Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-11-29


in closer bonds of friendship than ever.
When the thunders of the cannons
that inaugurated the war of the Re-
bellion came booming from Fort Sum-
ter, and war echoed through this
mountain district, the excitement and
indignation there could not have been
greater if the hostile guns had been
leveled at the town of - itself
After the battle Of Bull Run, and the
call came for three hundred thousand
men, many volunteered from their place,
and among the number were Walter
Barring and Edgar Melville. They
did not wait to be commissioned as Off
GERS, but were willing to take musket
and do or die for their country.
Mr. Hamlin had in his employ, as
man-of- all-work, rollicking son of the
Emerald Isle named Terance O'Rourke,
and for a song, jig, wedding, or a
wake, his equal could not be found in
the whole township. The young vol
unteers conceived the idea that his
Irish songs and Irish wit might shorten
some of the tedious hours of camp life,
and they resolved, if possible, to per
suade Terance to go with them to the
front. When the subject was preached
to him he at once fell in with the idea.
To use his own language, "I'm nat
ural, born sojer. Me grandfather
fought wild Wilmington at the battle of
Waterloo, and all by himself captured
sixteen Frenchmen." This astounding
statement set them both laughing.
Terance attempted to modify it by
stating that " The Frenchmen left their
guns forninst 'em, and came down to
drink at spring, whin me grandfather,
seeing thin all alone by themselves,
charged down on 'em, captured, and
marched livery mothers son of 'em as
prisoners into camp Win Wilmington
seen him come wild the Frenchmen, he
said to him, will done Sargent
O'Rourke! Whin the fight is over put
on yer white nankeens, come to me
tint, and sup wild me tonight and SO
he did. Me father was grenidior in
the British army, and was In the
Crimyan war. For meself, who knows
but might come back wild spurs on me
heels, and three-cock'd hat on me
head ?"
They assured him that with such
military record as belonged to the
O'Rourke's, there was no doubt but his
expectation would be fully realized.
In few days the trio, with others
from the town, were en- route for the
seat of war, their regiment being as
signed to Gen. Reynolds Division of
Pennsylvania Reserves, then on duty in
the Army OF the Potomac.
When the army was transferred to
the Peninsula, their regiment was
brought into active service at York
town, and Williamsburg. In charge
at the latter battlefield the officers
of their company were either killed
or permanently injured. Melville and
Barring being the most available ma
terial at hand, and having influential
friends in the regiment, soon received
their respective commissions, Melville
as captain, and Barring as first lieuten-
ant Of their company.
When the army took up its position
in and around the swamps of the Chick
ahominy, the hardships of campaign
ing were felt by every officer and sol
der there One night Melville's COM
pany had been detailed on picket duty
on the outer lines. While chatting
with his officers and exchanging stories
with his comrades; the picket in front
of them was heard to give the challenge
"Who comes there Not being an
swered, he leyeled his musket and shout
ed; 'Stand, Or I'll fire! p No answer
was given, the steps of some one APP
preaching was heard, and the shadowy
form of man could be distinctly seen
through the darkness. The picket made
his word good, and fired. A discordant
noise was heard like the broken notes
of a rusty hand organ, then a shout.
''Hould on theressye murderin' divil,
can't yees see me blue coat, you spal-
peen I"
They all recognized the voice and
brogue of Terance O'Rourke, as he came
turabling into the lines, with a half
grown pig under his arm, kicking in
its death struggles; the bullet from the
picket's musket had slain the pig, in
stead of Terance. Throwing it down on
the ground with" Be the great saint
Dinnis, fat narrow 'scape had to be
sure. IF me head had been where the
pigs was I should have been kilt en-
tirely, and to morrow night yees might
have had q roaring old wake over the
fallen remains of the late Terance
O'Rourke - On being demonstrated
with for running the picketline at
night, he replied: "Sure didn't we all
made cut of fresh mate? And [ says
to myself, bedad I'll have pig to,
night if there's one in tin miles round
So I slipped out between the two
guards foreninst that tree to your left,
whit through bit Of woods, down a
lane. lept fnce, and I was in barn
yard, PLACED as fox in hin-roost
The first thing chat struck me attintion
was nest Of three as illigent pigs as ye
iver clapped yer two eyes upon, slaping
swately on whisk of straw-faith twas
pity to wake 'em; and [ wouldn't
aither only for the great military neces
sity that sent me to look for 'em. So [
stud down on me hand and knees, and
walked up to shaping beauties wldout
moving straw. Slipin the nose of this
crachur into me fist, SO he wouldn't wake
up his brothers and sisters wild squal
4 L.