The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-08-13

fnfdaepht1 Pita. }lIh' tt *. r ff.
"rt erea all the difference In the worlt
between Chester A. Arthur and his brothe
William" said a veteran officer Of III.
Fourth New, York Artillery. ibid yor
ever see Msjor Arthur? Mop Well, II yet
ever do see him take notice Of the terrible
acar that he carries on bis cheek. Wher
the Fourth Heavies, as our regiment wal
called, was organized, in 1862, William
Arthur obtained the Captaincy oil Com.
pany h. through the influence OF hit
brother, who was then Quartermaste,
General on the staff Of Governor Morgan.
Even before no went 10 the front OF the
army OK the Potomac his overbearinp dis.
position had made him the reverse Of a
favorite among the men. In one OF the
little ekirmishes In tho autumn Of 1859
there came into our lines young Lieuteu.
ant Of the Tenth Tennessee Regiment Of
the Confederate army. HI frankly svowed
himself deserter from the rebels. and
aaked to be permitted 10 enlisi with us.
His name was Law Williams Roscoe, and
he was . splendid, dsshing, aoldierly Tel.
low, as brave as lion ana as gentle %
woman. Like a good many other young
fellows In the border 6ta,ea, he had sided
with the Confederacy in moment Of i'm.
pulse, and had become disguised with II
when the old Union sentiment was Juggling
at his heart. He was mustered into Cspt.
Arthur's company, and it numbered no
more gallant man or better soldier. His
family was y prominent and wealthy one
living near Memphis, and oa Boon as they
learned Of bis Whereabouts they moved to
New York and took up their residencs
there.
Everybody in the regiment liked Ros-
coo Tor his sunny temper and gallantry ex-
cept his own Captain, who seemed never
10 tire OF worrying him with all those in.
dignities with which an officer can put
upon man in tho ranks. The Tennes.
aeean's folks were well q; he was an only
con, and his mother and e;s.era were con.
ttnuatiy eeudiug him little deiicacies and
comforts. In this Captain Arthur found
fresh grievance, and Roscoe's boxes we're
often confscased OF kept from him upon
come prete1t invented by the captain.
Under such treatment he grew gloomy and
morose. His lively epirit was broken, and
he ceased to be the life Of the circle gath.
cred around the camp fire of an evening.
we had fought our way down from the
kapidan to the James, and, acting ss in.
iantry, were In the thick Of the disastrous
battle Of Cold Harbor. In the middle
OF the fight a rife ball struck Captain
Arthur in the right cheek and passed GU,
tho left. The wound never threatened his
lie except when thers were some syup.
toms OF blood poisoning, but 1t was about
rs ugly enlargement s any man ever re-
ceived. Many unpopular officers in our
var So well as In other ware have been
shot by their own men. In the heat and
confusion OF battle it ia impossible to tell
where any particular bullet comes from.
The men Of Company H, however, had
more than suspicion that Captain Arthur
was the victim Of his own hardness toward
Roscoe, but the captain had no friend in
the ranks who cared to expose the culprit.
The susl icion became a certainty
not very long. ,atterward. Roscoe him
self was terribly wounded in front Of
Petersburg and taken to the hospital at
Ha.rison's Landing. He knew as well "a
the Surgeons could,tell him that his DAYS
were numbered; and as be grew weaker
come distressing eecret appeared to rest
upon his mind. In the Same ward Of the
hospital were several other boys OF the
company who had been wounded in The
ssms engagement They noticed bis I'M.
easinees, and endeavored to soothe his
pathway to death in every way possible.
Then be let out the trouble that was dark.
ening bis last days. Hs told the man in
the next bed to him that, while the bullets
were raining fastest at Cold Harbor, he had
bsen prompted by sn Irresistible impulse
TO aveDgs his Eyongs By shooting at the
officer who had inflicted them. He had
no sooner fred the shot and seen the CAP.
tain fall than he deeply regretted his rash
act, his violation of his loyslty rs soldier,
Since he had laid in tho hospital its enor.
nifty had cast him into the deepect despair,
although it was aome consolation to him to
know that the Captains wound was not
fatal He died the happier for having con.
fessed the deed, and almost hia Isst words
were hope that the Captain would forgive
him. Some Of the boys Of the regiment
were talking. about the affair When I last
saw them 81 Hampstead, Long Island, and
ct Canandaigus." f:-7Ai7 mi