The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-03-14
Gen. Magruder.

Gen. Shields, OF Cerro Gordo celebrity,
has lately furnished correspondents Of
the Eastern press some "reminiscences,
humorous and otherwise, OF his Mexican
experiences. One anecdote ] see pub
lished wherein Bankhead Magruder.
the gallant convivial, figures as the
hero. | am reminded of one of Mag
ruder's adventures during the cam
paigns of 1857, which is familiar to
most officers of the cold army" but
which | never remember, to have seen
In print. 1t was on the march from
Puebla to the city Of Mexico that Mag
ruder, who had an artillery command;
on halting for the night, in the midst Of
q pelting rain, noticed at a little
distance some Out-buildings admirably
adapted as a shelter for his command.
To think was with him to act, and In a
few minutes his men and horses were
comfortably housed, and his pieces and
caissons protected by tarparlins, from
the storm. Scarcely had the gallant
captain and his subalterns settled them
selves In a snug corner before a well
come fire, when they were disturbed by
the entrance of an aid-de-camp to the
division commander conveying the
untimely order that Magruder's COM
mand should at once vacate, as the pre-
misses had been assigned to division
headquarters. Now, the commanding
officer was Gen. Pillow, who had
already acquired a certain fame by dig
cling the fosse of fortified work on the
wrong side of the parapet, and whose
ever recurring errors of detail af-
forded TO the regulars under his COM
mand a fund of infinite jest. Magruder
was equal to the occasion and with a
bland smile, a stare of on-recognition
and his own inimitable lisp, he ad-
dressed the aid he had seen every day
for a year. "Thir, | do not know you,
never thaw you before in my life. If
Gen. Pillow wisheth to convey me any
orderth let him do tho in writin." The
astounded aid retired, and Magruder
and his comrades again settled to their
coffee and their fire. Shortly the jingle
of spurs and the clang of sabres an
nounced a new arrival, and, supported
by his orderly, stalked into the circle
the Adjutant-G General of the division
Major- captain Magruder, these
buildings have been assigned as division
headquarters. General Pillow demands
that you shall vacate them, Immediate
lyp, They were intimate friends, had
been at West Point together, but Ma
gruder failed to recognize the Major.
"There, l do not know you. Let Gen
eral Pillow convey both orders in writ
ing" "Why, Magruder," urged the
Major. "There, 1 do not know you,"
was the polite response; and the dis
committed chief of the staff withdrew
A few minutes more-passed by coffee
had been discussed, and the now jovial
party were engaged in testing, from the
festive canteen, a superior article of
commissary whisky, when the clatter
of hoofs, the hoarse voice of command,
the rattle of many sabres, proclaimed
the approach fthe division commander
and his retinue. Magruder and his
~lieutenants rose respectfully as the
civilian General, in all his muddled and
bedraggled pomp, entered their humble
quarters. captain Magruder," thun-
dered Pillow, ''if in fifteen minutes
your men and horses are not removed
from these quarters, | will give you an
order that will surprise you sirV" Ma
gruder s%huddered at the prospect, but
ever ready fired the final shot: 81 beg
pardon General, you could give me no
order that would thurprithe me, thir."