San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-02-19
WHERE GLENNIE WAS.

w III EnE UIEN ME- w 40.
"'Twas down in Louisiana, not many years
ago." to quote from an old song, that several
companies of us wicked Yankees were posted
in small town just far enough from New
Orleans and other important points to be OF
no strategic consequence for its own sake;
yet, being on direct route from the enemy's
lines to the Mississippi river, was important
as an outpost. The war was almost over,
and the enemy knew it, and we knew they
knew it. so we were not as vigilant as we
might 1aye been had we been stationed in
front of Lees army. The natives were lCs'-
ally southern, every man of them-perhaps l
should say every woman, for the only men
left in town were the few who had passed
their three score years and ten, one phySi-
clan and one preacher But the natives did
not allow us to feel uncomfortable The
doctor disagreed radically with us on princi-
pie and cursed Grant fuently, but he took
professional and even friendly interest in
such of us as had more malaria than our
regimental surgeon could manage; the
preacher gave us a sermon that reminded us
of Sundays at home, and the old men would
smoke and chat with us all day long, so long
as we did not say what we believed about the
future of military events.
As for the women-bless them! they were
exactly like the majority of women every
where else-very tenacious of their opinions
so far as the war was concerned, but other
wise hOspitable, gracious and charming. They
didn't mean to give us the entree Of local So
ciety, but somehow we got there all the same.
We did it so quietly that none of them knew
how it began or who began it, and l don't
believe that after the first twenty-four hours
any Of them took the pains to inquire. We
purchased enough supplies to set business
booming, allowed no marauding, wore clean
clothing, and were on our good behavior
every way, President Lincoln having spe-
cially ordered, through Gen. Banks, that
Louisiana must be "cOnclllatel" whatever
that might mean).
The consequence was that we officers soon
knew everybody worth knowing, and were
entertained with as much courtesy and self
possession as if the native coffee had not been
burned rye or some other substitute, and the
tabeClOthS had not long before been turned
into lint or bandagCS for southern hospitals.
We found iuOffenSive ways of introducing
real Java, white sugar, Oolong tea, and other
dining room specialites dear to the feminine
heart, and we unlOaded countless novels and
newspapers into eager hands. More import
ant than all else, believe we could talk So
could they, but for some reason women
talk with women did not seem to have been
entirely satisfying. We talked so industri-
ously and to such good effect, that any chance
visitor who might have dropped into town in
the middle Of our first week would have
thOlpDf hot
long acquaintance The women never let
US forget that they were southerners to the
hearts core, and that we were merely Lin
coin hirelings; still, they were women; they
did not like to see any one appear careless of
dress, SO soon there was not a uniform coat
with loose hanging button. To have a
southern woman, whether maid, wife, widow,
or gray haired grandmother, bring a needle
and thread and tighten button while the
wearer stood awkwardly in front of her, was
to realize that Louisiana was not the only
party to the war who was being "concili-
ated."
Every regiment had some officer, gener-
ally young lieutenant, whose ability, APP
pearance and spirits compelled his comrades
to pronounce him the flower of the flock
Ours was Will Glennie The natives APP
proved our choice of their own accord, and
we accepted their dictum without bit of
jealousy, fearing only that the youngSter
might cause some fruitless heartaches But
he didn't. He was officer of the first picket
line we threw out, and so impressed was he
with the defensive possibilities of the place,
that we were glad to have him relieve us of
some responsibility by taking charge of the
Slight earthworks it seemed advisable to
erect. He spent full half of every day out
side the lines, looking for additional points
of vantage, and as no enemy had been in the
vicinity for weeks he never cared for
guard.
Time passed so delightfully."- for fortnight,
that there was little but roll calls and picket
duty to remind us that we were soldiers
Everything was too pleasant to last, SO one
day a rattle of musketry warned us that
there was trouble on the picket line. By the
time our bugles had recalled US from our
kospitable lounging places, and hurried us
toward the front, a soldier with a broken
arm came in and reported that some cavalry