Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-06-28
ALEXANDRIA, PARISH OF RAPIDEs. La

your injuries. Where are you wounded
sir?'' demanded rather coolly; for by thi:
time / had caught his eye, and by its
expression, and tie regular vibration OF
the radial artery at his wrist, / was be.
coming suspicious of his game. The
blood upon his face and clothes was sat
isfied had never pulsated through his
veins; and rapidly coupling the various
circumstances together, L was finally con-
vinced that he was no more hurt than
myself, but reiterated my inquiry,
Where are hurt, sir?''
'tWhy, my dear fellow" said he, as,
with a groan, he made an effort to turn
upon his side, "as to that, can't say as /
was exactly hit, but, but"
"But what, SIR" | impatiently ex-
claimed, now becoming extremely dis
gusted with the fellows pOltroOnry.
ANSWER me, quickly, for there are many
b. ave men about who are actually requir-
ing my services; answer me, sir, without
any more butts"
"My dear Doctor, you must certainly
know me well enough to be assured that
| would be the last man-the very last
man in the service-to-"
captain Jones, tell me, sir, and with
out any further prevaricatiOn, where, and
how, are you hurt-if you are hurt at
all, FL again demanded, and this time
with more than my usual decision of
manner.
''Why, my esteemed friend, think it
was here" said he, as he again placed his
hand upon his breast. II think it must
have been round shot from one of the
Mexican batteries, for it seems as if my
breast bone was broken, it-that is to say,
it must have been a spent shot"
''But there is no mark of it, }" answered.
".Oh, no; suppose not, Doctor, for,
now think of it, | presume it was only
the wind of it, that knocked me senseless.
But, my dear Doctor, to save the feelings
of my friends at home, you may enter my
name on your morning report as only
slightly wounded"
"Indeed, Captain Jones, never before
met such an ar"
"Yes, yes, Doctor, 1 understand. 1
know it's quite an extraordinary case
very extraOrdinary-but 1 believe there
are many instances mentioned in your
books-are there not? You can make
note of this, If you choose, Captain
Jones, of the Blank Regiment, i'm the
storming of Monterey, knocked insensible
by the wind of nine pound shot; and,
though rendered hors du combat for the
time, not materially injured There, my
good fellow, that will do. So now, 60
no-not another word; only, pray let my
name be entered ON your roll of wound
ed. And now, goodbye. Some of my
men will probably find me and bear me to
my quarters. Call ON me there, please,
as you make your rounds in the morning,
Doctor" II
AS turned away, to return to the spot
where my brother surgeons were Occu-
pied in dressing the wounds of really
brave men, was so completely disgusted
with the unnatural meanness of Captain
Jones' conduct that determined, for the
honor of the corps to which he belonged,
and the service generally, not to mention
it to any living soul; but the following
day, in my list Of casualties, reported him
as very slightly disabled, but not specify
ing from what cause.
kept my own counsels; and though /
could not help despising the downright
of Captain Jones, his conduct
on the present occasion remained un-
known to his brother officers; and the
next morning, as passed his tent, around
which were a number of his friends con-
him upon his lucky escape, 1
was obliged to disguise my feelings toward
him, as returned his very polite, but ex-
impudent salutation.
That day the Captain, ascertaining that
his regiment would not be required for
any particularly dangerous duty, report
ed himself sufficiently recovered to take
of his company; and observed
him, when l chanced to be in his neigh
bOrhood, extremely attentive to all the
minuti8 of the service. He had his men
out for drill in the manual of arms, and
in deploying, skirmishing, receiving a
charge, and other field practice, while he
with promises of the opportunity they
the city should surrender, of enrolling
At length, by some inexplicable means.
which / could never divine, the conduct of
Captain Jones at Monterey began to be
whispered about, and his brothers In arms
at first began to treat him with marked
coolness. But his fund of wit and good
humor was so great, and his having before
been so general favorite, and, besides.
his really soldierly qualities being so nu-
merous, that they readily, as by tacit
agreement, determined to throw the veil
of charity over the affair. In few months
it was nearly fergotten-or at least ceased
to be subject of conversation.
But we were no sooner in for it at the
fiercely contested field of Buena Vista,
and the round shot and copper grape of
the enemy hailed furiously into the head
of our advancing columns, and our brave
fellows began to drop like grass beneath
the mowers scythe, than / observed an
officer of the Blank regiment spring sud-
denly forward, as If mortally wounded,
into a narrow ravine, upon the bank of
which it had just arrived.
"There," thought 1, ''goes another
noble fellow to his long home.'
But when heard the word passed from
mouth to mouth, along the line, sits Cap
tain Jones, poor fellow" reserved my
sympathy for more deserving objects,
well satisfied in my own mind that he, for
that time, was in safe quarters.
But shortly after his comrades had
safely crossed the ravine, and charged and
captured the battery guns on the other
side, and driven the enemy from that
point, distinguished that officer emerg-
Ing cautiously from the smoke that filled
the gorge, and joining his company, with
cap in one hand and sword IN the other, he
and huzzaed as yOciferOusly as