American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-11-16
Corporal Cassard---A Story of the
Yellow Fever.

Louis Cassard is the son of a wealthy
private banker and the favorite nephew
of President Cassard, of the Germania
Bank of New Orleans. His father has
an estate on the bank of the Mississippi
River, five miles below New Orleans.
Within half a mile of the gate is the
barracks of the Thirteenth Regiment of
the United States Infantry. Louis, a
powerful lad, visited the barracks fire.
quently and made many friends among
the officers and soldiers. He seemed
never to tire of the parades, or even of
the monotonous round of guard-mount-
ings. He was graduated at local col
lege last spring, although then scarcely
IS years of age. His father informed
him that he would soon be expected to
begin to work in the banking house.
Louis appeared to assent reluctantly,
and few days afterward told his father
he could not be banker. He was de-
termined to be soldier. Mr.. Cassard
reasoned vainly, pointing out particu-
larly that as he had not received mill
tary education he would probably re-
main in the ranks all his life. Young
Cassard was firm. In a moment of i'm
patience Mr. Cassard told him that he
might do as he liked. When Mr.. Cas-
sard returned from the banking
house in the afternoon Louis
was missing. He was found in the bar
racks. He had enlisted for five years as
a private in H Company. Mr.. Cassard
was almost heartbroken and sought his
sons discharge, but Louis pleaded
earnestly to be allowed to stay in the
army, and the father yielded. Within
two months young Cassard was pro-
NOTED for soldierly qualities to be
corpora. A month later the yellow
fever began its ravages in New Orleans.
The regiment was ordered to the pine.
lands of Mississippi, and sergeant,
Corporal Cassard, ten privates and their
wives and children were left in the bar
racks. The fever soon found its way
there, and the Sergeant and some of the
men were stricken down. Corporal
Cassard nursed them until they died,
other soldiers, except one or two, and
the women and the children were next
seized. They died one by one. Corpo-
raj Cassard was at their bedsides night
and day until they died, and gave them
Christian burial. 1t was difficult to find
a driver for the hearse in which the
dead were taken to the cemetery. Oc-
a negro could be coaxed to
run the risk of handling the rcins.
Usually, however, Corporal Cas-
sard was the driver. On one
sultry afternoon rs he was returning
from the grave of almost the last of his
the drowsiness of exhaustion
crept over him. He fastened the reins
of his tired horses loosely, climbed from
the box, lay down in the hearse and fell
into dreamless sleep. The horses
plodded on until they reached the gates
of Corporal Cassard's home. The ne
gro lodge keeper saw that there was no
driver upon the box, and stepped out to |
stop the horses. Then he saw Louis in |
the hearse. He turned and ran to the
crying out that Master Louis
was dead. Mr.. Cassard followed the |
hearse and reused his son. The fever
did not exhaust itself in the barracks |
until all of the inmates excepting Cor
poral Cassard and two privates were |
dead. Even with the little help that the /
exhausted privates gave, Corporal Cas-
sard kept the Government property in
good order until a superior officer and
a detail of privates were sent to his re-
lief.
Honorable mention of Corporal Cas-
sard, it is understood, has been made in
The relieving officers reports. When
The regiment returns to the barracks a
formal regimental report of his con-
iuct will be made to the Secretary of
War.-Neao York World.