Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-11-21
CAMPFIRE STORIES.
EPISODES OF WAR.


General Sherman Chats Pleasantly With
Sir Edwin Arnold.
1t was my good fortune to make at
New York the close acquaintance of the
renowned soldier of the Republic, Cen
eral Sherman, writes Sir Edwin Arnold
to the London Telegraph, nor could any
conversations have been more interest
ing than those in which he did me the
honor to describe and discuss, among
many other matters, that wonderful and
memorable march led by him, which
pierced the Confederate States like the
thrust of rapier, and helped largely to
bring about the collapse of secession"
The General was evidently and justly
discontended with certain criticisms
which have appeared in England, from
high military source, upon the conduct
of the campaign. "We had" he said,
''to create armies before we could use
them in the established and scientific
way, and it is unfair and illogical to
judge the first two years of our war as If
we had been commanding trained and
seasoned troops. In the third year we
had regiments to lead as good and skilled
as commanding officers could ask for,
and to the movements then made, the
rules of military science may be properly
applied" General Sherman spoke of
the quality of courage in soldiers, and
men generally, distinguishing it impa-
tiently from british and irrational reck-
lessness. True courage" he said, sis
founded on presence of mind. The man,
who, in the face of imminent peril, can
hold up his hand and count the fingers
on it quite calmly, is the brave, self
possessed, reliable individual. More
over, true courage goes with unselfsh-
ness. l have seen an officer fight on
uninchingly in my presence, bleeding
from many wounds, of which he was
disdainfully needless, and, in later life,
have witnessed the same gentleman
turn deadly white while he held the
hand of his child that a surgeon might
operate for some trifling abscess." Many
were the thrilling episodes and adyen-
lures of the great war which fell in fas-
cinating recital from the lips of General
Sherman, but they are either recorded
in the pages of his autobiography or are
too long and discursive to set down here.
One little flash of humor is, perhaps,
worth preserving from all the war talk
which we enjoyed. General Thomas"
said he, ''junior to me in rank, but SEN
ior in service, was a stern disciplinar-
ian. He had received many complaints
about the pilfering and plundering
committed by one of his brigades, and,
being resolved to put this offense down,
he issued some very strict orders,
menacing with death any who should
transgress. The brigade in question
wore for its badge an acorn, in silver or
gold, and the men were inordinately
proud of this distinctive sign. Several
cases of disobedience had been reported
to the General, but the evidence was
never strong enough for decisive action,
until one day, riding with an orderly
down by lane outside the posts, Thomas
came full upon an Irishman, who, hav-
ing laid aside his rife, with which he
had killed hog, was busily engaged in
sSinning the animal with his sword
bayonet, so as to make easy work with
the bristles, etc., before cooking some
pork chops. 'Ahr cried the General,
you rascal! at last l have caught one
of you in the act. There is no mistake
about it this time, and 1 will make an
example of you, sirr
" 'Bedad! General, honeyr said the
Irishman, Strengthening himself up and
coming to the salute, it's not shootin'
me that you ought to be at, but reward
in me-
" What do you mean, sir? exclaimed
General Thomas.
why, your honorr the soldier re-
piled, this bad baste here had just been
disicratin' the regimental badge, and so
was forced to dispatch him. It's 'atin
the acorns that found him atp Even
General Thomas was obliged to laugh at
this, and the soldier saved his life by
his wit" General Sherman spoke with
much attachment of many English Off
GERS, his friends, and recalled with evil
dent pleasure the receptions he had met
with in English garrisOns at Gibraltar,
Malta and elsewhere. Albeit now verg-
ing on his SEVENTEEN year, the illustri-
GUS leader appears perfectly hale, strong,
and almost fit, if necessary, for another
such campaign, as when, at the head of
that tough and fearless column of Fed
eral troops, he disappeared from sight
at Atlanta, to turn up again, irresistible
and victorious, upon the ramparts of Sa-
vannah, which fell to him without a
shot, crowning the perfect success of the
memorable march.