Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-02-12

$50 on, go on, Mr.. Hearn," said the
colonel gruff1y. II did not mean to in
terrupt YOU Nevertheless, he who had
| paid no attention to the other companies
\ plainly halted in front Of G, and was
scanning the mems faces with eyes that
were full of gloom Next he strobe
around the right Of the line and passed
/ down in front of the rear rank until he
reached the center, where the tallest
men were standing, and where he fixed
his gaze upon one soldier, tall, slender,
but muscular fellow; he looked him over
from head to foot, but passed him slowly
without one word. A sergeant file closer
noted that the fingers of the soldiers left
hang twitched and closed as the colonel
approached, and that lump seemed to
rise in the brawny throat, but was quick
ly gulped down. There was no other
symptom, though, and Lieut.. Mason,
the adjutant, who had joined his colonel,
saw that the mans eyes never wavered
from their look straight to the front, al
though he might have paled trifie un-
der that stern, searching gaze.
Half an hour later, inspection being
ever, the colonel sat in his Office, holding
an investigation. The captain Of G
troop was absent on sick leave at the
time, and the command had devolved
upon young officer who had won a fine
record in their Arizona days, and who
was regarded throughout the regiment
as perhaps the most promising Of all the
subalterns. He was an excellent horse
man, fine tactician, and drillmaster
of whom his men had become vastly
proud. Under the mild hammered sway
of their captain, a war veteran of I'M
certain years, G had fallen about to the
foot in proficiency in drill and horsemanI
ship. But the moment young Hearn got
command they began the turning over
of very new leaf Little instruction
of any kind except mountain scouting
had been impaired in Arizona, but when
they came eastward, and old Riggs,
their former colonel, made way for
much better soldier, discipline and drill
began on the instant.
For a few weeks G troop had to take
all the raspings, and the men were dis
heartened as much by the jeers Of their
colonel. Hearn, too, was fretting hinl
self half to death, but when his captainl
was taken i'll and was compelled to turn
over the troop to his suba1tern, the.
youngster ''took holdn in way thatl
filed Mason's soul with delight and
that speedily enchanted the men. FROM
being the worst, G troop soon challenged
all comers for the right to be called thtI
best drilled troop at the post, and Capt.
Lane, of d, had cordially congratulated
Hearn on the result of his excellent
effort. The young fellow had that facul-
ty, in which so many are lacking, of I'M
spring the men with enthusiasm and
interest; and by the time april was
ushered in there was nothing the troop
ers of G would not do for their youngl
commander.
Black sheep, they say, exist in every
flock, and while fifty or moro of their
men swore by their lieutenant, and were
proud to serve under him, there were|
perhaps two soldiers in the troop whol
seemed to lose no opportunity of del
flaming him. One Of these was q mani
named Goss, who had long been on extra
or daily duty as clerk for tie quarter
master, and whose errors at inspection|
were Of such an exasperating character
that Mr.. Hearn got authority to make
him attend drill until he was reported
proficient. This, of course, made Goss,
who prided himself on his scholarship
and superiority to the general run Of thal
men, anything but happy, and in his
wrath and discomfort he vented his spleen
whenever possible to so at the expensel
of his young lieutenant.
The other man was a tall, dark eyed, !
gypsy looking fellow, whose name was
Welsh, and who for several months, off
and ON, had preferred to be the captains
''striker" or soldier servant-talze care of
4 his horses, black his boots, polish his
4 spurs and saber, hew wood, draw water,
make the fires, sweep the kitchen, rum
errands and do all manner Of small
chores about the house-than to do sol l
I der duty with his comrades. When the
captain closed up his quarters and left
the post, taking his family eastward
with him, Lieut.. Hearn moved in to
4 look after them for him. This was by
4 the captains OWL request, and having
no use for the services Of Welsh, he noti-
I fed that worthy to return to duty with
the troop forthwith. This Welsh BITTERLY
resented. He insisted that the captain
had told him before going that he was
to stay in charge of his quarters and be
excused from all military duty. Hearn
replied that there was probably some
mistake, but telegraphed to the captain
and obtained immediate reply to the eff
feet that he had never given the soldier
any such promise and that he desired
that he be now returned to duty with
the troop and taught something of the
practical duties of soldier, which he
had too long neglected.
Hearn smiled to himself as he read
this, thinking whose fault it was that
Welsh had been allowed to live in igno-
rance Of much Of the drill, and wonder
ing not little at the change Of heart
that seemed to have come over the cap
tain, now that he was fairly away. a
smart young corporal was detailed to
give the two men thorough instruc-
ton in the saber exercise and the man
ual Of the carbine and pistol, in ad-
dition to which Welsh was now required
to attend all roll calls, stable duty, and
drills with the troop. and take his guard
tour every fifth day, and a disgusted
man he was in consequence.
As the captains striker he had led a
life of comparative ease, for that veteran
officer had long since outlived any am
bition to shine in the service, and looked
upon it only as s-smeans of livelihood. At
the outbreak of the war old Blauvelt was
keeping a country store in Ohio, but
dropped his yardstick and sugar scoop
at the first call for volunteers, fought
like man all through the four years
contest, was wounded, and, having risen
to be major Of Volunteer infantry, he
decided in '66 to stick to soldering, for
at that time it was easy to obtain a COM
mission in the regular service il man
had any congressional influence or con-
nections at all. When the army was re-
modelled by the drastic process in 1871,
and as first lieutenant, he was dropped
to the supernumerary list from the regi-
ment of infantry with which he had been
serving, Blauvelt decided that he was
now too old to begin storekeeping over
again, and so he made vigorous effort to
be retained in the army, and, together