The Baltimore County union., 1883-06-30
A WAR HORSE.

incidents Of a war horse:
| well remember a very touching in
cident that occurred soon after our en-
gagement at Waynesboro'. During
the first year of the war a soldier enlist
ing in the cavalry could, il he desired,
furnish his own horse, for the use Of
which he received extra monthly pay,
and il killed the Government price,
which was then 500. A sergeant Of
mine had brother in the Fourth Ohio
volunteer cavalry, who had taken into
the service horse which two brothers
had raised from colt, on their fathers
farm. After the capture Of Atlanta,
his term Of service having expired, he
was mustered out, and not being able
to get transportation for him, brought
him over to camp and gave him to his
brother, then my orderlySergeant. He
was fine animal, an easy rider, well
broke to military movements. "Doc,"
as they called him, was quite a pet
among the boys and was called the
veteran Of the regiment, having served
the Government faithfully for three
years, and then honora5ly discharged
with his rider, whom he had carried
safely through many hard fought bat
tie, without wound or accident. So,
whether in the field, on the march. or
in camp, our horses were usually aside,
and they naturally became very much
attached 10 each other; indeed, when
separated they would become very rest
less and uneasy, and il let loose, each
would soon find his mate by his familiar
whinnies, for believe among so many
horses they recognized each other more
by sound than BY sight. On the morn
ing referred to, | had in my command
fourteen horses, poor creatures > they
could go no further, and had been
ordered To be shot. Doc was one Of
the number. Before leaving Marietta,
and while we were following up Hoods
army, then in our rear. Doc had, in
some way badly Calked himself; from
the effects of which he had not entirely
recovered 1t the time we left Atlanta,
but by careful usage had been kept
along until now, when it became evil
dent that he could 20 no further.
Ger. Wheeler, who so persistently
followed us day by day and by night,
bivoucked that evening near us, Just
over on the opposite side of cypress
swamp, and to avoid giving an alarm
by firing small arms so early in the
morning, orders were issued to dispatch
our unserviceable horses with the
haiChet.
At assembly the fourteen doomed
horses were led out into line, with Doc
on the right. They were soon dis
patched and their halierS taken off and
As We moved noticed that they lay
side by side As they had fallen.
Company /, OF the Tenth, led the adj
vance of the Second brigade that morn
ing. The division then numbered
about 5000, and when marching in
column extended about four miles from
right to rear. was riding behind the
colonel and his staff, with only a COM
pany in front Of us as advance guard.
As We got an early start, and usually
moved At brisk walk. At two O'Clock
in the afternoon we must have been
twenty miles away from camp-whilc
the enemy marched on a parallel road
10 our left when suddenly the boys in
the rear began to cheer. Looking back
| saw Doc, the veteran. only few steps
behind, coming up on my left At full
gallop, covered with foam. When op
positc to me he settled down to a walk,
taking his accustomed place by the side
OF my horse. His head was covered
with blood, and the brain was oozing
out from his broken skull. His eyes
were closed and he was apparently sui.
fering great pain but now that he had
found his mate and taken his place in
column, he seemed satisfied. The
colonel seeing the horse, inquired what
was the matter with him. When in.
formed, he ordered me TO draw my re-
volver and shoot him. said, "Colo-
mel, can't do il )" and turning around
to my orderly, saw the tears in his
eyes. Poor fellow, something seemed
to choke him, for he could not speak.
| asked him to shoot him and put an
end TO his misery but he shook his
head, and for a full half hour, while no
one seemed willing 10 put an end TO his
misery, that poor beast hobblcd along
with us, laboring hard to keep up. Il
seemed that he had not received a
death blow, and after We had left, come
to life again. found us gone, settled up
on the direction we had taken, started
in pursuit, and passing thousands OF
horses in column, had at last, by his
acute ANIMAL instinct, found his mate,
and, notwithstanding his extreme suf-
fcring, taken his accustomed place in
column with rs much confidence and
certainty As il his rider had been upon
his back. Miles away from his lonely
and restless mate. Doc found rest that
night forever. He belongs to the long
roll OF forgotten heroes.
tsS-"Ma, what is grass widow
asked Harlem youth who had been
reading in the papers about person Of
that description. "Why, my boy, |
can't explain it exactly" replied the
mother. "I'll bet ! know, anyhow"
said the smart youngsier. "Well, tell
me-" "a grass widow is femele wo-
man whose husband died OF hay fever
he exclaimed. Then he went out in
kitchen and rubbed the cats nose with
red pepper.
bD-"Bcg pardon, sir, but could-hic
you tell me which is the opposite side
OF the street 20
"That side sir" pointing across.
"Mosh oblish. was over there jus
now, and asked mother gem'pn which
was Ops side, an he said this was"
bS-A Western preacher, whose con-
gregatiou had begun to fall Off some