Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-10-02

squadron ls necessarily non-combat-
ant, but forgetting the tall corporal
and the sergeant major, sutler, hospi-
tai steward, and other wild and un-
tanned heroes. aim for the man who
carries the flag. once carried regi-
mental flag in the absence of the regu-
lar appointee and with a foresight born
of experience in seeing other standard
bearers drop in the cause, rolled it up
and drew the oil-skin sheath over it
and carried it as our prehistoric soldiers
did their spears. In doing this 1
believe that saved the center of the
line and myself from being moved
down for our country. The Colonel
asked why did it and I told him that
it was to preserve our glorious banner
from getting soiled with my good red
blood. There were plenty Of men,
and always will be, who love to
carry a flag in battle and
make themselves targets for the
enemy's bullets, but I cannot lie
and say that I was afflicted with
patriotism to such on extent. Ser
geant Buzfuz, of our regiment, carried
flag through one fight and escaped
unframed. He afterwards gave me
the receipt and that was to take the
flag Off the staff. roll it up in small
package and tuck it away inside his
shirt. This. in any event, would work
both ways-if he happened to get killed
it would be said of him that he died
with the old flag for winding sheet,
and if he didn't it was his mode of
carrying the colors that saved his life.
But even this had its drawbacks for
after doing service thus hidden in a
fight. it was no small task to remove
thousand or more vermin from the
silken folds and you cannot boil .
regimental flag in concentrated lye, as
the soldiers did their underwear, with
out experiencing loss of color and de-
stroying the ensemble or eliminating
the pro patria. always sympathized
with the man who carried the colors,
not on his nose, but upon flag staff
in the center of regiment drawn up
in line waiting for the enemy to get
close enough to see the whites of your
ewes, and soldier who couldn't show
the whites OF his eyes at such times
was no good. He must feel about the
same as a man who is about to be cleo
trocuted and hears the whizz of the
electric machinery. OF all the color
bearers that had the pleasure of be-
ing acquainted with, only two, Ser
geant Buzfuz and myself, returned to
| tell the story at camp-ires and to a
meeting house full Of people on Memo
rial Day. And those men who nomi-
mated and elected themselves heroes
only drew SIG u month and rations,
while the color bearer Of the National
Guards receives S75 month for clerk
ing in store and 80 day while at
State camp, and is only in danger, OF
getting shot in neck, which, | am told.
I, a pleasant experience it you
don't swallow the bottle. Speak
mo with extreme modesty, for which
I am noted when in the presence OF a
three-story, red headed, cross eyed
wife, and holding large chunk OF war
history in my hand. I can freely say
that the color-bearer OF regiment IN
the act OF receiving volley of bullets
/ fred by a careless and unchr1stlan
enemy is deserving of more than ne
aver receives, and I. as one OF the he
roo, who escaped from the scr1mmage
to anioy coffee with an egg in at camp
$50 and soda crackers will see that his
crave is Kept green, for there the most
Of him lies, waiting for the last revlale:
There's pathetic side to the the reg EsgI-
mental target that has never oeen a Io,S'
nor can it be by writer's In snch sun,
Int his bravery is Ii shining as ne WIS
mark for tho eneny's deadly mlsslle ~
battle, but they often forget t .ne fo ne"r Of
man who held it aloft IN :, tue eh laee a a
almost certain death. IL there a1a : ia .
color-bearer living to tell the tale, sno
l Cioyarnment ongbt to make hlm , pres s's,,
uo w, 81 q fam two mules, and douala
s en- ~ -.Haio. .2aFsipp'