Daily globe., 1883-08-15


his old friends.
at was splendid regiment" re-
marked. "The old One Hundred and
lEighty-seventh made gallant record
Where's Gen. De Resparaid now?"
/ "Oh, he's Collector of Internal Reve-
nue."
$50 he is; I had forgotten. And
Col. Echelon?"
Hes Postmaster.
"Sure enough. And Maj. Kamp-
'stuhl ?"
He's Sheriff" ="
"And Capt Tompion?"
United States Consul to-Gutta
Percha, I believe it is.
"And Lieut.. Col. Roundstep?"
Omitted States Marshal.
"And Capt Tumbril?"
HE is Judge of the United States
Court"
"Oh, yes; and Quartermaster Salt
horse?"
"He was in the Treasury Department
until last week"
"And where is he now?"
"They don't know" said Private
Rankanfle, evasively. "They think he
is in Canada, but they haven't found
him yet"
"Ah, yes; and where are the other
officers of your regiment?"
In the Legislature; all except Sur
geon Greensash-he is in Congress
and Adjutant Tenshun, who is in the
Pension Bureau.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
II am shipping-clerk down here at
Hide & Tallow's, and"-with troubled
look they won't want me after the
1st of June they have to make place
for old Tallow's nephew. But I'H find
something, I reckon. Im never out Of
place very long. Come in and see Us
when we get together on the 29th,
won't you?" and all the trouble died
out of his face at the thought of meet
ing the old boys again.
| I looked at him as he lmped away.
His gait is ungraceful, because he has
stiff knee-stiff as bone. It was
shattered at Antietam. The bullet
went crashing into it when he ran back
to pick up and save the regimeQtal flag
that had fallen from the dead hands of
the Color Sergeant. ''S' 4
But I wondered no longer that Pri-
yate Rankanfle seemed lonely. He was
thinking, perhaps, of his comrades, the
other privates in his regiment. There
were several private soldiers in the
army. Rankanfle, whom I know, was
one. The name of the other one has
escaped me- Nor do I know where he
is. He may be dead. Perhaps he is
married. Something has happened to
him, certainly. I looked for him in the
Legislature, but his Captain tells me he
is not there I seek him in Congress,
but his Colonel tells me he has not seen
him nor heard of him since last cleo
ton. I miss him in the Cabinet. He
doesn't appear to be Consul to any
place.
And yet, if he would only come for
ward and show himself, a grateful
country has remembered him. He can
| West, after the railroad has secured all
the best sections, twenty miles from
the nearest postofice, twice so far from
water and as far as a railway train can
run in a day from coal bank or forest,
on precisely the same terms as are ac-
corded to man who has been in this
land fifteen minutes. It is a great
boon, and the private soldier should
appreciate it. And undoubtedly he
does-in quiet way. He does not
make much fuss about it. And really
there isn't verv much for him to grow
enthusiastic about.
But the private soldier, though in
deed he is exceedingly rare and marvel
ously scarce at intervals, is not entirely
lost. It will rejoice the hearts of his
anxious friends to learn that his absence
has been noted. People are inq uiing
for him. Eminent statesmen are look
ing him up. Distinguished Congress
men, who are not morally certain OF
"going back" are after him. Great
men who have positively gone out of
politics" for good, Unless the voice of
the people should imperatively call
them back to public life, are seeking
the lost soldier in his retirement. The
time of the quadrennial reunion draw
eth nigh. Also, the year of the national
convention. In the days gene by,
when the private soldier was more
numerous than to-day, very nearly 81
thousand of him were required to make
one Colonel. More than many times
so many are sometimes requisite to The
election of a member of Congress and
to make a President.
Therefore he viii be found. He viii
be dragged from his lurking place. Ii
he has not been seen at the polls by
p. M the Generals own carriage viii
come after him. It viii not come after
him again for another four years. But
il viii come for him then.
md we rejoice, too, in the thought
that the time is come. One day the
private soldier will shine resplendent as
a blazing planet against the nebulous
background Of half-forgotten field and
line officers. It has been ever the fate
of the private soldier. Napoleon is
dead and all his marshals are dead
But the private soldier who fought un
der the Little Corporal" at Waterloo
is he not found in every State? Thc
''Iron Duke" is dead, but does not tn,
last surviving soldier of the Guards
die some place nearly every month