The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-12-11

a Hoosier Captain of Mule Team
clicked" and Ducked by One af the
Famous Fighters.

A Hoosier Captain of - Mule Team
clicked" and Ducked by One az the
Famous Fighters.
The double-paqe illustration, "A Bad
Crossing. in the current number of Hdr-
per's Weekly recalls an army incident OF
the days of 1862, the recital OF which,
probably for the first time in print. will
be sure to interest the veterans of the
famous old Second Minnesota Regiment
as we'll as the survivors OF the crack brig
ade which made its first great mark al
Mill Spring. Bob McCook, Cincinnati
lawyer, and n brother in the celebrated
McCook family of fighters, went into the
war as Colonel of the Ninth Ohio, an ex-
clusively German American regiment, or.
ganized in Cincinnati and subsequently
brigaded wi h the Second Minnesota and
the Eighteenth regulars, the latter then
made up of three battalions of 800 mer
each. For exceptional bravery at Mill
Spring Colonel Bob was made a full
brigadier, and If ever an officer was the
idol of the men serving under him that
man was McCook. He had hearty dis
like for the fuss and feathers of official
rank, and when in active service seldom
or never wore any insignia to distinguish
him from the common soldier. He was
content If his own men knew him by face
and figure, and every one of them did
know him. But an unlucky wagon mas
ter in charge of a brigade train mot Nc
Cooks came to grief through failing &c
know him. 1t was on the way west from
Nashville to Pittsburg Landing, in March
90, when toward evening q wagon train
had blocked up the ford of small
stream in Middle Tennessee, and the
tired infantry We're prevented from cross
ing except in the deeper water above and
below. A bumptious Hoosier Vas in
charge of the train, and under his orders
the ford was filed with six-mule teams
stopping to drink as they crossed. News
of the obstruction was conveyed tc Nc
Cook, who put spurs TO his horse, anC
dashirg to the side Of the mounted
wagon-master, in the middle Of the stream
ordered him to move his train forward
and get out of the way. Not recognizing
any mark of rank upon the rather rough.
looking party who accosted him, the
wagon master returned defiant and in.
sulting answer. He would move when he
got ready, with some hard and bad words
plentifully sprinkled in. Without further
parley, McCook planted two lightning
blows with his fist just where they did the
most good, and in twinkling had un-
horsed the captain of the mule train an6
flung him into the creek.
Now, sir, mount your horse and move
out those wagons, was the Generals or.
der.
Sheepishly and reluctantly the mar
complied, and after having directed the
teams to proceed he turned and said:
Who in HI are you, anyhow"
McCook vouchsafed no reply, hut chip
per corporal of the Second Minnesota
sung out from the bank:
Two black eyes and ducking-com-
pliments of General Bob McCook; that's
who?"
That ended it. No court martial, no
charges, no censure for the insolence of
that wagon master; but he lived to feel
honored at hsv NJ been done up" by
such a soldier, and doubtless mourned as
grievously as many thousands did when,
few months later, near holly Springs,
Miss, the brave McCook, SEX disabled,
and riding in an ambulance, was murder
ed in cold blood by party of rebel guer-
rillas-SL Paul Pioneer Press