Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-05-08

maintained very often without the en-
envy being any the wiser. There were
many instances, however, where the
assistant signal officers presented fair
targets for both rifles and heavy ord
nance, and those jealous officers who
carried out fully the instructions they
received from Major Meyers, in Wash
ington, to scout, and report what they
observed to the generals upon whose
staffs they were placed ran risk Of
capture, or worse. The experiences
were varied. One of the most novel
m incident that was commented upon
by assistant signal officers in the Army
Of the Ohio--was that Of an officer
whom / shall call L.
Shortly after the advance Of the
Army of the Ohio reached point three
or four miles below the town Of JAS
per, Tenn, Lieutenant L, who was at
home under treatment for a disease
that interfered seriously with the dis
charge of his duties, rejoined his COM
mand. He was one of two signal Off
GERS assigned to Gen. Alex. Med.
McCook. His messmate, Lieutenant
johnson, and certain assistants-fag
men attached to headquarters, in
formed him that it had been found
necessary to establish post about
three miles from camp, on mountain
spur, beyond station where signal
officer was captured by the Confeder-
ates day or two after the advance
camped at Battle Greek.
Lieutenant L.. was in far from robust
health, but when he found that his
messmate, Lieutenant johnson, had
been doing double duty on the mount
ain-top in his absence, he resolved to
remain on the mountain station long
enough to give his messmate opportu-
nifty to satisfy his social cravings. In
other words, l.. proposed to remain in
the mountain station q week or more.
I viii allow L. to relate his experience
and sensations in his own words:
Il had q dread of capture very nat
ural at that time, not because I appre-
hended harsh treatment, or sickness in
prison, but solely because Of the ridi-
cule that attended one or two captures
that were discussed throughout the
army at that time. 1t was pretty
plainly intimated, moreover, in an or
der issued from Washington, that any
officer who was captured by reason Of
negligence or cowardice would be cash
tered. ! regarded the order as timely,
and did not desire to be published
throughout the country as one inviting
deserved ridicule.
Il found, however, that while the
first station, q mile and half from our
picket lines, was guarded for time by
. large number of men, my messmate
had concluded that guard of fifteen
men was sufficient for the new station
mile and half farther from the
lines. The fact that the guard had been
greatly diminished was not made
known to General McCook, fact that
did not lessen my apprehension.
1When I reached the mountain sta
tion, about ten o'clock on sultry sum-
mer day, my fagmen and the men de-
tailed to relieve the guard on the
mountain were almost parched with
thirst. Tt was then that I realized the
value Of Lieutenant Johnson's advice
concerning the necessity of making
ample provision for water. There was
. tiny spring upon the summit Of the
spur, which by careful nursing could
be made to supply suficientwater for
one person. This spring was reserved
for the officer on duty at the mountain
station. The guard was on duty TWEEN
ty-fonr hours. The relief had special
instructions to provide themselves
With water that would suffice them for
tventy-four hours. Spite of this, on
several occasions they did not husband
their water supply and in one instance,
through failure to receive the neces-
sary instructions. the relief one morn
ing came to the station with such
scant allowance Of water as to excite
my sympathy. They reported with 9
eanteen each instead Of two OF
three. My first impulse was to or
der them back to camp, but
when 4 learned they were not wholly
k,.1t n -, ~. Il \ III - II ,,,,& ~ fo !,