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My Dear Sir and Comrade:—By your kindness I am in receipt of a pamphlet entitled Reminiscences of the First Day's Fight at Gettysburg, by Capt. J. H. Bassler, for which I desire to thank you most cordially.
At once on receiving the pamphlet, though very busy, I sat down and read it with the greatest interest; and I wish to say that of all the addresses of a similar nature in my possession, I know of none that I shall more highly treasure.
I do not know or even recall Capt. Bassler, though I must often have seen him in the army-but 36 years is a long time to look back through-but if I had the opportunity I should very highly congratulate him on this little pamphlet.
The address is simply charming in its straight-forward and unpretentious simplicity, and possesses certain literary characteristics which I find it difficult to specify.
I have been careful to preserve all such orations and addresses, and some day shall have them bound that they may be preserved for generations to come; and I am sure that when those who are to come after us, read this little brochure of Captain Bassler's, it will make the blood tingle for them when they peruse his account of how the 149th Color Guard defended the flag.
May that flag never want brave defenders.
Sincerely yours in F. C. & L.,
Henry M. Kieffer, Late Drummer Boy 150th Penn. Vols.
P. S.—I wish you would put me in correspondence with Captain Bassler.
I have some interesting correspondence with a Johnny Reb (Allen C. Red, wood, of the Century Co., Artist Staff, who illustrated my book), on the subject of the capture of your flag.
He says a messmate of his captured it-now a preacher in Richmond.
Tempora Mutantur, et nos cum illis.
I should have replied to your esteemed favor of October 28th, at an earlier date, but I was awaiting a reply to a letter I
