The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1871-04-06
From the Chicago Tribune
THE PROVOST MARSHAL'S
STORY.
By kuNIGCNDI.


STORY.
By KUNIGUND1.
AS you say, sir, there was nm inlmens,
amount Of theft, bribery, and corruption
during the late war. Where this result
ed from cool, calculating design, hav.
no more sympathy with the perpetra
tors than you have. But this was moi
always the case. Vast trusts were offer
necessarily confided to the young or in
experienced. l can imagine these as
sailed at times by temptations more ter
rible to face than any storm of lead thai
ever swept over the battle fields Of his
tory. With those who went under
vainly fighting, can sympathize, while
for those who grandly beat down the
devil under their feet, have heartfelt
praise and admiration. Don't sneer, sir
when I say, that. of these last, believe
there We're not few. No can't men.
tion names, more's the pity. The vic.
tors of these conflicts neither hand in
their names nor post up their records.
And yet, fortunately for my theory,
have in mind the rather thrilling story
Of one of these moral heroes, and l
might tell it, if would. All nonsense,
do you say? Not at all, sir, can vouch
for its verify. Tell it then? Well, l
will, on condition that it goes no farth-
er, for, confided in friendship, it was not
anticipated that / would SOW it broad
cast. But you must let me go back to
the beginning.
OF course, you never knew my old
schoolmate, Hal Dudley. A prime fell
low was Hal; frank, hearty, whole
soulcd, and a great favorite. I plumed
myself not Il little on his condescension
in playing Damon to my Pythias.
When the war broke out he was lad
beg pardon, young gentleman-at COL
lege, and 1 wasn't. However we both
found our way into the army. While
he was earning his single and double
bars, on the Red and the Mississippi, l
was all quiet with the army Of the Po-
tysburg, and the Wilderness. Near the
close of the war, learned that he had
been detailed as Provost Marshal of one
of the most important seaport cities of
the South, then in our possession.
Thinks to myself "that's placing great
responsibility in the hands of three and
twenty, but then that boy is equal to
anything" The war ended, but new
interests kept Us still wide apart.
A few weeks ago, on taking boat up
the river, who should find OH board
but my old friend. Swift flew the hours
to the memories of the past. AS good
fortune would have it, full moon gree
ted us on the evening of that day, and
AZ We sat Oh the guards, watching her
coquetries with old Father Mississippi,
We fell to rehearsing our war expert
ences. After many an incident of
march, and field, and rebel prison, Hal
suddenly broke out with, II must say,
Glare, that ! think the most ticklish af-
fair ever got into happened after l
was assigned to duty as Provost at Blank
City. Not that my life was endangered,
but my honor was most desperately in
peril. For the sake of 'Auld Lang
Syne,' l think / may tell you all about
it.n
."Certainly," said T.; ''certainly, II!
be silent partner with you, If that's
the idea asidcl unless it proves too
good to keep
Aud this was his story, word for word,
as recall it:
First, thcn," said he, "havc you any
idea what it really meaut, to be Provost
of great, wealthy seaport city, the me-
tropolis of State and headquarters of a
department, such as Blank City then
was! Don't say you have, for it's i'm
possible, without the experience. Try
to imagine, however, the conflict of in
terest and the state of society there must
have been, where lavish government
was pouring out its resources for thou
sand purposes, where vast amounts of
rebel property were to be, or 'rcrc not to
be, coniiscated, where great hoards of
almost priceless cotton were to be run
out iliegitimately ifpossible, and hon,
estly only when necessary, and, against
all this, contrast the almost unlimited
powers of my position and office. l tell
you, amounts passed through my hands,
or within my reach, that fairly stagger-
ed me-me, the son of poor parents,
who, at college, had ever been pinched
for the needful, and in the field had
only fingered my pay. The very air
seemed full of bribery and corruption,
aud if had been dishonesty inclined
well, should be better off than am
as well-to do, perhaps, as some l wot of.
But no matter felt that if | ever did
get anything together l wanted to en-
joy it, and know couldn't if-you un
derstand. But was to tell you how it
once tested me to the utmost to let II
fortune slip through my fingers, because
l couldn't honestly close my hands upon
it. 1t was after this fashion.
One afternoon a stranger entered my
Office. He was rather large, somewhat
portly, and at once dignifed and courtly
in his bearing. His face and his dress
also, spoke Of respectability. With Il
gracious smile and bow he handed me
his card and I SAW his address was New
York. In response to my inquirins
look, he said, Hope l don't intrude,
Captain, but the fact is, just before left
the city, I chanced to meet my old
friend General Sanford Merton. Learn