Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-08-21
MILITARY INGENUITY. sSss
How Confederate Utilized Cripp1es and
Damaged Weapons.
TFrOm the Arkansaw Traveler.1
e

Damaged Weapons.
from the Arkansaw Traveler.1
at never will forgive the Confederate
Government, said Col. Wartick, when
asked to relate war "reminiscences Il
started out with ripe determination of
doing everything in my power for the
cause, but men who had more authority
than l had pulled against me, and con-
sequentiy I stepped aside. They even
went so far as to court-martial me.
Now, if there is anything in military
life that takes mans appetite it is to
be contaminated. It is pretty bad in
civil life to be tried before Justice of
the Peace, but that isn't anything to
compare with a court-martial, and es-
specially when he knows full well that
he has done nothing to merit such severe
handling"
"Why were you court-martialed,
Cotonel?" 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 could, [ was sent into community
to press guns, and to draft and arm
every available man. Well, I went to
work and discharged the duty in ac-
cordance with my construction of the
order. At one place we seized 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. I told my men
not to throw them aside, but to keep
them-that they would come in handy.
In this community there were a great
many saw-mills and family feuds, and
consequently there were great many
one-legged men. One day 1 issued an
order that all the one-legged men to be
found within radius of twenty-five
miles should be brought into camp.
The order was strictly observed, and
within two weeks we had seventy-fve
cripples. Forming them in line on day,
I ordered the disabled shot-guns to be
brought out. When I took up a gun
whose right barrel was useless, I would
give it to man who had lost the use of
his right leg, and so on until the
seventy-fve men were armed. This was
strictly appropriate, for we had no
other use for the crippled guns, and the
country certainly had no other use for
the crippled men. [ took great pride
in this crippled company. I wanted it
to make a name-wanted each man to
feel proud of himself They elected as
Captain tall fellow who lost his left
leg while rafting logs. we presented
him attended by disabled ceremony,
with broken sword and double
barreled pistol with one hammer gone.
It would have tickled you to death to
have seen them on dress-parade, and
their quick-time would have made Ma
poleon pull off his hat and grin. Well,
pretty soon 1 had occasion to use them.
The enemy came upon me unexpectedly,
and in the hurry incident upon such oc-
casions placed the one-legged COM
pany in the warmest part of the field.
The battle lasted several hours and was
a draw fight. My one-legged company
suffered greatly. The Captains peg
was shattered by a ball, and during the
fight he sent an orderly into the woods
to make him another leg. Other men,
bers of the company were similarly
served; and, sir, the amount of splinters
on the battle-ground was simply as
tonishing. The enemy had fired low,
and three out of six wooden legs were
disabled. Before complete repairs
could be made my General came along,
and, not being able to understand why
SO much kindling-wood should be
scattered over battlefield, asked the
reason. [ explained, expecting him to
compliment me on my ingenuity, but
the unappreciative fellow had me court
martialed. [ left the service, and dur
ing the remaining time of the war 1
aided the cause by capturing mules from
the Union men and burning cotton that
might have fallen into possession of the
enemy"