The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-28
PRIVATE RANKANFILE.
Why 1t Is that He Feels Lonesome-The
Officers in the Offices of Crate
full Government.

searching glance, as OF q man seeking lot some
thing he hasn't exactly lost and never expects
to find. He fought '1nto the war;" and often 1
have listened to his well-worn ola army stories,
merely as an act of Christian charity to Rankan-
file. 1t seemed to do him good. He would come
out of two hours monologue about fields
where he had fought and bled and run and in
trenched and marched by various flanks, and
advanced himself on the right and held the
center with his left little confused, and did var
GUS other things extremely puzzlng to civil
Ian, a brighter and a happier man. And would
go away feeling as good as d martyr, and carry
ing with me a sort of impression that Private
Rankanfe had q great deal to do with the ma
neuvers OF the corps of which he was private
gentleman, and associated almostly exclusively
with generals and colonies.
But when met him the other day there was
glad look in his eye, and ne grasped my hand
eagerly.
''Y gu must be here on the Goth" he said, gay
ly; "the old One Hundred and Eighty seventh is
going to have reunion. I'll see all the old boys;
gallant old fellows haven't met since 90"
There was nothing lonesome about Rankan-
file now. Civilian as 1 was, l reiOiced at the
prospect OF his meeting his old friends.
sit was splendid regiment" 1 remarked.
''The old One hundred and Eighty seventh made
galland record. Where's General De Resparaid
nowF
"Oh, he's collector of internal revenue"
$50 he is; had forgotten. And Colonel Eche-
lon2"
"Hes postmaster"
"sure enough. Aud Major Kampstuhll'
Giles sheriff"
"And Captain Tomplon7"
Omitted States consul to-Gutta Percha, be-
lieve 1t is"
And Lieutenant-coonel RoundstepI"
United States Marshal"
"And Captain TumhrIll"
He is "a judge of the United States court"
"Oh, yes; aud Quarterm aster SalthOrse7"
she was in the Treasury Department until last
week."
"And where is he now7"
a. ~ Drixro Dnn
evasively. "'They think he is in Canada but they
haven't found him yet"
"Ah yes; and where are the other officers of
your regment2"
SIN the Legislature; all except Surgeon Green
sash--he is in Congressman AdJutant Tenshun,
who is in the Pension bureau"
"Wnat are you doingq" asked.
81 am shipping clerk down here at Hide & Tai
lows, and" with troubled looK-"they wont
want me after the LIST of June: they have 10
make place for old TallOw's nephew. But I'll
find something, reckon. I'm never out of
place very long Come in anu when we
get together on the 29th, won't yOu9" and all the
trouble died out of his face at the thought of
meeting the old boys again.
looked ut him as he lmped away. His gait
is ungracefu, because he has stiff knee. stiff as
hone. IL was shattered at Antietam The
bullet went crashing into 1t when he ran back to
pick up and save the reglmental flag that had fall
len from the dead hands of the color sergeant
Don't tell me that republics are ungrateful,"
said the bighearted private Onr day, his eyes
swimming in grateful tears. "LOok here, all
this just for little thump like thai" He had
III
he said proudly, "for stiff knee"
His old commander General De Resparaid,
gets great deal more than that, and never got
| a scratch In the army. But he has something
mysterious, with long Latin name, that has
affected some four-syllable portion of his anat-
omy. Every time Rankaniile hears OF it-whlch
IL every time he meets the General-he shudders,
and says ''that thing will carry the General off
one OF these days"
would not be surprised. 1t is big enough to
carry off "A rhinocerOs.
But wondered no longer that Private Rank
I Nwnlw- H.
of his comrades, the other priyates in hts regi.
ment. There were several private soldiers in
the army kankanfile, whom know, was one.
The name of the other one has escaped me. Nor
do know where he is He may be dead Per
haps he is married Something has happened to
him, certainly. looked for him in the Legsla-
| ture, but his captain tells me he is not there. l
seek him in Congress- but his colonel tells me
he has not seen him nor heard of him since last
election. miss him IN the cabinet. He doesn't
appear to be consul to any place,
And Yet, If he would only come forward and
show himself, grateful country has remem-
bered him. He can secure a farm of 100 acres
in the far West. after the railroad has secured all
the best sections, twenty miles from the nearest
postOffice, ice so far from water and far as
"a railway train can run in day from a coal
| bank or forest. on precisely the terms as
are accorded to a man who has been In thia land
fifteen minutes. IL is great boon, and the
private soldier should appreciate 1T. And I'M
doubleday he does-n a quiet way. Ho does
isn't very much for him to grow enthusiastic
about.
ia
exceedingly rare and marvelously scarce at in
tervals, is nUeentirely lost. 1t will rejoice the
hearts of his anxious friends to learn that his
absence has been noted. People inQuring
for him, Eminent statesmen are looking him lIp
Distinguished congressman, who are not morally
certain of ''gong back" are after him Great
men who have positively "gOne out of politics"
for good. unless the voice of the peo-
pie should mperatively call them back to public
life, are seeking the lost soldier in his retire
ment. The time of the quadrenaial reunion
draweth nigh; Also, the year of the national
convention. In the days gone by, when the
private soldier was more numerous than tC-
day. very nearly a thousand of him were re-
quircd 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
Therefore he will be found, He will be drag
ged from his lurking place. If he has not been
seen at the polls by p. NJ. the Generals own
| carriage will come after him. It will not come
after him again for another four years. But IL
will come for him then.
The pages of history teach us, then, dearly be-
loved, that the private soldier Is extremely nee
essary during :he progress of war. He is inds-
pensable so long as actual hOstilites continue;
he is even useful at intervals in time of peace,
but between the intervals nobody appears 10
want any of him-durng the spaces or period
that elapse between the times when there is
| somebody to be elected to something.
And Ii Is pleasant TO see him dragged ont into
the light OF dav even once IN two or four years.
1t Is pleasant to he thus assured that he is not
dead, but only speechless; TO know that he Is
still good for something; that he counts one
piece at the polls; that he swells the line of the
torchlght professions; that, IN the days of yOre
and gore, he is useful in digging trenches, as it
were. 1t is great Joy to know that he is not all
and altogether gone. There used 10 be so many
of him that now we seem TO miss him, even when
we catch him out alone and count him,
And we rejoice, too, in the thought that his
timels come. One day the private soldier will
shine respondent as blazing planet against the
nebul0us background OF Kindergarten field and
line officers 1t has been ever the fate OF the
private soldier. Napoleon is dead and all his
marshals are dead. But the pdvate soldier who
fought under the "Little Corporal" at Waterloo,
Is he not found in every State2 The "IrOn Duke"
ia dead, but dots not the last surviving soldier of
the Guards" die some place nearly every month";
Washington is dead. hut his bod servant is not
his name Legion, of Legion county, And so some
day the last general who tonight in the war of tine
rebellion will pass away, the final colonel, much
against his WILL must die. Majors and captains
VIII Join the innumerablo caravan; but the last