The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-06-05
cup OF COLD WATER.

Shortly after the close of the great war,
| travelled on the railway for some hours
of a bright, June day, seated beside a
young soldier, a cavalryman, from Wis
%consin, who was on his way home, with an
honorable discharge, after a service of four
years. My fellow traveller proved to be
quite intelligent and socially inclined, and
beguiled the way by relating many Incl
dents of the battlefield, and of camp and
hospital life. One of the simplest of his
stories, told with an appearance of the ut
most good faith, l have never forgotten
remembering distinctly every detail, while
some of his more marvellous and tragical
variations have quite faded from my mind.
"Our regiment he said, was under
Banks, in the spring of 1862, when he
made such good time in getting down the
Shenandoah valley. 1t was an awful, driv-
ing, confused, cxhausting, hurry-skurry
change of base, but it's curious that
chiefly remember it by a little incident,
which perhaps you will think was hardly
worth laying up, and is hardly worth tell
ing Of"
| signified my desire to hear his little
story and he went on:
81 was one morning despatched, III hot
haste, to the extreme rear. with u very i'm
portant order. AS ill-lnck would have it,
| had to ride a strange horse, as my own
had fallen lame. The one provided for me
proved just the most ill-natured, vicious
brute ! ever mounted. I had hard work
to mount him at all, for his furious rearing
and plunging; and when, at last. | reached
the saddle, he was So enraged, there was
no getting him on for at least five minutes.
With his ugly head down, and his ears
back, he would whirl round and round,
pivoting on his fore feet, and lashing
out with his hind legs, till | fancy they
must have looked like the spokes of a big
wheel. When he found that | was master
of the situation, that my hand was firm
and my spurs were sharp. he gave in-till
the next time; but knew that he was con-
t~inually watching for a chance to fling me
over his head and trample the mastership
out of me.
81 rode hard that day, both because of
my orders, and for the purpose OF putting
that devil of a horse through; but there
were many Instructions in the road-march-
ing columns, artillery, army-wagons, and
above all, hosts of contrabands, who were
always scrambling to get out of your way,
just into your way so it was noon before
I had made half my distance. 1t was a hot,
sultry, and dusty day. | had exhausted
my c~anteen, and was painting, with tongue
almost lolling, like a dog. Just as my
thirst was becoming quite unbearable,
came upon a group of soldiers, lounging
by a wayside spring, drinking and filling
their canteens. AT first | thought | would
dismount. as my horse seemed pretty well
subdued and Woned but no sooner did he
guess my intention, than he began again
his diabolical friskings and plungings. at
which the stragglers about the spring set
up a provoking laugh, which brought my
already hot blood up to the boiling point.
Still, | didn't burst out at once. ! swung
off my c~anteen, and said to one of the men,
the only fellow that hadn't laughed at my
bout with the horse: Here, comrade, Just
You fill this for me-
'sHe was a tall, dark, hea> y-browed, sur
Unlocking chap, but, for all that, | didn't
look for such an answer as he growled out:
'.Fill yonr own canteen and be - to
you.
II tell YOU | was mad; the other fellows
laughed again, and then was madder, and
I Just says to him: You mean devil. |
hope to God | shall yet hear You begging
for . drink of water, If ever do, I'll see