Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1881-04-20
CAPTAIN CAMLION.

In the month of May, 1864, we
were encarped, under Grant, on the
bank of the Rapidan. The opposite
side of the river was held by Lees
forces. Our regiment-the Two Hun.
dredth Massachusetts-had fought in
many of the bloodiest battles of the
war, and comparatively few of the
original volunteers now survived.
Camlion, Fred. Bolton and myself,
however, still held together, and
neither of us, in all the dangers to
which We had been exposed, had ever
received wound.
Our acquaintance antedated the war.
We had been classmates in Har-
ward University. / remember we
used to nickname Camlion Captain
long before the war of the rebellion
was thought Of He was tall, strong
and serene, with dignity about him,
half bovish and half manly. which
made him respected as well as loved.
lie was president Of every college
society to which he belonged; he pull-
ed the heaviest oar in the University
crew. No exertion tired him, and no
provocation put him out of temper.
though I do not forget his encounter
with Fred. Belton, 1t was, indeed
the beginning of their friendship,
Fred was Virginian by birth,
though he af,erward fought on the
Northern side +; be was full Of fun and
humorous mischief, but subject to un-
governable ou.bursts of passion. One
day be undertook to play off practi-
cal joke on Mrs. Clapper, our laundress
who was more than suspected of using
chemicals In her washing, to the detri.
ment of the fabrics committed to her
charge. Fred. who was something of
a chemist, hit upon tie ingenious de-
vice Of saturating one of his shirts
with mixture which, when brought
into contact with the ingredient Mrs.
Clapper was accused of, produced an
explosion which utterly upset her and
her washtub, and, besides rendering
the poor old lady almost idiotic with
fright. injured her rather severely on
the face and hands Fred related the
incident with great glee at the supper
table that evening. We all thought II
funny and laughed, all except Camlion.
You ought to beg the woman's par
don, Beltou.' be said There was an
immediate silence when his low but
powerful voice struck in, and every
body turned toward him as he sat
with both hands resting on the edge
of the table, and his face, which was
the type of the young Grecian Her
cules, slowly reddening. Fred laugh
ed, fancying at first that Camlion was
chatting But in moment the latter
added, 1t was blackguardly thing to
do
Thereupon Fred jumped up, white
with wrath
Will you take that back p be called
out.
Il say it was shameful and cow
ardly trick was Camlion's answer
Belton snatched up a heavy bread
knife that lay on the table and hurled
it with all his force at Camlion's face.
1t struck him on the cheek, little be-
low the right eye. 1t was a murder
Gus act. We all rose confusedly to
our feet, anticipating violent sequel +;
for Camlion could have shaken Belton's
heart out of him with one hand. He
alone remained seated, however, press
ing his handkerchief to the deep cash,
while he kept his glance fixed on his
assaliant.
OF course that makes no difference,
Belton,' he said. after pause.
Belton, who was by no means bad
fellow, had no sooner done the deed
than he was sorry for it, and manfully
said as much on the spot.
Il don't care fig about this ans
wered Camlion, quietly; but he
added with the grim tenacity which
was feature of his character, you
ought to make it up to Mrs. Clapper
The upshot was that Bolton yielded,
and presented Mrs. Clapper with S25
and handsome apology. But the in
cident reused q good deal of discussion
and opinion was for while somewhat
divided as to Camlion's behavior.
Some declared that he ought to have
sent the Southerner a challenge, but
most of US felt that duel would have
been gratuitious absurdity for man
like Camilon; and it was sign of the
general confidence felt in him that no
one ventured to intimate that the fact
OF Belton's being notoriously dead
shot had anything to do with the pa
cific termination of the affair. Camlion
himself never alluded to it in any way,
but as I have said, the two men after
ward became firm friends, and Bolton,
who had before belonged to the fast
set, gradually mended his ways under
Camlion's influence and joined the
athletic party.
Another follower of Camlion's-and
be had many, though his intimates
were few-was Frank Capel, also a
Southerner, and well-msnnered,
pleasant fellow enough. He was
chiefly noted fo2 bio fanaaticsl Igvo-