Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-07-22
An UngratefuI Hog.
AN INCIDENT AT GETTYSBURG, AND
AFTER.
Correspondence Boston Traveller.

Correspondence Boston Traveller.
4 captain in a New York regiment
was ordered to place his company on the
ekirInish line, without any directions Ms
to how, when, or where. The orderly.
without stopping from gallop, had given
the order from the general III command,
and in the excitement neglected to say,
ito the right of the Baltimore road" The
captain had drawn mp his company which
had been detached for sharp shooting, be-
fore it occurred to him that he did not
know where Ia 90. Fearing lest he might
inuur blame il he stopped whore he was,
he ordered forward march," and start
ed for the netrest line. but the colonel III
command wonld not let him pass the line
Then, knowing nothing better, he coun-
ter-marchcd 10 his old position near the
reserve resolved to wait orders. None
came. The battle went on, from which
he h d only just been relieved, and his
company lay down 10 rest. Night came.
aud the great battle was over. The cap
tain had lost sixteen men. hld fought
uobly. and was proud of i. But an old
euriny, whose enmity ho had incurred by
supcrscding him i'll command Of d battal-
ion, AMI which WAS the captains right,
a. he ysas senior ofiieer, took occasion 10
SAY a. it the captain received ord r. To 90
ON ,he skirrni-h line with his men, and
refused on account Of cowardice. The
aceuscr wls a brother IF the brigadier.
. The briyadicr preferred charges, aud -
slyly used his influence that, after II
being shown that the order t1 move wts
given. and ,L.a ihe captain lid not 90
olt-iie the line OF bIttle, the court order
cd dishonorable disnis~al.
The accuscr took the captains place
Douhtle-, he was hnppy 1t was such d
small matter 10 hoist himself 10y destroy
Ing the happiness Of another, that hls
conscience may not have felt II. Bnt II
dishonest mau, what became Of HIM
Ashamed 70 lee seen by 3 soldier
all his hopes Of ftFne and life dashed AT
once 10 pieccs-his good name, and with
it everything held dear gone, he wander
"A about the country in deserted places,
almost manisc, moaning and cursing
his unjust sentence. Al last, Thought,
full Of hope. entered his brain, and lifting
his head once more, he acted upon II. Il
have been private soldier before and can
again" said he, and soon after was sent
out as a recruit. The year Of war passed
on : the battles in which he was engaged
were many, and a. he had his honor ~
stake he behaved with the greatest tray-
ery. The honors Of his death were TO be
won, and fearlessly he went To his task.
The court martial was reversed, and de-
served promotion came. One, two, three
fonr promotions, and he was a lieutenant
colonel. At Petersburgh a new depart
: meut was formed and his regiment wa!
detached from his old corps and sent int,
, the brigade OF his old enemy They hao
not met since the dark day OF that conr
martial The brigadier was dead, bu
his oIu enemy v-l,s'.'.- "s.ll- -.a
, at that time under arrest for the thirt
: time for drunkenness and dissrAcefu
conduct.
When the drunkard learned that tn
lieutenant colonel was in his brigade, h
c sent for him Long and earnestly did tn
/ arrested man urge the lieutenant colone
/ to forgive him. and after he had obtained
! assent he followed it up by asking th
-. lieutenant colonel to intercede for him
i as he feared di,honorable dismissal
d At last the lieutenant colonel agreed 4
c do that, aud went at once TO the com man
= ding general
NO sir" This IS tho third time h
has been guilty Of such disgraceiul con
: duet, and he shall he punished, said 'h
i general.
e But. general. may he not be allowed
if he chooses to resign r urged the lieu
tenant colonel, resolved if he could not d
a the best. to take the next best course
: The general hesitated long time, SAT
. that the captain deserved disgrace, etc
= but finally granted the lieutenant colo
" ners requeet. The captain resigned
glad indeed to escape III that way, an
returned to Western New York. With
q brevet the lieutenant colonel returned I
g his home. restored, it would seem,
honor and his good name. But no; hl
old foe. who had asked his forglvene'
/ and received such aid at his hands, tax,
n occasion to say to all who happen 70 b
V strangers to the colonel, "llc WAS dismiss
a. ed the service, but / honorably resigned
and the brave, honorable man and otfct
- goes with the stigma still. When II
l. story was told US at Washington ie
x weeks ago. we thought of other cases thu
70 previous to this time had come uI
"A der our own observation, and We resolve
to be careful how we censure even the di
'o honorably discharged soldier, lest "
might wound heart already l"cerate
h. and broken by the stabs Of military II
OF justice.