The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-07-24
THE COLONEL.
An Old Soldiers Appreciation Of
His Former Commander.

The phalanx of solid business men,
comprising the bulk of the member.
ship of Garfield Post No. 8, Grand
Army OF the Republic, had regarded as
downright grievance a call to attend
ameeting for the transaction of special
business, appointed at the very inconven.
lent hour of two in the afternoon.
They had responded to the order under
protest, taken part in the proceedings
with an distracted air, fumed at the
break in their daily routine, ostenta-
tiously consulted their watches with the
anxiety of men who we're neglecting i'm
portant engagements, and when the
meeting at length adjourned gathered
into coy knots here and there, and
settled down for comfortable chat and
the revival of old army "reminiscences.
The first speaker, Jim Brewster, was
lumber merchant who had acquired
extensive tracts of land covered with a
forest growth second only to the big
trees OF the Calaveras and Mar:poSa
groves. He had so prospered in his
business ventures that his name had be-
come identified with the natural product
he ruled in the commercial world, and
he had gained the sobriquet of the Prince
OF Redwood. He had lately purchased
a large piece of land at the foot Of Sixth
street, including within its boundaries
that unsaVory but classical region on
the banks of Mission Creek known as
''the Dumps" where the Italian scav-
engers had from time immemoral de-
posted the contents of their carts, and
raked the putrid and decaying masses
of paper, scraps of old iron and other
articles of commerce, as well as the
pieces of plate beneyolently dropped
into the ash-barrel by careless servants.
Mission Creek, at high tide, is
for considerable distance navigable
stream, and it was generally conceded
that Brewster's branch yard was q
shrewd venture, and would soon turn
the tide Of traffic from the crowded thor
oughtare OF Steuart street. The Prince
OF Redwood himself had felt all the
glow of a prudent mans complacency
over this evidence of his own sagacity,
but stormy interview in the under
writer's office that noon had disturbed
the serenity with which he had hitherto
viewed his new acquisition. Meeting
some old comrades, men of his own
regiment, who had fought side by side
with him through the four years of the
Civil war, he cast aside the perplexities
OF the day and plunged with eager zeSt
into the animated discussion of past
campaigns, in the course of which he
made the inquiry that heads this chap.
ter. The question was repeated by an
echoing chorus.
'LenoirP" The speaker who volun-
teered a reply was a member of that
very agreeable and highly entertaining
class of individuals who are commonly
accredited with the possession of uni
versal knowledge, AMI whose informa-
ton Is about as di.luse and inexact as
the average encyclopaedia of biography.
Lemon S fe died just before he was
mustered out in So. Broke him all ND
for awhile, but he rallied and went
down to Florida, invested in an orange
grove, and lived on the fat of the land"
"He was an odd fellow-Lenoir,"
remarked a gray-bearded veteran
who endeavored to reconcile his predi-
lection for powder and cold steel by
Keeping a gun shop in Bush street,
odd! there wasn't nobler fellow
In the service. He was hero, if ever
one existed" Brewster spoke with
such unwonted energy that the others
looked at him in surprise, for he was
generally regarded as phlegmatic in
society and cold-blooded in his business
relations. He cooled down little as
he observed the sensation his remark
had created, and exchanged his enthu-
slasm for a dry, argumentative tone.
You know | was a mere boy when |
enlisted. Some of our folks knew
Lenoir; my mother spoke to him the
day we marched, and-well, / could tell
you q thing or two about the Colonel
that none of you ever knew. I'm not
going to gush over the man, but you
may be interested to hear of little in
cident that happened in Eastern Ten
nessec. You remember July, 1856,
when we marched through the mount
aims and camped in narrow defile
they called Rattlesnake PassP By
George, | shall never forget the place
to the day of my DEATH shut in by
steep, rocky walls, loose sand under
foot, not a green leaf or blade of grass
to be seen, outside of scant green
fringe bordering the starveling brook
that trickled along one side. noticed
such things and cared more about them
than the older men. Whom Joined
the army | was just turned eighteen,
and chock-full of patriotic fire, raving
over the justice of our cause, ambitious
to earn distinction, greedy for carnage
and bloodshed. One year had cooled
me down in wonderful way, and the
cause might have gone to thunder for
all | cared that night. / would have
relinquished the goriest battle that ever
was fought to be back again on our
meadowland knee deep in the long,
cool grass, driving the COWS home from
pasture. was ravenous for taste Ct
home cooking, and would have forfeited
all the epauletteS in the country for one
OF my mothers mince pies. They put
me on duty that night; posted sentries
at the entrance to the pass to keep
sharp lookout for the enemy; for if
they had come ON us unawares they
would have caught us like rats in a
trap. My heart sank when my name
was called, and, if it hadn't been for
the ridicule, I'd have tried to get of by
pleading sick. You see was pretty
we'll used up by the long marches, the
uncertain rations and the heat and the
homesickness. The hot sand clogged
my steps and burned my blistered feet;
the rocks seemed to radiate the heat
they had stored up during the day;
the air was dry and charged with dust.
kept up my beat awhile and then sat
down on bowlder and cried; then
deliberately lay down and shut my eyes
to go to sleep"
"Fine thing if one of the officers had
caught you, observed one old soldier,
dryly.
Precisely what happened. 1 was
sliding off into delicious slumber
when / heard movement near by. /
opened my eyes and saw Colonel
Lenoir | thought the day of doom
had come for me, for there was hardly
week passed that we didn't hear of
some poor fellow being shot for Sleep