The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-01-23
ARMY WRECKS.
An Ex-Army Oficer's Chat About Unfor.
tunate Comrades.

An Ex-Army Officers Chat About Unfor.
tunate Comrades.
"You want to know why gave the
old fellow dollar?" asked an ex-army
officer on Friday as l questioned the
propriety of the donation that he had
made to rather rough specimen of
humanity who had asked for money
enough to get him dinner. knew
that my friend was no more able to be
liberal in such matters than thousands
of men whose first impulse is to help
street beggars. He resented my i'm
piled criticism of his conduct, and after
a time broke out with the question
quoted above.
''Fhe case stands this way" he said:
"there are men who ask me to help
them who can not get their own con-
sent to ask others. This is not because
am under obligations to them, but
because they know that | know the
stuff they are made of. Now, this poor
fellow was always down at the heel in
the army, but he was an exceptionally
brave man. have seen him do great
many things that | felt at the time
could not have done. His one good
quality was his capacity to do the right
thing in time of battle or in time of
great excitement, and l have compl-
mented him score sof times upon deeds
of uncommon br gerry.
''While he IS in the army his
mother died, az /: his father made disa
reputable marriage. In the very last
year of the war his wife ran away with
e 2db ansa tn Sa .s s s.,,ss
for went to the bad The first thing
this good father did when he left the
service was to use his pay and extra
bounty in prolonging disgraceful
spree. He got into all sorts of trouble
and disgrace, and no body cared to
have much to do with him. l found
him sick and ready to die. Remember
ing what the man had been, and re-
Numbering the Heterogeneous that
met him when he came out of the serv-
ice, | made an attempt to save him.
Il did save him in so far as prevent
ing him from becoming a drunkard is
concerned, but since the last engage
ment in front of Atlanta the man has
not had the spirit of squaw. He has
worked hard. but nearly always at a
disadvantage. When he gets down he
comes to me because he knows that |
will understand that he is in need. He
is the sort of a fellow, you know, who
rather than summit to any humiliation
from an old comrade, would walk on
the pier and jump into the lake. My
heart is sorely troubled over the ques-
of WI Of cbn1l do
There is another type of the I'M
fortunate soldier of higher grade than
this that ought to be looked after. The
young man who went into the army
from the purest and highest motives,
who lost his health and strength and
capacity to do in the hard service of
actual war, and who came out OF the
service saddenesl, proud and high
spirited, as only thoroughly edu-
Gated soldier can be, and took up the
burdens--the new burdens--of civil
life without a murmur, with scarcely a
hope--such man stands for class.
There are thousands of men whose
army education stimulated and cult
waited natural pride that was very
great. Their experience in the army
contributed also to the growth of sem
sitiveness that has become morbid.
''Their struggle iii life since the war
has not made them grtmblers, but it
has not blunted their sensitiveness.
They have never asked for pension or
for favor of any kind. Some of them
are burdens to their family or are de-
pending for their support upon appre-
ciative friends. They are dropping off
by the hundred every year, going down
without murmur, without any credit
mark, with simply a crooked leg or an
empty sleeve or an ugly scar pointing
to record of rare courage in the army
1t is not strange to me that such men
would rnther come to an old comrade
for help than to go to soldiers home
or to the public. can't explain it,
but can understand it, and so gave
the man dollar - Chicago Inter
Ocean.