Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1869-03-19

BY GRACE GREENWOOD.

travelled OH the railway for some
hours of bright June day, seated
beside young soldier, n cavalryman
from Wisconsin, who was on his way
home, with an honorable discharge,
after service of four years. My fell
low-traveler proved to be quite intel.
ligent and sociably inclined, and be-
guilcd the way by relating many in
cidents of the battlefield, aud OF
camp. and hospital life. One of the
simplest of his stories, told with an
appearance Of utmost good faith, /
have never forgotten--rememb
distinctly every detail, while some
of his more marvellous and tragical
narrations have quite faded from my
mind. ........
"Our regiment" he said, twas un-
der Banks, in the spring of 1862,
when he made such good time get
ting down the Shenandoah Valley.
1t was an awful, driving, confused,
exhaustipg, hurry-skurry change of
base but it's curious that / chiefly
remember it by little incident,
which perhaps you will think was
hardly worth laying up, aud il hard
ly worth telling Of"
signillcd my desire to hear his
little story, and he went on.
II was one morning dispatched in
hot haste, to the extreme rear, with u
very important order. AS ill.luck
would have it, had to ride a strange
horse, rs my own had fallen lame
This one provided for me proved just
the most ill-naturcd, vicious brute
ever mounted. / had hard work to
mount him at all, for his furious rear
ing and plunging and when, at last,
/ reached the saddle, he was so en-
ragged, there was no getting him on
for at least five minutes. With his
ugly head down, and his cars back
he would whirl round and round,
pivoting on his fore.feet, and iashing
out with his hind legs, till | fancy
they must have looked like the
spokes of his big wheel. When he
found that was master of the situa-
tion, that my hand was firm and
TINT my spurs were sharp, he gave
in--till the next time; but / knew
that he was continually watching for
u chance 10 fling me over his head
and trample the mastership out of
me.n . -a
II rode hard that day, both be-
cause of my orders, and for the pur-
pose of putting that devil of horse
through, but there were many OBJ
structions I'm the road--marching
columns, artillery, army wagons,
and above all hosts of contrabands,
who were always scrambling to get
out of the way, just into your way ;
so Id was noon before I had made
half of my distance. 1t was hot,
sultry, and dusty day. Ihad exhaus-
ted my canteen, and was painting,
almost lolling like a dog. Just as
my thirst was becoming quite un-
bearable, came upon group of SOL
diers, lounging by the wayside
spring. drinking aud filing their
canteens. AT first 1 thought would
dismount, as my horse seemed pretty
well subdued and bloWcd but no
sooner did he guess nay intention,
than he began again his diabolical
frlskings and plungings, at which
the stragglers about the springs sci
up provoking laugh, which brought
my already hot blood up to the boil.
ing point. Still didn't burst out al
once. Iswung off my canteen, and
said to one OF the men, the only fel.
low that hadn't laughed at my bout
with the horse: "Here comrade just
you fill this for me.n
He was tall, dark, heavy-brow.
ed, surly-looking chap, but, for all
that | didn't look for such an answer
as he growled out,
"Fill your own cantcen, and be
Ito you'll"
II tell you was mad, tho other
fellows laughed again, and then |
was madder, and just says to him
"You mean devil I hope to God |
Il
shall yet hear you begging for d
drink of water. fever I do, I'll see
you die, and go where you belong,
before | will give 1t to you"
"Then galloped on, though some
of the men called TO me to como back,
saying they'd fill my canteen. ]
didn't stop till / reached house, q
mile or two further on, where little
black boy watered both me and my
horse, and filled my canteen, with o
smile that the handful Of new pen.
!. MES / gave him couldn't begin to nav