Caster, Fred
THE JOURNAL is in receipt of the following letter from Fred Caster, a son of Abe Caster, who is now in the United States artillery service, leaving home for that purpose just as soon as war was declared:
Fort Sheridan, SHERIDAN'S POINT, Va., May 31, 1898—As one of The JOURNAL'S readers and one of Montgomery county's boys I thought I would write a few lines to the old JOURNAL thinking perhaps it would be of interest, or at least take space. I received a copy of your paper today and was glad to hear from my old county, but at present I don't believe I care to be back home for I believe that a few years' experience in the service of the government will be of benefit. Yesterday was decoration day and several of the boys were on pass, some going to Arlington, the largest national cemetery in the department of the east. There are many headstones marked "Unknown," while others are marked with large and fancy stones. The time consumed in decoration was four hours and twenty minutes and was done by a detail of 100 decorators. Decoration day was observed in this camp to its fullest extent, all duty being thrown aside and passes granted for the men. There are 80 men in the battery at present and half of the men are all that is allowed passes at once.
The majority of the battery are southern boys coming from Fortress Monroe. The most of them have army experience of five to fifteen years. Tomorrow will be muster day and knapsack inspection, so the boys are busy packing knapsacks, and cleaning clothes, as the order is to stand inspection in campaign hats and leggings Fort Washington, an old government fort, is situated just across the Potomac from this fort and within easy hearing of their bugle calls The garrison at that place consists of 180 men, and also is a port for marine experiments. The weather at this writing is real warm, the mercury ranging 88 in the shade, and brings back memories of harvest days, when I worked on the old' farm back in old Indiana.
Yours respectfully, FRED D. CASTER., Battery K, 4th Artillery.
: Fred must have really loved the service as he was in it for 25 years. Born: July 6, 1875 in Montgomery County died Jan 13, 1931 in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. Married in 1900 to Mary Maude Enoch Caster and later Daisy Allen
Children were: Doris, Charles, possibly more:?