The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1883-08-23
MILITARY INGENUITY.

81 never will forgive the Confeder-
Government" said Colonel Wartick
when asked 10 relate a war reminis
eence 81 started out with riDe de-
termination of doing everything in
my power for the cause, but men who
had more authority than / had pulled
against me, and consequently |
stepped aside. They even went so far
as TO cOurt-martial me. Now, IL there
is anything in military life that takes
a mans appetite, IL Is TO be court
martialed. It's pretty bad in civil life
to be tried before a Justice Of the peace.
but that Isn't anything to be COM
pared with a eOuFt-martial, and es-
Decially when he knows full well that
he has done nothing TO merit such
rough handling"
"Why, then, were you eOurt-mar-
tailed, Colonel ~ asked one Of the
company.
"FOr the simple discharge Of my
duty. Just about the time It behOOved
the COnfederacy to make every edge
cut that cOu ia, / was sent into a COM
muniiy 10 press guns and to draft and
arm every available man. Well,
went 10 work, and discharged my
duty i'm accordance with my cgnstruc-
tion Of the order. At one place we
seized a large number Of double barrel
shOt-guns. In examining them, we
found many that were damaged so
greatly that only one barrel could be
used. l told my men not TO throw
them aside, but 10 keep them, that
they would come In handy. In this
community there were a great Inanv
saw-mills and family feuds, and con-
sequently there were a great many
One-legged men. One day / issued
an order that all the One-legged men
within q radius Of twenty-five miles
should be brought into camp. The
order was strictly Obeyed, and Within
two weeks we had about seventy-five
eripples. Forming them in a line,
one day, / ordered the disabled shot
guns to be brought out When / took
up a gun whose right barrel was use
less, I would give Il 10 q man who
had lost the use Of his right leg, a. d
so on, until the seventy-five men
were armed. This was strictly APP
prOpriate, for we had no other use for
the cvippled guns, and the county
certainly had no other use fer the
crippled men / took great pride I'm
this crippled company. wanted It to
make q name; wanted each man TO
feel proud OF himself They selected
a captain, q tail fellow who had lost
his len leg while rafting logs. We
presented him, attended by disabled
with q broken sword and q
pistol with one hammer
gone. Il would have dekled you TO
death to have seen them on dress %.
rade, and theirquiek time would have
made Napoleon pull off his hat and
grin. Well, pretty soon ! had Oc-
casiOn 10 use them. The enemy came
upon me Unexpectedly, and IN the
hurry Incident upon such occasions,
1 placed the One-iegged cOmpfny in
The waFmest part % the field. The
battle lasted several hours, and was a
draw fight. My one-leRged eOmliany
suffered greatly. The captains peg
WIS shattered by & ball, and during
The fight he sent an orderly to the
woods to make him another leg. /
Other members Of the company were
similarly served, and sir, the amount !
lf splinters on that battle-ground was
imply astonishing. The enemy bad |
ired low, and three out % six wooden |
egs were disabled. Before complete |
repairs could be made. my general
same along, and not being able 20 I'M
lerstand why 90 much kindling-wOOd |
IhOuld be scattered over q battlefield, |
.sked the reason. explained, !
him 60 compliment me |
N nav ingenuity, but the unap- /
,reeialive fellow had me c0urt-mar-
iaied. len the service and during /
he remaining time Of the war, / |
ided the cause by capturing mules /
rom the Union men. and burning /
elton that might have fallen into pos
ession Of the ensmy. "-drkGR sds
Ihureiler-