Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-10-31
A WAR REMINISCENCE.
How IA Regular Ofiicer Was Thumped
Into Respect for the Volunteers.


How IA Regular Ofiicer Was Thumped
Into Respect for the Volunteers.
Reading General Lew Wallace's let
ter to the eleventh Indian regiment,
defending his course at Shiloh, | was
reminded of an accident which hap
pened shortly after that conflict, said
veteran of the war to a representa-
tive of the indianapolis Journal. 1t
happened at Louisville, and General
Wallace and the late General E. o. {.
Ord, his son (who acted as one of his
fathers aids), and Major James X.
Ross, of this city, who was at the time
acting as Wallace's aid-de-camp, were
the parties interested. There was al
ways an air Of superiority worn by the
officers of the regular army towards
those of the volunteer service, and this
feeling was so bitter on the part OF
some as to be the cause of feeling
amounting almost to positive hatred.
Ord was general of the regulars, and
his son was lieutenant in the same
service, of equal rank with Ross, a vol
unteer, and young Ord occasionally
took occasion to Snub his comrade,
but the latter was not the kind Of a
man to toady any one. 1t was after
the battle of Shiloh and a number Of
general officers and members of their
staffs were at Louisville, with head
quarters at the Louisville hotel, among
the number being General Ord and his
son. They never omitted an opportu-
nifty to speak sneeringly of General
Wallace, or for that matter, any vol
unteer officer. One night young Ord
was engaged in playing billiards IN
the billiard-room of the hote!, and his
father was in the corridor talking
with some other officers. 1t was pro-
posed that the party take walk about
the city, and as the night was cool the
general turned to Major Ross, and in a
tone of command, said: "Lieutenant,
90 to my room and get my overcoat'
The young officer turned sharply, and,
without Offering to obey the command,
replied, jerking his thumb over his
shoulder in the direction of the bill
liard-room: There is an artist in there
sir, who can act as your servant. The
general said nothing but vas forced to
make his son stop playing to do the
errand or climb the stairs himself, and
chose the former course. After the
occurrence young Ord was even more
overbearing in his demeanor towards
Ross than ever before, and the feel
ing of animosity between them was
greatly embittered. One night short
" afterward General Wallace was
standing in a group of officers at the
hotel, and near at hand was young
Ord with mixed party of soldiers
and civilians. Some one in the party
singled the General out, and addressing
Ord, asked who that officer was. "Oh,
that is Lew Wallace, the man who
tried so hard to lose Shiloh" answered
the lieutenant. Scarcely had he finish
ed speaking when Ross, who had in
advertently heard the remark, stepped
briskly forward and struck the COM
mander's slanderer singing slap on
the cheek, following it up with blow
which sent the young man sprawling
on the floor. "You have (thump)
slandered General Wallace in partic-
ular (thump), and the volunteer SOL
der in general" (thump), shouted
Ross, "until l have (thump) stood all
l can of it (thump); and now (thump)
propose to show you (thump) that
there is at least one volunteer ofl-
Ger (thump) who is more of a man
than a regular of equal rank" and
bumpety-bump went the young mans
head against the floor. The thump-
ing process continued until the by
ISLANDERS pulled Ross off and allowed
the other to escape. After that there
was greater degree of respect and de-
ference paid the volunteer arm of the
service by at least that portion of the
regulars. l was an eyewitness to the
occurrence, and can testify to the truth
of the story.