Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1883-06-05
Disabled for Life.
BY r. II. KELLOGG.

/ will never be able to use tina
right arm again, Cap.," he said
as we sat smoking our regalias OF
the upper deck of a MISSISSIPPI
floating palace. which had jus
left the leyae ut New Orleans. HI
was an able-bodied soldier, bu
his right hand and arm wer'
shriveled to the proportion Of
child's. "If You like l will tel
you how it occurred"
l signified the pleasureit would
afford me, and he proceeded:
1t was shabby trick on the
part of old comrade in the -
Regiment, N. Y. s. Volunteers,
which clothed me again in Uncle
Sans blue, after having served
four years, attained the rank OF
Major. aud been honorably dis
charged.
l had been slightly wounded
twice, and never for a moment
anticipated making myself again
q target for the practice OF
others.
l met Captain Drein one night
on Broadway, and nothing would
serve but like old chums we must
take a social smile; the result of
this oonviviality was my finding
myself the next morning enlisted
in the United States army. AL
though deeply mortified at the
result of the previous nights
dissipation, I found. on exalnin
ing the papers, that all was cor
rect, and there was no getting
out OF the scrape except through
the intervention of the Secretary
of War. The cause OF my down.
fall informed me that I had
insisted on enlisting, and told
him point blank that if he
wouldn't have me I'd find some
one that would; he accordingly
made the best of a bad job, and
knowing my courage of old, etc,
he enrolled me. l am sorry for
!. the credit of Uuncle Sam to be
obliged to state that Captain
Drein prevaricated in his story.
The same evening, under charge
of Captain Drein, / was for
warded with squad Of recruits
to Kansas. SO rapid. was the
transition that scarcely any OPP
portunity was offered me to COM
nunicate with my friends until
our arrival ut our post, Fort -,
where l was appointed orderly
sergeant of the company sta
toned there under tho command
of Captain Drein
wrote several letters to my
friends, but, receivin, no answer,
finally, through the hands OF m
old trapper who was going to
Washington, forwarded u letter
direct to the Secretary of War.
To this | received a polite reply,
that at present it was impossible
to discharge me. that my case
would be considered, and in the
meantime was appointed dis
patch carrier between Fort -
and Fort Kearney. This was
slight step upward, and compar-
atively speaking, made me my
own master.
The route had to traverse two
or three times week was long
and dangerous, being that travel.
ed by emigrant trains.
The redskins were sometimes
troublesome, but the greatest
danger was from an organized
baud of bushwhackers that infest-
ed the region, to whose agency
many a crime attributed to the
Indians might have been readily
traced.
Last August the troops at Fort
were anxiously awaiting the
arrival of the paymaster, and
many were the questions put to
me in regard to his coming.
On reaching Fort Kearney on
my down trip, 1 found his wagon
among the rest of the train, and
heard that he had paid off the
troops there, but owing to def,
cheney of funds would proceed
no further at present.
l knew that this would be a
source of unqualified disappoint-
meut to our boys, as a number of
them had wives and ia miles to n
great extent dependent on their
pay for support, and to whom
this delay of the usual remittan-
ces would cause considerable in.
convenience.
On starting on my return trip,
the commandant at Fort Kearney
intrusted a packet to my charge,
to be delivered to Capt. Drein,
and cautioned me to guard it
carefully. as it was valuable.
Capt Drein remarked on open.
ing it: GAN right; were you
aware of the contents of this 7"
replied that l supposed it con-
tanned his pay. NO." he an
swered: "tho major being IN
haste to return, has forwarded
the mems pay to me. You'll
have large amount down to ex-
press for them. / hear that
SIS gang are working near
US. so keep sharp look that they
lnpit unbb1a no I'm " HTn do