Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-01-03
WHERE GLENNIE WAS.
How He Was Made Prisoner by a
Pretty Confederate Miss.

Twas down in Louisiana, not
many years ago." to quote from an
old song, that several companies Of III
wicked Yankees were posted in small
town just far enough from New
Orl cans and other important points to
be Of no strategic consequence for its
own sake; yet, being on a direct route
from the enemy's lines TO the Missis.
sippi river, was important as an out.
post The war was almost over, and
the enemy knew it, and we knew they
knew 1t, so we were not as vigilant as
we might have been had we been sta.
toned In front Of Lees army. The
natives we're loyalty Southern. every
man of them, perhaps | should say
every woman, for the only men left in
town were the few who had passed
their three score years and ten, one
! physician and one preacher. But the
natives did not allow us to feel un-
comfortable. The doctor disagreed
radically with us on principle and
cursed Grant fuently. but he took pro-
fessional and even friendly interest In
such of us as had more malaria than
our regimental surgeon could manage.
The preacher gave us 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 OIL
women everywhere else very tenacious
Of their opinions SO far as the war was
TcOSnnerned, but otherwise hospitable,
gracious aid charming. They didn't
mean to give us the>eaf2tree Of local So
ciety, but somehow we gcot there all
the same. We did it so quietly shat
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 busl-
ness booming, allowed no marauding,
wore clean clothing, and were on our
good behavior every way, President
Lincoln having specially ordered,
through General Banks, that LOUISE
ana must be 'conciliated" whatever
that might mean).
The consequence was that we Off
GERS soon knew every body worth
knowing, and were entertained with as
much courtesy and self-possession as
IL the native coffee had not been
burned rye or some other substitute,
and the tablecloths had not long be-
fore been turned into lint or bandages
for Southern hospitals. We found in
offensive ways of introducing real
Java, white sugar, Oolong tea and
other dintng-room specialties dear to
the feminine heart, and we unloaded
countless novels and newspapers into
eager hands. More important than
all else, l believe we could talk. So
could they, but for some reason
women's talk with women did not
seem TO have been entirely satisfying.
We talked so industriously and to such
good effect, that any chance visitor
who might have dropped into town in
the middle Of our first week would
have thought from appearance that We
were lifelong acquaintance. The
women never let us forget that they
were Southerners to the hearts core,
and that we were merely Lincoln
hirelings; still. they were women;
they did not like to see any one appear
careless of dress, so soon there was
not uniform coat with a loose hang
ing button. To have a Southern
woman, whether maid, wife, widow or
gray-haired grandmother, bring
needle and thread and tighten a but
ton, while the wearer stood awkwardlv
in front of her, was to realize that
Louisiana was not the only party to
the war who was being "conciliated. :"
Every regiment had some officer,
generally young Lieutenant, whose
ability, appearance and spirits COM
PEELED his comrades to pronounce him
the flower of the flock. Ours was
VIII Glennie The natives approved
our choice of their own accord, and we
accepted their dictum without bit OF
jealousy, fearing only that the young
ster might cause some fruitless heart
aches. But he didn't. He was officer
OF the first picket line we threw out,
and so impressed was he with the de-
fensive possibilities Of the place, that
we were glad to have him relieve us
Of eozne responsibility by taking
charge Of the slight earthworks it
seemed advisable to erect He spent
q full half OF every day outside 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 g
fortnight that there was little but roll
calls and picket duty to remind us that
we were goldiers. Every thing was
too pleasant to last, so one day rattle
OF uusketry warned Us that there was
trouble on the picket line. BY the time
our buglcs had recalled us from our
hospltaDle place, and hurried
us toward the front. soldier with
broken arm came in and reported that
some cavalry had tried to force their
way into town by the western road,
and, being repulsed. had dismounted,
and were disagreeing, in the usual mil
itary manner, with the pickets. who
had fallen back to Glennie's breast
works.
BLESS Glennie for the breastworks"
exclaimed our Major in command,
after he had shouted: double quick.
march,
The resistance made by our entire
force seemed to disgust the enemy. |
for in a couple OF hours they ceased
firing. A special roll call showed that
none OF our men had been killed, and |
only two or three wounded, but a
Captain approached the Major and
said that Lieutenant Glennie was miss
ing. He had gone nearly a mile to
the front, to a little elevation where