Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-07-17
THE COLONEL.


WhuN hhh btCbmb VI
"Yes, where is Lenoir z"
The phalanx of solid business men, COM
prising the bulk of the membership Of Gar
field Post, No. 3, Grand Army Of the Repub-
lie, bad regarded as a downright grievance +
call to attend a meeting for the transaction
OF special business, appointed at the very in
convenient hour OF two in tho afternoon.
They had responded to the order under pro-
test, taken part in the proceedings with an
abstracted air, fumed at the break in their
daily routine, Internationally consulted their
watches with the anxiety Of men who were
neglecling important engagements, aud when
the meeting at length adjourned, gathered in
TO cosey knots here and there, aud settled
down for comfortable chat aud the revival
of old army "reminiscences,
The first speaker, Jim Brewster, was r
lumber merchant who had acquired extensive
tracts of land covered with a forest growth
second only to the big trees OF the Calaveras
and Mariposa groves. He had 40 prospcred
in his business ventures that his name had
become identified with the natural product
he ruled in the commercial world, and he
had gained the sobriquet of the Prince Of
Redwood.
lie had lately purchased large piece of
land at the foot of Sixth street, including
within its boundaries that unsavoTy but clas-
sical region on the banks OF Mission crock,
known a. 'the dumps" where the Italian
scavengers had, from time immemorial, de
posted the contents OF their carts, and raked
in the putrid and decayng masses Of paper,
scraps OF old iron, and other articles OF com
merce, rs well a. tho pieces Of plate benevO-
lently dropped into the ash barrels by care
less servants
Mission creek, at high tide, ia for a consid-
erable distance a nRvigRble stream, and II
NhaN IiN,,D Drax Narf
branch yard WAS a shrewd venture, and would
soon turn the tide of traffic from the crowd
| ed thOroughfare OF Stuart street. The Prince
| OF Redwood himself had felt all the glow OF
| prudent mans complacenoy over this evil
dence Of his own sagacity, but a stormy in
terview in the underwriters' Office that noon
| had disturbed the serenity with which hs had
| hitherto viewed his new acquisition. Meet
ing some old comrades, men of his own reg
| iment, 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 an animated
discussion of past campaigns, in the course
| OF which he made the inquiry which heads
this chapter The question was repeated by
| q large chorus Of voices.
| "Lenoir 2" The speaker who volunteered
q reply was member of that very agreeable
and highly entertaining class Of individuals
| who are commonly accredited with the pos
session OF universal knowledge, and whose
information il about as diffuse aud inexact ~
the average encyclopedia Of biography.
"Lenor's wife died just before he wal
mustered out in Co Broke him all up for
while, but he rallied and went down to FlOri
| dR, invested in an orange grove, and lives
on the fat of the land"
HE WAS an odd fellow-thAt Lenoir," re
marked gray boarded veteran who endeav
ored to reconcile his predilection for powder
and cold steel by keeping gun shop oil
| Bush street.
"Odd there wasn't nobler fellow in th,
service. He WAS hero, il one ever exist
cd"
Brewster spoke with such unwonted ener
gy that the others looked up at him in sur
prise, for he was generally regarded AZ phleg
matio in society, and cold blOoded in hi
business relations. He cooled down lttl'
as he observed the sensation his remark haS
created, and exchanged his enthusiasm for
dry, argumentative tone.
''Yon know / WAS a mere boy when On
listed. Some OF our folks knew LenOir m,
mother spoke to him the day we marched
and-Well, / could tell you a thing or twi
about the Colonel that none of you eve
knew. I'm not going to guah over the man
but you may be interested to hear of a littl
incident that happened in Eastern Tennessee
You remember July, 1856, when We marches
through the mountains, and camped in mar
row defile they called Rattlesnake Pass
shall never forget the place TO the day of N!
death shut in by steep, rocky walls, loose
aud underfOOt not green leaf or blade o
grass TO be seen, outside of soant gree
fringe bordering the starveling brook tina
triekled along one side. L noticed sue
things and cared more about them than tn
| older men.
"When Joined the army was Just turne'
eighteen, aud chuck full of patriotic fire
raVing over the justice of our cause, amb
tious to earn distinction, greedy for carnag
and bloodshed. One year had cooled m
down in a wonderful way, and the oaus
might have gone to thunder for all care
that night. l would have relinquished th
best battle that ever was fought to be bao
again on our meadow land, knee deep in tn
long, cool grass, driving the cows home frOI
pasture. | was raVenous for a taste Of HON
cooking, and would have forfeited all III
epaulettes in the country for one of IN
mothers mince pies.
''They put me ON duty that night pOste
sentTies at the entrance 10 the pass TO keep
Q sharp lookout for the enemy for il they ha
come on us unawares they would have oaugl
us like rats in trap. My heart sank whe
| my name WAS chlieu, anu III u hhuh Dee
for the ridicule, I'd have tried TO get OF |
pleading sick. You see / was pretty we
used up by the long marches, the unoerta
ratiODs, and the heat, and the homesieknes
The hot sand ologged my steps and burnt
my blistered feet the rocks seemed 10 rad
ate the heat they had stored up during Il
day the air was dry. and charged with dui
Q kept my beat for while, and then | 3
n down on a boulder and cried then delbe
: ately lay down and shut my eyes to go
o sleep"
= "Fine thing If ono of the officers had con
o along and caught you" observed one o
soldier, dryly.
vPreoisely what happened. / was slidil
" of into a delicious slumber when l heard
b movement near by. l opened my eyes Al
Il saw Colonel LenOir. thought the day
J. doom had come for me, for there was hard
d a woek passed that we didn't hear OF sol
l. poor fellow being shot for sleeping at
% post l was 30 stupid with fatigue Al
J. drowsineas that couldn't quite make O
where was. Everything was jumbled