The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-09-30
CAPTAIN OBSTINATE.


Ny story commences tsaid an old soldier of
the s'Grand army" who had left one of his
arms on.the field of battlel, ON the fifth of No.
vember, 1912, short time after the battle of
Wiazma. We beat retreat, not before the
Russians, for they were at respectful dis
tance from our camp, but before the sharp and
bitter cold of their detestable country-a cold
more terrible to US than the Russians, Aus
trians and Bavarians all put together.
During the preceding days our officers had
told us that we were approaching Smolensko,
where we should get food, fire, brandy and
shoes, but in the meantime we were perishing
in the glaciers and continually harrassed by
the Cossacks. We had marched six hours
without stopping to take breath, for We knew
that repose was certain death. An icy wind
blew the drifting snow in our faces, and from
ime to time we stumbled over the frozen corpse
of comrade. We neither spoke nor sang;
even complaints were no longer heard, and
that was bad sign. I marched by the side of
my captain-short. strongly built, rough and
severe, but brave and true the blade of his
sword. We called him Captain Obstinate"
for when once he said thing it was fixed-he
never changed his opinion. He had been
wounded at Warns, and his usually crimson
face was then CHASTITY PALE, while ragged
white handkerchief, all stained wi tn blood was
bound round his head, and added TO the pallor
of his countenance. All at once saw him
stagger on his legs like drunken man, then
fall like block to the ground.
Good heavens captain" said I, bending
over him, you cannot remain here
"You see that l can, since do it," replied
he, showing his legs.
Captain" said /, 'you must not give way"
| and, lifting him in my arms, tried to put him
| on his feet He leaned on me and attempted
to walk, but in vain /; he fell again, dragging
| me with him.
| .John," said he, call is over. Leave me
| here, and rejoin your company as quickly as
| possible. One word before you go f! At vorep-
! pc, near Grenoble, lives good woman, eighty
| two years of agony mother. Go and see
her, embrace her for me, and tell her what you
| will, but give her this purse and my cross.
ssIs that all, captain p
s'That is all, God bless you! Make haste
| Adeu 7! My friends, / do not know how it
was, but felt two tears roll down my cheeks.
| "No, captain cried, ri will not leave you;
either you come with me, or will remain with
you."
81 forbid you to remain
"You may put me under arrest, then, if you
! like, but at present you must let me do as /
please
s'You are an insolent fellow
Very good, captain, but you must come
with me-
He bit his lips with rage, but said no more.
| lifted him and carried him upon my shoul-
ders like sack. You can imagine that with
such burden could not keep pace with my
comrades. In fact, I soon lost sight of their
| columns, and could discern nothing around me
but the white and silent plain. still walked
on, when presently appeared troop of Cos
| sacks galloping toward me, with curious ges-
ticulations and wild cries.
The captain was by this time completely in
sensible; and / resolved, whatever it might
| cost me- not to abandon him. 1 laid down on
the ground, and covered him with snow; then
crept beneath heap OF dead bodies, leaving,
however, my eyes at liberty. Presently the
Cossacks came up, and began to strike with
their lances right and left, while the horses
trampled us under their feet. One of these
heavy beasts set his foot upon my arm, and
crushed it. My friends, did not speak, did
not stir; put my right hand into my mouth
to stife the cry of torture which nearly esca ped
from me, and in a few minutes the Cossacks
ha, dispersed.
When the last of them had disappeared ]
Quilted my refuge, and proceeded to disinter
the captain. To my joy he gave some signs ot
life contrived to carry him with my one arm
toward rock which offered sort of shelter
and then I laid myself by his side, wrapping
my cloak about us both.
The night had closed in and the snow con.
tinued to fall. The rear guard had long since
disappeared, and the only sound that broke the
stiffness of the night was the whistle of bul.
let, or the bowling of the wolves feasting on the
corpses that lay stretched around. Heaven
knows what thoughts passed through my soul
during that dreadful night, which, felt sure
would be my last upon earth. But / remem
bered the prayer which my mother had taught
me long before, when / child at hel
knees, and, bending low, / repeated it Will
fervor.
That did me good and felt astonishingly
calmed when | returned to my place by the
captain. But the time passed, and had fallen
into state of half-stupor, when I saw group
of French officers approach. Before I hac
time to speak to them, their chief, q little man
dressed in furred pelisse, stepped toward me
and said: "What are You doing here? Why
: are you away from your regiment?'
"For two good reasons said !, pointing frs
to the captain and then to my bleeding arm.
"The man says true, SIR" observed one O
those who followed him; 81 saw him m archine
in the rear of his regiment, and carrying thii
officer on his back"
The emperor-for, my friends, it was he-
gave me one of those glances that only he OF
the eagle of the Alps could give, and said: 81
is we'll. You have done very WE'LL" Ther
opening his pelisse, he took the cross which
decorated his green coat, and gave it to me
At that instant l was no longer hungry, NJ
: longer cold; felt no more pain from my arm
than if that awkward beast had never touched
it,
"DdrOnSt," added the emperor, addressing
the officer who had spoken to him, s'see the maj
| and his captain placed in one of the baggag
|, wagons. Adieu!' And making me motion o
| the naHU, H6 went away.
: Here the veteran ceased and resumed hi
pipe.
s.But tell us what became of Captain Obsti
nate" cried many impatient voices.
1.-The captain recovered, and is now genera
on the retired list. But the best of the iok
wassthat as soon as he got well, he put me un
: der arrest for fifteen days, as punishment fo
any infraction of discipline. This circumstanc
came to the ears of Napoleon and after laugh
ing heartily, he not only caused me to be Sc
free, but promoted me to the rank of sergeant
, As to the decoration, my children, here is tn
ribbon at my button-hole, but the cross I wea
? next to my heart"
And opening his vest, he showed the preciou
| relic, suspended from his neck in a little sat
bag.