Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-10-16

He war town.bred, and did not seem to
have any correct idea of military discipline.
II I commanded him to shut up. he would
sny: "Who was your niggcr last ycar@
Que evcning1 ordered him TO ride out
about three miles on picket duty. to tho
beginning Of a prairie. Said he: : What,
10 the night, and blamed union soldiers
likely to be prowling around there at any
t:mes" So he wouldn't go. and the next
morning l ordered him again. Said he:
IN the rain. I think l see myselfs" He
didn't go. Next day / ordered him on
picket duty once more. This time he look
ed hurt. Said he "What. on Sunday! You
must be a id fool" Well, picke,ipg
might have been q very good thing, but l,
saw it was impracticable; sol dropped It
enough time there at that barn, barring
the rats and motquiios and the rain.
We levied on both parties
impartially, and both parties hated us
impartially. But enc day We heard that the
invader was approaching. So we had to
pack up and move, of course. and within
twenty-four hours he was coming again. So
we moved again. Next day he was after
us once more. Well, we didn't like it much
but we moved-rather than make trouble.
And this vent on for a week or ten days,
and We saw considerable scenery. Then
Ben Tupper's patience was lost. Said he
"War is not what it's cracked up to be. Pm
going homo, if l can't ever git a chance to
sit down a minute. Why do these people
keep lis a humpin' around so? Blame their
ekins, do they think this is an execution?
Some of the town boys got to grumbling.
They complained that there was an insufi-
cheney of umbrellas. So l sent around to
the farmers and borrowed what I could.
Then they complained that the Worcester
shire sauce was out. There was mutiny and
dissatisfaction all around and, of course, at
such a time as this, the invader must come
around Fostering us again; as much as "
hours before breakfast. too, when no one
wanted to turn out of course. This was car
rying the thing too far; The whole com
mand felt insulted. l detached one Of my
him to assign us a district where there
history Of our campaign was laid before
what did he do?. He sent back an indig
nant message and said: "You had a dozen
chances inside of two weeks to capture the
enemy, and he is still at large. well, we
know that.) Stay where you are this time.
or I will court-martial and hang you"
Well, 1 submitted this brutal message to my
battalion and asked their advice, Said the
orderly sergeant: "If Tom Harris wants
the enemy let him com here and get him.
I amt got any use for my share, and who's
Tom Harris anyway, I'd like to know,
that's putting on SO many frills? Why, 1
knew him when he wasn't anything but a
darned telegraph operator. Gentlemen, you
can do as you choose. As for me, I've got
enough of this sashaying around so's't you
can't get a chance to pray, because the time
is all required for cussing, 30 off goes my
war paint. You hear mew The whole
regiment said with one voice, "That's the
talk for me-" So there and. then, on the
spot my brigade disbanded itselfand tramped
off home, with me in the tail of it. 1 hung
up my own sword and returned to the arts
of peace, and there were people who said I
hadn't been absent from them yet. W.
were the first men that vert into the service
in Missouri we were the first that went out
of it anywhere. This, gentlemen, is the
history Of the part which my division took
in the great rebellion, and such is the record
of its commander in.chief, and this is the
first time that the deeds of those warriors
have been brought officially to the notice Of
humanity. Treasure these things in your
heart.