Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-12-10
CHAPTER III.
on TIE ROAD TO GLORY

The order to march had come. Uncle
Sam in those days did not waste much
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 6uttering 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
to 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
a lone landing, a grinning countryman
yelled jeeringly at them.
'Hullo, Yanks, you 'uns 'ull get it
almighty hot down at the city. The
Seceshes is swarmin' over the hull
place, an they're a-goin' to give yer
regular 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
to brighten, not to kill-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-therew 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
quays deserted, the laugh went round,
and the men fell in" with many SIM
pie jeer at each others nervousness.
1t 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 shrieking vengeance.
For a moment the ranks halted.
Then, loud and clear as trumpet came
the command:
Fix bayonetsl Charger
And, with steady step, as though on
parade, those gallant lads marched in a
solid phalanx sweeping the bowling
crowd before them
Frank Besant was in the rear rank
of the last company, and as the rioters
rallied round by-streets and massed
behind the soldiers, the hardest brunt
Of fighting was Immediately around
him As yet no serious wounds had
been received by the soldiery, though
many were cut and bleeding, when
suddenly Frank saw his Captain,
Charles Fulton, the gallant young son
Of his Colonel, reel and fall PROSTATE
on the sidewalk, struck on the temple
by a rock hurled from a neighboring
window. In a moment he sprang to the
side of the insensible man. and ere
the mob was upon him, managed to
drag his body to the shelter of the door
way of a handsome residence. In the
turmoil the incident was unnoticed by
his comrades, who marched away be-
yond hope Of rescue.
The mob was on him In the strength
Of desperation he dubbed the foremost,
not IN his inexperience daring to trust to
the baToDet; but do all he could e
-aaasd- hnDaless. for as one ot The