Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-07-27


mutiny. The ringleaders wisely re
mained in their places in the ranks
but half dozen voices, in which N
individual voice was distinguishable
cried out:
1--WE want pay and clothing, ike
the other regiments"
"You shall have both" the colone
eagerly responded. "Only take arm!
and return to your duty and L vii
Immediately represent your grievan'
ces at headquarters"
A tumult of answering cries follow
ed his words, uttered in anger, deri
sion, and incredulity. "It's all work
and no pay with u.s." "We're the
ragged scare-crows of the brigade. -
We've heard that story before" ''Tell
that to the marines" mo pay, nc
muskets."
Attention." shouted the colonel;
and the regiment instantly came back
to silence and position.
Thereupnn the colonel made an
earnest and impassioned harangue OF
fifteen minutes, while dozens of curl
Gus spectators from the neighbOring
regiments stood about, viewing the
extraordinary scene. He promised
the men that he would give his per-
s6nal attention to their grievances un-
til tfey were redressed (; he represent
ed to them that their mutiny would
certainly be Intellectual for the pur-
poses they sought; and he begged them
to save the good nameof the regiment
from the disgrace with which their
! disobedience threatened it. Hardly
doubling that his address would pro-
duce the desired effect, he concluded
it with a repetition of the command :
'Take-drDlS ~
Each and all stood like a rock and
not a single hand moved toward the
muskets.
The mutiny was becoming serious.
For more than an hour the entire regi-
ment had stubbOrnly refused to re-
sumo their arms, and the persuasion
and authority rs well OF the COM
manding officer as of the line had
fallen idly upon their ears. The ex.
cited colonel ordered, Break ranks
which was quietly Obeyed; and call
ing for his horse, he rode off on a gal
lop to brigade headquarters.
Our brigadier had come from the
regular cavalry to accept his COM
mand in the volunteers; and he was
one of the best disciplinarians that
West Point ever gave to the army
! He was much past the middle age,
| and had seen arduous and distin-
guished service in Mexico and the
| West. He was a man of medium
height, or perhaps something above it,
with hair dashed with gray, sandy
whiskers and moustache, massive
! forehead, and face with the wrinkles
of service, and bushy eyebrows, over
hanging a pair of keen, incisive eyes.
His presence was habitually stern,
somewhat forbidding; the habitual
expression of his face was one of de-
Termination. Yet he had one of the
kindest of hearts, and his commands
invariably learned, before he had
done with them, that their comfort
and safety were at all times the objects
of his anxious solicitude. He was far
braver than generals are apt to be /;
when his troops went into battle he
was always upon the line with them,
exposed to the fire; and not Sheridan
himself was more careless of personal
danger, more reckless of bullets, at
Opeauan and Cedar Creek, than was
this man, His troops of course loved
him-when they knew him.
He listened to the story of the
colonel on this morning with evident
displeasure, which found expression
in few words which were more for
chile than elegant but venture to
say that no general officer in the ar
mics would have said less under the
circumstances. He listened attentive
ly to the details of the mutiny as the
colonel gave them, and when the latter
had finished, he said:
"They won't take arms-eh?"
mo, sir, they won't. Any order
they'll obey, but not that"
"Well, sir, are any of your officers in
this business ?"
mot one, General, nor any of the
orderlies," was the eager reply.
The General took one turn across
his tent-hoor.
"Return to your camp, SIR he said,
"and assemble your officers in front
of your tent. I'll be there in few
moments
The colonel rode away, not very ca
sy in mind, and wondering what was
about to happen. The general order
ed his horse and called in his aides.
"Get up your horses Immediately.
Captain, ride over to Captain;
give him my compliments, and tell
| him to bring a section of his artillery
| to the camp of the -th OntonagOn
Infantry, Immediately! Lieutenant
-, hasten to Colonel - and Colo
-(commanding regiments of the
brigade), and tell them, with my
compliments, to march their COM
mands, under arms, to the same place.
You will accompany them there"
A few moments later the men of the
rebellious regiment, gathered into
knots in the company streets and
about the parade, and comforting in
whispers together, saw the general,
! followed by single orderly, ride thro'
the camp back to the colonePs tent.
Some of them saw from a distance
that the officers were formed in a sim
gle line in front of the tent, with the
field officers on the right, the captains
next, and the lieutenants on the left.
The general dismOunted, and TAX
ing a brief survey of the faces before
him, turned to the colonel.
"Sir," he said sternly, 'dO you re-
fuse to perform duty ?"
mo, sirm was the emphatic ans
wer.
He turned to the line, and passing
down it, addressed the same question
to each officer, beginning with the
| lieutenant-colonel and ending with
the last subaltern. One and all un-
hesitatingly gave the same response
as the colonel.
"Now, sir said the general to the
| latter, "get your men in line. I'll end
/ this outbreak in ten minutes"
And then he added the same re-
mark that the officers of the regiment
had made: "We shall see if they'll
disobey me-"
The assembly was sounded. The
companies formed in their streets, and
were marched to their places in line
behind the stacks. The faces of the
men were grave and serious, but gen.
orally showed no abatement of pur-
pose. That purpose was, it was after
ward confessed, not to resume their
arms until the paymaster and the
| quartermaster should have actually
visited them and given them their
dues of pay and clothing. But in
many of these faces there was anxiety
as well as determination visible, and
all, officers and men, awaiting the
generals proceedings with such feel
ings as had never before been theirs.
They had not long to wait. Two