River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-06-26
PRIVATE TOM GATES.

Sans livery; very shabby the blue, very
tarnished the gold, after the long sum
mfg campaign on the dusty prairies and |
Z he gTimy Bad lands As the herce wind |
howltd around the little log cabin, drig
ing tie snow through the loose window |
frames until il lay in miniature embank |
ments on the floor the little company
drew still closer 10 the friendly stove, and |
one and another told his tale OF past adj |
venture and stress of circumstance, until |
the old doctor, whose gray har might |
have earned for him some more cheerful
home than frontier outpost IN which to
pass his evidently hale old age, said in
his slow, quiet way.
.sWell, my boys, you've each had your
say and not asked the old man for his anec
dote yet; but your getting tritie
talked out the last half hour I've seen
some queer things in my day, and maybe
could tell a story as we'll rs any one If
was urged hard enough
Lay on, doctor; we save the best till
the last, always
"None OF us can tell such yarns as you,
when you're once set going, for you never
spoil good story for want OF adding a
triie here and there just to make com
| plete and round it off nicely, murmured
soto voce a saucy STRIPPING.
While you've been talking here, SAID
| the old doctor, AN odd melancholy sort
of feeling came over me, and you'll own
that's weakness m not very subject to,
boys, but somehow my thoughts seem to
run on poor fellow who's dead now, so
there's no harm in talking about him, If
you care to listen
A sharp order to the JUNIOR lieutenant
to fill up the stove with wood and be
quick about il, a fitting back OF wooden
chairs TO miraculous angles, expressed
the approval of the company, and, draw
ing a long Whit from his pipe, the doctor
began;
up at Camp r., not many years ago,
there was soldier who excited consider
able curiosity among the officers and men
by his queer ways Most of you know
how il is In these little rat-holes where
troops are housed for the winter, shut
up like bears in pit, with nothing to do
but look at each other, till spring starts
them off on the war-path again. Each
persons peculiarities undergo search
| ing analysis, and any one who refuses at
once to divulge his whole private history
and antecedents, for the benefit OF his
comrades curiosity, is considered social
fraud. The idea that the proper study
of mankind is man is carried to its
furtherest limits, both among officers
and privates. The soldier | was telling
you about was prompt and exact about
his duties, no fault could be found with
his conduct, but his face Wore always Il
look of extreme depression He was sell
dom seen at the suffers store, never at
the soldiers dances or theatrlcals, never
spoke il he could avoid il, but spent his
spare time lying idly on his bed or wan
dering alone over the bleak, frosty prai-
ries.
1T was al last decided by his comrades
that he had committed some crime and
enlisted to escape the law, and preju-
dice began to be felt against the poor fell
low, which resulted in his being totally
ostracized | pitied the man. He came
to the hospital once or twice for some
trifling ailment, but any effort to draw
HIM into conversation only ended in the
discovery that Tom Gates was born at
Lynchburg, Va, had served through the
last war, and was now in his second en-
listment in the regular army.
Spring came in and the scouting par
ties went out. From time to time a
small detachment would come into Camp
r. to take out supplies or TO bring in the
sick and wounded men, for mountain fe-
yer and hostiles were both pretty trouble
some that season. One broiling August
day an orderly came to my room, where |
was swinging in a hammock and en-
gagged in desperate combat with the flies
and gnats.
"Sir,' said he, private Gates, b COM
pany, is shot in the breast
"All right; be down directly, and in a
couple of minutes stood by Gates bed,
in the cool, quiet hospital ward. HIS
tanned skin and close cropped hair, the
sunken eyes and hollow checks, gave All
odd expression TO his face, but around
the base of the nose was the pincned,
dark look, which is a sure sign Of death.
A short examination showed that his
ldays if not his hours, were numbered; in
fact, from the nature of the wound | was
surprised that he had lived to reach the
garrison.
"My poor fellow, | can't help you, ex-
cept to promise to deliver any message
you wish to send to your friends
"Gates gave a short sigh, but the look
IN his eyes was more Cheerful than any
one had ever seen in them before.
~ have no friends who want to hear of
me- he said, after a pause, but if you
have few minutes to spare would like
to tell you something about myself, as
you've once or twice asked me questions
It's hard to carry the burdens I've had
for years and die like sullen dog at last,
He drew a painful breath and went on in
a faint, hurried voice: 1T was on the
march through Pennsylvania just before
Gettysburg, the weather fearfully hot
Men were continually dropping from the
ranks, fainting from heat and thirst
When we passed any spring or creek the
regiment would make mad rush. and
the cold water and the heat together laid
many fellow fiat on the road. At last
the order was given that any man who
left the ranks to fetch or drink water,
without leave from the captain of his
company, should be instantly shot in
front Of his regiment. The men were
killing themselves, you know, by the
way they were going on.
"About MONDAY we got to K-where
| We were u lldll LOT all llOuI. COI HouIs
we had been marching through the sand,
under that blazing sun. Just outside the
town was a little brook, running by the
roadside. To march along by that water
with dried lips, swollen tongues, burning
eyes, was hard One man stepped from
his place, filled his canteen and was back
| in an instant. This man was my broth
er. The regiment halted. The first six
men in the front rank of our company
were ordered to fall in / was one OF
them. l begged my captain for Gods
sake to spare me this duty, for the doomed
man was my own brother.
''No talking. Attention, squad
LOAD
"Firer
II know my ball never touched him,
but uy poor brother fell dead. From
this moment I watched my chance to
finish the captain who had done his best
to make me murder my only brother. We
went into the fight at Gettysburg; our
colonel never came out. Our company
lost all but twenty, and was chosen to
pay the last honors at the colonel's hur
ried funeral, Now, whispered the devil,
here's your chance to revenge your broth
er's death; take il. 1t may never come
again / did take it. The captain gave
the order tor the last salute over the grave