The Ottawa free trader., 1889-06-22

dOle OO-Cduuot coniiy oo'cA ionNsiy, sOSini
and business relationships, and re.estab-
lish himself. 1t was a rare opportunity to
" break bread at the table of your enc.
N.Y." and hold interesting conversation with
him as an educated and cultivated gentle
man. Ihad many such opportunities, du-
ring q four years experience. For, In
whatever detestation may have held, and
still hold, the great rebel border Of Dixie,
have nothing but respect and kindly
memories for good many of the indlvid
usl men and women, whose acquaintance
and friendship formed there, They were
human and humane, sympathetic, like
other folks
Nothing like pleasant converse rapidly
to beguile away our time. Surprisingly
soon the " assembly" had sounded; which
we did not hear and the regiment had
moved. Shortly soldier entered with a
gun and fixed bayonet, announcing In
due form, the arrest of Surgeon Welch and
others, "for struggling, while on IN arch
as against orders of Col Cushman, Com
mander, &C., by order of Capt. Seth G. Earl,
Commanding rear guard of expedition,
&c. And the person OF said Surgeon
Welch Immediately to be conducted before
the said Captain Earl for the hearing of
the charge 1t looked like joke. So
did my being stopped by the sentinel at
camp, related long ago. Old acquaintances
and friends so, 1t took long time TO get
used to these strict, precise, uncompromis-
Ing military rules. Everybody In 1t
soon found that war was no joke, even In
seeming small matters.
Thus about retiring, and proffering pay
ment 10 our host for the repast he courte.
ously declined but on assurance Of prefer.
ing TO make reasonable compensation, he
accepted small sum from me and whom
ever was with me.
| made hurried adieus to our host and
hastened to obey the order. With due ex.
plantations and apologies for the offense
committed, the Captain, clemently dis
solved the arrest, with the admonition TO
d" 90 and sin no more" In like manner!
The regiment logged along, much after
the way it did many, many long days and
nights in the months and years succeed.
ing though with less care TO themselves /;
with more precision and stiffness; In itself
more fatigning than after longer practice
We all learned many unwritten methods of
favoring ourselves particularly the rank
and file, not "down In regulations" by
which was less taxation of strength, while
the spirit of orders was observed. The
loose, free and easy gait the men later &C
quired, enabled them to perform heavy
marches with remarkable ease TO them,
selves when the way was not rough nor toe
hilly.
Being on a reconnaissance, the Colonel
and his adjutant, then Lieut.. Caesar Rod.
ney May, whenever arriving upon an emil
nence, or at whatever point commanding
an extended view, paused to survey the
distance and the horizon with their field
glasses, making notes OF their observations
to be embodied In the official reports. 1t
never transpired that anything alarming
was discovered. If any "graybacks" were
around they tailed to come out of their
holes.
Pursuing our devious way for couple
of hours, we arrived where road took out
at right angles to that we were on, forming
T. The family mansion of planter was
on the corner at the new road, and the reg
iment was halted at the turn, forming the
half of hollow square, for the benefit to
the men of the shade trees which grew
along the road side and the fence; also for
filing Icanteens at the well, If necessary.
An important Circumstance, save that at
the gate, near the corner, where the staff
collected, shortly appeared the hope and
the pride and future promise of the lord of
the mansion, In the person of one of those
distressing, intensely Smart young men,
80 common there then, brimming over with
chivalry and "awnah." He had the readi
ness OF manner and trenchancy of speech
of an advanced man of the world, though
not more than fifteen--not old enough to
participate In the field of "wah,"-at home,
you see, to look after affairs and keep the
"aiggahs In awdah," In the absence Of
Gen. Mortimer Selden Gladwyn Pollord,
his father He talked with the prompt.
ness and assurance of an old tire,eating
southern veteran about public affairs;
about urs and you 'uns,' ave of the
Confederate States,-you Of the Old United
States" and kept up throwing ir glibly
about "the Old United States" and "the
Old United States," when there was the
least chance of an opening What such a
callow, unlocked cub says, In any case, Is
In ITSELF wholly indifferent-simply indi.
ces of the spirit and temper and character
of the ruling "old seeds" "The boy Is
the father of the man" Like father
like SON."
We moved on, evidently tending In a
general circuit from our starting point, till
the atmosphere became cooler and the
shadows longer, and line of timber ap-
peared In the distance; the Intervening
country somewhat broken, but clear. 1t
was the timber along the headwaters of a
stream called the Cold Water River, which,
passing fernando and Peyton, flows into
the Mississippi at Delta, few miles be-
low Helena In Arkansas. Ascending a
eminence, on nearer approach.
ing the stream, halt was made on the
easterly slope while the Colonel and adju-
tant and some others advanced to near the
summit. In the edge of the timber beyond,
about half mile away, was an encamp-
ment of what seemed heavy body of our
troops. Our colors had not been displayed; /;
and no sooner had our presence been dis
covered than appeared instant activity
there. The long roll was sounded; bugle
calls were heard; rapid limbering up OF
artillery; officers mounting In haste, when
Col. Cushman, reasonably presuming our
Identity had been mistaken. directed the
ensign to be displayed at the summit of the
hill. Instantly, all was quiet, and an aide
de-camp rode rapidly towards us. Arriv-
ing, 1t was learned that 1t was the Division
A. ~Tr kals