Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-11-16
miscellaneous.
Lei Hannah Approach.

Dul ing the late civil war we had in
IN Indiana regiment that made one of
our brigade huge captain. Well, it
never was known how innch that Cap
tain did weigh, for he broke down
very conceivable apparatus furnished
by the quartermaSter for that purpose.
He was tried on scales once gotten up
to weigh live cattle, and the result was
pronounced ton. But as every man
within reach put his foot ON the plat
form, and some actually stood thereon,
the result remained in doubt.
Captain Grosgirdle, as l shall call
him, WAS good-natured, hum rous
inan, and on account ofthese good quail
tiles great favorite. He was of the
F:llstaffian type, and true to Shaks-
peare's knowledge of human nature,
was rather careful of his person. He
was not Il cOward-on the contrary, /
Delieve one of the coolest men in dam
ger l ever met with. But he would,
with the greatest sangfrOid, do things
that would have tiisgraced any other
officer in the service.
On one occasion, while under fire, he
took refuge under hay stack, telling
his lieutenant to s'more on like a gal
liant fellow while the captain got his
second wind" The order was obeyed,
and in Il few moments after the cap
tain's own colonel galloped by. Drawing
in rein on seeing Grosgirdle, demand
was made, more profane than pOlitr, by
the colonel, to know why he was there.
''To get a lit lie wind while have a
right to it," was the cool response. p
The Colonel was about to order him
ont when shot struck his horses nose,
aud the frantic animal began rearing
and plunging in the most frightful man
aer. The colon lost his seat, and not
only tunbled but fell with his feet fast
in the stirrup. He would undoubtedly
have been killed but for the prompt as
sistance of GrOsgir,lle, who, seizing the
horses rein, held the frantic animal
until the foot WAS relieved, and then
lifting his superior officer to his feet, he
said, cody pointing to the sack:
, , "COme, colonel, let US resume our
conversation under cover"
"YOu Internal fool !" roared the COLO
mel, "don't you see they have that
cursed stack as a mark, and it is in the
most exposed part of the field"
AS he spoke shell exploding under
the old hay-stack sent it flying as boy
would hay cock.
"By jove" exclaimed GrOsgirdle
what wonderful thing is mi itary sa
gacity. That is why I am not majol
general"
On another occasion that happened
one dark stormy night, the captain pre-
pared for himself comfortable retrea
for the night His men had impro
vised bedstead of rails under the fl,
of tent, and had covered it with straw
dry and clean, from neighborins
stran pile. But the captain had scarce
ly turned In to be lulled ny the rail
that had battered on his imprompt,
roof, before he was used by the adiu
tant, with an order from his colone
to ke his company on picket duty a
once, some miles down the montail
gorge. The captain heard the order
and said:
"Certainly the colonel don't want
whole division for that duty. Civ
the order 10 my lieutenant, and repor
to the colonel that the division ha
turned in for the night"
7 ] could fill volume with illustrs
tins OF the fat captains wit, or rat