The National tribune., 1888-08-09

the matter up IS follows: I'm Captain, so
far as military titles go, and it is the most
honorable in the world. We hear Alexander,
Hannibal, Cesar and Grant called the great
Captains. How would it sound to say that
either Of these soldiers was a great Colonel.
No, if you want to give me military title stick
to the Captain"
ABOUT GENERAL OFFICERS.
During -the present Administration more
General officers have been appointed and pro-
NOTED in the Army than under any other since
Mr. Lincolns time and Mr.. Cleveland will
soon be called upon to appoint another BrIga-
der General when Gen. AbsaIom Baird retires
the latter part of this month as Inspector
General.
These appointments now number 10, and are
as follows: Gen. Sheridan, from Lieutenant
General to General of the Army; Gems. Alfred
IL. Terry, Oliver o. Howard aud George Crook
to Major Generals; Gems. John Gibbon, Thomas
H Ringer Wesley Merritt, John r. Brooke,
Joseph 81 Potter and Orlando b. Wilcox to
Brigadier- Generals from Colonies Of regiments;
Gen Nelson Ii. Davis TO Inspector General to
succeed Gen. Sacket, and Gen. Absalom Baird
to succeed Gen. Davis; Gen. John Moore TO
Surgeon General, and in the Corps of Engineers
Gen James c. Duane as Chief of Engineers to
succeed Gen. Newton and Gen, Thomas Ia
Casey to succeed Gen. Duane.
Under the acts regulating retirement for age
the successor to Gen. Baird will be the last
appointment by Mr.. Cleveland, unless, of course,
some resignation or death should occur.
During the four years succeeding March
next the ordinary operations of the retiring
law, the one making retirement compulsory
upon reaching "a years of age, eight BrlgadIeE-
Generals will be appointed.
Gen. John Gibbon will retire April 20, 1891,
and Gen. David S. Stanley June l, 1892.
In the several staff corps six of the ten
ant
Chiefs retiring as follows: Adjutant General
Richard G. Drum March q, 1883; Quarter
master General Samuel B. Holabird June 10,
1880; COmmissary- General Robert Macfeely
July i, $780, Surgeon General John Moore
Aug 10, 1890; Paymaster- General William B..
Rochester Feb. Is 1880, and Gen. Stephen V.
Benet, Chief of Ordnance Jan. %, 1881
A BOGUS REPUTATION.
The surroundings aud the membership of the
Service Club here, make the elegant home Of
the Club one of the pieasantest and most inter
esting places in the Capital to lounge away an
hour or two.
As every member must also be a comTade of
the Loyal Legion, one can we'll imagine what
hosts of good stories aud "reminiscences of the
days of the rebellion are told each day and
night. / wish l could write out and preserve
even half the stories / have heard from mem
bers, but / heard q good one recently that
think worth telling.
The chat of party had run upon exhibit
tons Of personal gallantry in action during
the war and OF that element which is p0pu-
larry designated as bravery, when one CON-
rade laughed OUT and said 4" / don't think
much of what people poetically call bravery {;
the fact is, that most any man who has ever
been under fire once would run the next time
if his pride and self-respect would let him.
be stays, because he is ashamed to light out.
Besides that" he went on, :" a man viii
get a reputation for gallantry and nerve some
! times by accident, when he does not at all de-
serve it, though it will stick TO him. can
I give an instance of this within my own expe-
TienGe.
In 1861 I was in the ranks of the first
regiment that reached Clarksburg, w. Va, and
! the night after our arrival very strong piekets
were thrown out on the several roads leading
/ into town.
The party | was with was an outpost of
! eight men and Sergeant and was stationed
at point where the road ran close to the river
IA tributary Of the Cheat River l think, at the
/ foot Of thick Y wooded hill and Just in bend
/ of the road and river.
! 1t was cur first experience on picket, and
everybody was seriously impressed with the
/ Importance of the post and duty, and duly ap-
/ preciaJed the fact that if the enemy came
whooping along en- route for Clarksburg il was
our bOunden duty 10 check the advance until
the reserve should be aroused aud the COM
maud in town alarmed. Every man there was
ready to die right in the road if need be, aud
| there was much careful looking after the loads
| in our old Belgian muskets.
/ Every ono was alert aud so wideaWake that
no one slept at all until toward the morning
| the cool mountain air made one and another oil
! those not on post crawl into his blanket and
/ drop of to sleep.
Just before o'clock, while it was hardly
] Il ~
by shot, which followed by yell from
the woods close by, and then much rustling and
! tramping about through the underbrush.
1.-TWO or three other shots were fired ia the
direction of the noise and then all hands but
one rushed down the bank toward the river.
was the one man that didn't run. [ couldn't
When the first shot was fired ! sat up straight
/ in my blanket as if on spring. That was all
I couldn't move hand or foot, and was as ut
terly helpless as if totally paralyzed, while
each and every individual bair Oh my head
slowly rose 10 its full length, and it seemed a.
4 though Q small fire had been kindled just at the
root of each hair. a quick succession of little
chills ran over rue from head To foot, and eacf
| WAS followed by q fash of burning fever
All the time that dreadful noise OF the ap
preaching enemy continued, and l remember
wondering whether they would let my father
have my body to take back to Ohio.
g All this had not probably covered more
time than minute or minute and half bu
1t seemed fully an hour to me- before long
legged, lean hog burst out from the brush, aud
ran squesiiHg loudly up the rocky road.
IS Ia a second | realized the situation, am
all my paralysis passed away as quickly
while my self possession returned. l jump
ed up, grabbed my musket and fired after tn
fleeing hog, and then yelled after the rest o
the picket, Come back here, you -- fools
are you scared to death at a scared hog2'
Back they came, and / began at them 70
runnng-neyer said word about the reason
| didn't run, aud affected intense Indignation a
their conduct as being unworthy Of soldiers.
When the Lieutenant came dsshing Il
with the reserve, ne gave the Sergeant and tn
other men merry b!azes, but c0mplimented N
for cooluess, nerve, daring and bravery, until
had half notion to tell him privately the fact
IN the case.
when we got back to Clarksburg that da
was the hero Of the hour, the bravest man i
the regiment and as we never got into yer
= serious trouble during our three months, / n
tanned my fictitious character during the who
e time
served in the East during the rest Of th
war, aud SO probably retained with my oil
i comrades Of the first three months the bogg
g reputation / gained near Clarksburg by bein
: scared little worse than the rest Of tho pick,
at q sleeping pig that stray blind horse ha
: tr0d upon.
have often thought Of that instance whe
1 / hear unusual aud extrayagaut praise f