Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-06-26
PRIVATE TOM GATES.


men, wearing the blue and gold of Uncle |
Sans livery; very shabby the blue, very
furnished the gold, after the long sum- |
mer campaign on the dusty prairies and |
the grimy Bad Lands. AS the fierce wind |
howled around the little log cabin, driv-
ing the snow through the loose window
frames until it lay in miniature embank- |
ments on the floor, the little company |
drew still closer to the friendly stove, and |
one and another told his tale OF past adj |
venture and stress OF circumstance, until |
the old doctor, whose gray hair 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:
We'll, 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 story as well as any one if /
was urged hard enough
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
trifie here and there just to make com
plete and round it off nicely" murmured
soto voce 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 a 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 it, fitting back of wooden
chairs to miraculous angles, expressed
! the approval of the company, and, draw
ing 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 it 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 a 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
look of extreme depression. He was sell
dom seen at the suffers store, never at
the soldiers dances or theatricals, never
spoke if he could avoid it, but spent his
spare time lying idly on his bed or wan
dering alone over the bleak, frosty prai-
ries. "
1T was at 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. I pitied the man. He came
to the hospital once or twice for some
trifiing 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 hammock and en-
gagged in desperate combat with the flies
and gnats. r# a.s
"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 10y Gates bed,
in the cool, quiet hospital waId. HIS
tanned skin and close cropped hair, the
sunken eyes and hollow cheeks, 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
days, if not his hours, were numbered; in
t 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 short sigh, but the look
IN his eyes was more cheerful than any
one had ever seen in them before.
II have no friends who want to hear OF
me, he said, after pause, but if you
Z have few minutes to spare l 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 painful breath and went on in
! 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.
"AbouU MONDAY we got to K-where
+ we were to halt for an hour. For hours
: we had been marching through the sand
under that blazing sun. just outside the
town was 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
, ~, M ;rc+op+ This man xuoc ~ hrnx1,