The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-09-10
MEEIEE0o -
BI,e Il aiIu 5Gllrna.T
Easign MurtOugh.

ERsign MurtOugh. il
A few years ago / was staying at
dull seaside barrack town, to see the last
of friend who was under orders for
land where human beings were much in
the position of pigeons at the Red House, i
and their lives held in little greater est 4
nation than those of the blue rocks, and |
there / made the acquaintance of
Young fellow who attained my beau ideal
Long contact with the world and much
practice have developed the natural
hardihood of most of my heroes; bnt
Robert Murtoagh was born perfect He
was only nineteen, and had spent the
greater part of his life in a secluded Irish
district, bat there was not veteran in
the British army more selfpossessed
than the Frs On. It is true that his
cheek was not SO highly appreciated by
others as by myself
That youngster must be taught his
place" said Capt. Gibbs. "By Jove,
sir, the very first night be dined at mess
he chaffed the ColonelP'
But Murtough did not know when he
was snubbed, and could no more be kept
In his place than a monkey. I remem-
Der coming into the barrack square one
morning, and seeing him at company
drill under the superintendent of Major
Kerse, a cantankerous old gentleman,
whose very name was enough to spoil
the appetite of any other sub, but whose
sarcastic remarks, vehement denuncia-
tions and awful threats, had no effect on
the cheerful countenance of his present
victim.
''By bow WOW WOW WOW, sir, aoiH you
march straight to your front? Oh, my
WOW WOW WOW, look there, look therel
You are not fit to WOW WOW WOW; By
WOW WOW, I'll keep you WOW wow WOW.
Are you drunk?" etc, ETC., etc. That
was how the Majors tongue wagged in
cessantly.
Murtough was smart officer enough,
and was really. in the present instance.
marching as straight as possible, but the
Major never cared whether he was lust
or unjust, so long as he was abusing
some one. At last, however, the Young
ster found the game become monotonous.
and thinking if be were to be blamed
or punished he had better do something
for 1t, he commenced a most cratic
course and zigzagged his company diago-
naily across the square, amidst the tit
terlng OF the men and group of officers
assembled at tfIo---;s.elaur of the ante.
room, near which he was finally halted
by Kerse, who had been at first struck
.speechess, but who now galIoped up, and
said slowly, in dangerous tone of con-
centrated passion:
"Do You mean to tell me, sir, that you
did what told you that time9'
''Yes, sill"
'Whatl you chose distant and inter
mediate points, and marched upon their
allignment"
'Certainly, sir
"ImPossiblel and what may your dis
tant point have beenl''
THAT resset, sir," replied Murtough
with the innocence of lamb, pointing tC
packet out at sea, which was steaming
out at the rate of ten knots an hour.
go to your quarters, -sirm roared tn,
A short while afterwards, the Adiu
tant came to the Ensign's room, and de
manded his sword
Who are you, asked the youngster
"Who am II Why you know me wei
enough. am Brown, the Adiutapt O
your regiment"
"how am to know thatP You are
like him, certainly. but as you are no
glaneing at his dress.
No; where are your spursP"<
And he made the AID iutant 90 bacl
and put his spurs on before he woulG
give up his sword.
Poor Murtough; / lost sight of him
after a few days, but heard that.sbortly
atterward, having had some money lef,
him, he exchanged into light cayalry
corpse, where, the first time he was on
stable duty he astonished the Colonel
OF the crack of all crack regiments. by
shouting to the men:
Now then, there; don't you see the
Colonel is coming? Be smarter: ont
aooutd think goa acere a lot of ueo
DaanryF ard short time after that
he narrowly escaped being tried by court
martial for charging with his troops right
through foot regiment at review.
why" said he, when asked what on
earth be did that for, you see nv horse
ran away with me, and l should have
looked such a fool if I had halted nv
men and gone on alonel"
What has become of him how / know
not; his name has disappeared from the
army list, but wherever or whatever be
IS, I'll warrant him prosperous; he had
too much Cork to sink.