The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-06-03
CHAPTER Ill.
ON THE ROAD TO GLORY.

The order to march had come. Uncle
Sam in those days did not waste mach
time in turning his citizens into sol.
diers-perhaps not as many days as the
German or English Governments would
have demanded months-but when
Franks regiment, together with the
Twenty-seventh and Thirty-ninth Ohio
Infantry, turned out Of barracks they
presented very imposing martial ar
ray-at least so thought the country
people, through whose villages they
passed, and who were at that time in
mortal dread of raid by the enemy
from Kentucky. So they cheered the
bold boys as they went along and show
cred blessings on their heads, not for
getting, too, the more substantial COM
forts of hot coffee and cold lemonade
brought in buckets by grateful women.
With banners flying and drums beating
his must have been a cold nature in
deed whose enthusiasm was not kindled
by this fluttering panoply Of war.
Their objective point was the Ohio
river, which they reached in due time,
when they were transported by boats
down the muddy but majestic stream
10 st. Louis.
Here their first real trouble befell
them. The boys got news Of the gath
ering storm, even before they made the
city, when on stopping to "wood-up" at
lone landing, grinning countryman
yelled jeeringly at them.
'Hullo, Yanks, you 'uns 'ull get 1t
almighty hot down at the city. Tho
Seceshes Is swarmin' over the hull
place, an they're a-goin' to give yer a
reg'lar hooroar on landin, allow
yer'd better turn roun' an go home,
while yer skins be tol'ble whole"
A bullet from an officers pistol-fred
10 frighten, not to lill-cut the joker's
facetiousness short and caused him to
retire with more expeditiousness than
dignity, but the result Of his pleasantly
was observable in the serious faces OF
many-especially of those who had been
most expressive of their desire TO meet
the enemy. The trouble was-whether
by design, or because some one had
blundered-there was no ammunition.
The brilliant pageant after all was but
like painted picture Of wars alarms.
When, however, they reached the
docks, and found the broad wooden
auays deserted, the laugh went round,
and the men "fell in" with many q sim
pie jeer at each others nervousness.
II was not till they reached the streets
that the storm burst upon them. A
cloud of dust it seemed to them at first
Then out of It crashed the roaring din
OF frenzied mob shrieldng vengeance
For moment the ranks halted.
Then, loud and clear as trumpet came
the command:
elk bayonetsl Charge" f.u.
And, with steady step, as though or
parade, those gallant lads marched In
solid phalanx sweeping the bowling
crowd before them. lt' 1854
Frank Besant was in the rear ranl
Of the last company, and as the rioters
rallied round by-streets and masset
behind the soldiers, the hardest brun'
of fighting was Immediately arount
him. As yet no serious wounds hai
been received by the soldiery, thougl
many were cut and bleeding, wher
suddenly Frank saw his Captain
Charles Fulton, the gallant young Sol
of his Colonel reel and fall prostrat
on the sidewalk, struck on the tempt
by rock hurled from neighborinI
window. In moment he sprang to tn
side Of the insensible man, and er
the mob was upon him, managed B
drag his body to the shelter Of the door
way Of handsome residence. In th
turmoil the incident was unnoticed b
his comrades, who marched away bt
yond hope Of rescue.
The mob was on him. In the strengt
Of desperation he dubbed the foremos
not in his inexperience daring to trust
the bayonet; but do all he could
seemed hopeless, for as one OF tn
crowd fell another was upon hin
Then his muslfet was wrenched froI
his hands and he was defenseless-b
oily for an instant, for his eye fell o
his officers sword, and he snatched
from his scabbard and turned once mol
upon his foes. But at the first blov
which was Tended by the upraised blu