St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-13
PEN PICTURES.
The Main Series of the First Volume
of Pen Pictures Brought to
Close.
Peculiarittes and Striking Charac-
teristtcs of Col. William Crooks
--Incidents.
sSThe Long RolI''-s'The Mu1e'-''The
Chaplain's Prayer'--S'Take
Drink.o
Copyrighted by 7. NJ. Newson. |
WILLIAM CROOKS.


stately walk, his dignified bearing, his
soldierly appearance, his sharp. incisive
words, his decided character, his marked
personality, his individuality, his curt,
crisp, pungent sentences, his familiar ways
are peculiarities which belong exclusively to
Col. Crooks, and any one who attempts to
initiate him will make a failure. 1t is
pleasant to Irvine from the many characters
l have delineated in ramble of twenty
years, and to thus close my series OF Pen
Pictures with this one character, standing
out from all the rest, SO fresh and still so
original; so startling and yet so manly. In
the ordinary run of life there is sameness,
the trees are similar, the leaves resemble
each other, the rocks have the same appear
ance, and yet peak attracts universal at
tention. and rivets the eye by its peculiar
sharp points and ruggednesS. So with Col.
Crooks; he is an originality; no imitator, no
follower, no sycophant, but a natural leader,
with clear-cut traits of character; man of
Self-reliance; bold, frank. decided, quick of
comprehension, apparently bluff yet kind
hearted, generous and just. He is we'll
roundabout man, in the prime of life, and
treads the earth like one who has war
rantee deed to the ground he walks on. His
movements are stately, while his converse
ton is easy and flowing, and this, coupled
to pleasing address and fine physical de-
velopment, mark the colonel as man of
will power, backed by good Judgment, to
execute any plan he may wish to accom-
plish. His especial life work should have
been major general in the army. for his
military knowledge and executive abilities
would have given him preeminent posi-
ton, and yet, as a civilian and poll
tician, he grasps the situation with a
masters hand. No, sir; by sir, that
must be done!' illustrates the man, and
still he is not dogmatical or over-bearing
or unreasonable, but when the matter is
once settled then comes the execution
prompt. decisive sharp, quick. Not
bit of it, sir; not a bit of it; he is the ele-
ment of discord, and, by -, sir, he must
gop' and if the colonel is around about that
time he does go. And yet with all this APP
parent severity of temper, very few men
are more social in their nature, or who have
larger stream of keen humor and of genu-
inc fun in their composition than has Col.
Crooks.
"TAKE A DRINK, STRIP
Gen. Sibley was gathering his men and
supplies at Camp Pope, in the year 1862.
preparatory to starting out Oh his Indian
expedition, and Col Crooks had just ar
rived to take command OF the post. The
quartermaster of the expedition had accom-
| panied the colonel. and matters were as
suming busy appearance. The
writer was commissary and quartermastel
at the camp, so placed in the latter position
| by Gen. Sibley, when the quartermaster of
was little green land l was) ordered me
to turn over all the articles in my posses
sion into his hands. Not relishing the
command I called on Col Crooks, then in
charge of the camp, to learn from him what
l should do, so finding him in his tent the
following conversation took place:
| "Good morning, colonel"
Good morning. captain"
| elbow do you lind things, colonel?"
'Fine camp, sir; fine camp
sColOnel, | called to make some inquiries
about my duties in turning over my sup
| plies"
The colonel was very busy sorting out his
trunk and. apparently not hearing me,
| turned abruptly around and said:
''Take drink. sir; take drink; good
Kentucky, sir; good liquor, sir. Take e
drink
L was no drinking man; could scarcely
go under an apple tree without feeling q
dizziness in my head, and what to do
didn't know. | hestated.
TAKE a DRINK, SIR"
came the command from my superior Of
ficer, which startled me into conscious
ness of the fact that l might be arrested fol
disobedience of orders, and I obeyed the
command. The colonel still kept on rum
aging in his trunk. passing an occasional
remark, when l yentured to again say:
Colonel! I-I-ColoneI-I was-about
to -Colonel-I-I-''
Take another drink, SIR" came the
stern, full voice of the colonel.
| Heavens! l thought, what shall l do
| That last drink was playing hide-and-go-
seek in my brain, and l could just see q
dosen tents Waiting around in a dance! In
a tremulous voice l began: Colonel, Tel
Fer don't-drink-dri and
Take drink, sir" again came the inn
perative voice, and to emphasize his COM
mand. he turned and brought his hand and
his foreGnger down in front of me in such a
mandatory manner that the hair stood UP
| on the top of my head. l saw the guard
house on one side and the tumbler on the
other; drank My tongue got loose; be-
gan to think | was as good as Col. Crooks
or anybody else, so for minute l poured
&
he, apparently without noticing me, coolly
turned and said: Lets take a walk" and
placing his arm kindly into mine, "a for
tunate thing for me) we passed the line of
tents, occasionally remarking upon the
character of the camp, when, just as we
arrived in front of headquarters, there,
standing in the door, was Capt. c., the
quartermaster. The colonel came to full
halt, wheeled suddenly around, bringing
me with him. and addressed the officer il
the following emphatic terms:
''Sir, Capt. Newson is the quartermastel
| Of this post, sir, and when he turns ovel
his stores it will be on an order from me-
sir; by sir; understand that, SIR"
And he did understand it, for he nevel
troubled me again. We continued oul
walk a short distance, when the colone
withdrew his arm from my own, and in
short, quick, yet kindly tone, said: cap
tain. cut off your hair-you look like {
tramp; shave up; put on straps; be sol
dier!'
Lest the reader should misapprehent
the motives of Col Crooks in com
handing me to drink, I would say that al
the time alluded to L was worn completely
down by Overwork, having nine clerks un.
der me, and he knowing my nervous and
depleted condition and also my adverSor
to liquor, had taken this method to admin
lister stimulant which l now believe had
much to do in saving me from fit of sick
ness. 1t was simply dose of medicine. This
little incident illustrates the sagacty and at
the same time the bluff mode OF kind
| hearted man.
BE BRIEF, SIR"
| The Sixth regiment was drawn up fol-
dress-parade. 1t was bright beautiful
morning, and the boys were IN splendid
| trim, while the colonel seemed to have an
extra twinkle in his eye foreshadowine
some peculiar fun ahead. He appeared
grandly in his military suit, and moved in
| front of his favorita repiment like ar