The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-06-13
BURDEFrE ON soLDfERs.
Why Is it That Private RanlSanhIe Is Lone
some Three Years in Four?

IuT6o yours Ill IOur. Iu6To lS Whuuol-
Ing roll of his eyes, a searching glance,
AZ of man seeking for something he
hasn't altogether lost and never expects
to find. He fought TintO the war" and
often / have listened to his we'll worn
army stories, merely as an act of charity
to Rankan0le. IL seemed TO do him good.
He wOuld come out Of two hours mon
, OlOgue about fields where he had fought.
and bIed and run aud entrenehed and
marched by various TANKS, and advanced
himself on the right and held the CEN
ter with his left little refused and did
various other things extremely puzZling
to civilian a brighter and a happier
man. And / would always go away
feeling as good as martyr, and carry
ing with me sort Of Impression that
Private Rankanlile had algreat deal TO
do with the maneuvers OF the corps or
which he was private gentleman, and
associated almost exclusively with gen.
erals and colOnels.
Bnt when | met him the other day
there was glad look in his eye, and he
grasped my hand eagerly.
"YOu must be here on the 20th," he
said, gayly, "the old hundred and eighty
seventh is going to have reunion. I'll
see all the old boys; gallant old fellows
haven't seen since '65.
There was something handsome about
Rankanlile now. Civilian as 1 was,
rejOiced at the prospect of his meeting
his old friends.
1T was a splendid regiment" 1 re-
marked. 1.-The old one hundred and
eighth-seVenth made a gallant record.
Where Is Gen. De- Resparaid nOwY
"Oh, he's collector OF Internal reve-
nue."
$50 he is; had forgotten. And Col.
EchelOnP"
"He's postmaster"
sure enough. And Maj. Kamstuhlp"
Hes sheriff.
"And Capt. TOmpiOnw
Omitted States Consul tO-Gutta Per-
cha, believe it is."
"And Lieut-COl. ROundstepp"
Omitted States Marshal"
"And Capt. Tumbrilp"
"He is a Judge of the United States
Court"
hOrseP"
"He was in the Treasury Department
until last week."
"And where Is he nOwp"
"They don't know" said Private Ran
kinile, eyasiVely. "rhey think he Is in
yet" as.us o." ~. .t.....re III
"Ah, yes; and where are the other Of
ficers of your regimentW
SIN the Legislature; all except Sur
geOn Greenash-he is in .COngress-and
Adjt Tenshun, who Is in the Pension
Bureau"
"Whatare you dOingP" asked.
'I am shipping clerk down here at
Hide & TallOw's, and, with a troubled
look, "they don't want me after the lst
of June; they have to make place for
old TallOw's nephew. But I'll find some
thing, | reckon. Pm 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 meeting the old boys
again.
/ looked after him as he limped away.
His gait is ungraceful because he has a
stiff knee-stiff as bone. 1t was shat
tered at Antietam. The bullet went
crushing into it when he ran back to
pick up and save the Tegimental flag
that had fallen from the dead hands of
the color sergeant.
Don't tell me that republics are un-
grateful" said the big hearted private
one day, his eyes swimming in grateful
tears. Look here, all this for little
thumb like that" He had just drawn
his pension. Eight dollars month";"
he said proudly, "fOr a stiff knee"
His old commander, Gen. De Resper
aid, gets good deal more than that,
and never got a scratch in the army.
But he has something mysterious, with
a long latin name, that has affected some
four syllable portion of his anatomy.
Every time Rankanfile hears Of it,which
is every time he meets the Geueral-he
shudders, and says "that thing will car
ry the General off one of these days."
would not be surprised. 1t Is big
enough to carry off rhinOcerOs.
But wondered no longer that Private
Rankanfile seemed lonely. He is think
nfH IA hn NJ har
priVates In his regiment. There were
several private soldiers in the army.
81 Rankanfile, whom L know, is one. The
name of the other one has escaped me.
Nor do know where he is. He may be
dead. Perhaps he is married. Some
thing has happened to him certainly. 1
look for him in the Legislature, but his
Captain tells me he Is not there. l seek
him in Congress, but his Colonel tells
me he has not seen nor heard of him
since last election. miss him in the
Cabinet. He doesn't appear to be Consul
anywhere.
And yet, il he would only come for
ward and show himself, a grateful eOun-
try has remembered him. He can secure
a farm of 160 acres in the far West, after
the railroad has secured all the best
sections, twenty miles from the nearest
pOstOf1ice, twice as far from water and
as far as railway train can run in a
day from coal bank or forest, on pre-
cisely the same terms as are accorded to
a man who has been in this land fifteen
minutes. 1t is great boon and the
private soldier should appreciate it. And
undoubtedly he dOes-in quiet way.
He does not make much fuss about IL.
And really there isn't very much for
him to grow enthusiastic about.
But the private soldier, though indeed
he is exceedingly rare and marvelOusly
scarce at intervals, is not entirely lost.
1t will rejoice the hearts Of his anxious
friends to learn that his absence has
been noted. People are inquiring for
him. Eminent statesmen are looking
him up. Distinguished Congressman,
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 quad
rennial reunion draweth nigh. Also,
the year of the National Convention.
In the days gone by, when the priv
ate soldier was more numerous than
to-day, very near a thousand of him