided for. Realizing that I could not join the volunteers, and loyally ambitious to contribute in some way to the Union cause, I conceived the idea of organizing a relief corps among my youthful companions, and the "Anamosa Tigers" was the outcome, the little band pledged to chop wood, contributed by citizens, and deliver it in stove lengths to the families of the men at the front. Of this organization I logically was chosen commander. The zest and enthusiasm with which this work was undertaken by my followers was truly typical of American boyhood, and there was nothing of the Tom Sawyer finesse indulged. Each member of the corps labored as though the perpetuity of the Union depended solely upon his individual efforts. I had indulged an excess amount of pleasurable anticipation in parading the streets with my brother, togged out in the uniform of his rank, with perhaps a sword dangling at his heels! But, alas, for human vanity! It was hopelessly dashed in this instance, a circumstance due to the extreme modesty of the elder Davis, who, instead of the regulation dress suit and REV. ASHBR AUSTIN DAVIS. D. D.. Pioneer Preacher. Doctor ami i. iii :i-i i-t. Father of Author MARY ALK'E STMMERS DAVIS Wife of Author JANE MOl'I/TON crSHINt; DAVIS Pioneer School Teacher. Mother of Author COL. MTRRAY SPl/RZHKIM DAVIS Eighth Calalry. C. S. A. ' epaulettes, wore only the b...