Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-30
STRANGE ABOUT WEDCEWAY''
A DECORATION DAY STORY.
WRITTEN FOR THE EVENING sTAR By
JOHN HABBERT0N.
copyright. ]

w to languish in any group of the members
of the til volunteers during the last year Of
the late unpleasantness some one was sure to
remark:
..Strange about Wedgevay."
The response would always be in the afirma-
tive; no other was possible. Enlisting a. pri-
vate soldier in a regiment organized in west
s-n city, wedgeway lad slowly but surely
made his way to q captaincy and to the unofi-
cial We. recognized rank of ''Aower Of the regi-
ment-" He was thorough soldier and Q COM
petsnt officer; be was also the best of good fell
lows, having kind words and deeds for every
one. especially those who CHANGED to be in
trouble of any kind. He was so soft hearted
that he could no. bear to see even an
animal suffer; why, he had even nursed Q
hsdgling crow that had fallen from q tree-a
shabby bird with one white feather in its wing,
and the crow loved him so dearly that after
ward he always sat on Wedgeway's shout
der during the march and in battle.
As for his soldicrly qualities, he was the only
one Of the tbs officers who ever studied
tactics beyond the simplest regimental evolu-
tons; his regiment had always been part Of q
large army, where the officers did not see any
sense in studying more than was required of
them by their daily duties: to see that their
men were thoroughly fed in camp and on
the march and were kept up to their
work in the field was as much as they, the
officers, like most of the line in other Union
armies, felt called upon to do, but Wedgeway
seemed determined to know il all and the boys
admired him for it while they declined to fol-
low his example. He frequently was detailed
for temporary stan and special duty, and he
was invaluable in court-martial-all this while
he was only . second lieutenant, SO
when he was taken from the foot of
the list to i'll the first vacancy in the grade
above none Of his comrades felt jealous. When
Capt Boone was shot dead during u skirmish,
II was supposed that his place would be given
to Malastre, the fiery little adjutant, who had
been specially trained abroad in the art of war.
and who Wedgeway himself said knew the bust
ness better than half the brigadiers
In the army, yet by the generals
advice the colonel recommended wedgeway
for the place and Malastre was the first to con-
graduate him when his commission arrived As
to his patriotism. he could recite the whole
Declaration Of Independence easily as the
chaplain could repeat verse Of Scripture.
Strange il was, then, that 80 fine q fellow
and one with such brilliant prospects, should
have disgraced himself so terribly. Why. al
ready he had been recommended, unknown to
any one but the colonel and adjutant. for the
position Of major. the incumbent's resignation,
on account of trouble from an old wound hav-
ing gone north at the same time. Yet when it
was learned at department headquarters that
some person or persons were getting through the
lines TO the enemy certain articles contraband
Of war. among which were large quantities of
percussion caps. and a search was suddenly
made one day of the effects of every one on a
certain portion Of the line few miles above
New Orleans, nearly 100000 percussion caps
were found in . box under the BED in Wedge
ways tent
Wedgeway was violently agitated and slid
that be did not pu. them there and could not
imagine who did As for Malastre. the ad-
Jutant, he shed tears in his indignation and
promised to kill the guilty party when he was
discovered-kiu him twice, once to punish
him for giving aid anu comfort to the
enemy and afterward for selecting Wedge
way, the soul of honor and patriotism, as a
scapegost- The staff officer who had been sent
out to conduct the search was Just as sorry.
though not so demonstrative; he ordered
Wedgeway under arrest, and had a sentry posted
At his tent with instructions to shoot him should
he attempt to escape.
As soon as the astonishing news made it's vay
through the regiment several men vent in
formally on detective duty in each company.
II the rascal who put up that job on Wedaeway
there no brains in the til But the SUD
posed offender knew nothing Of all this.
he sat on camp chair and studied the
ease-ried TO imagine how it would
look to him If he were q member Of a court
martial before which such an one should come.
The property found in his possession was con-
trsoaad Of war-shockingly SO; there was
enough Of it to last two regiments through two
or three days Of fighting; it was not Of q make
used in the Union army and he could give no
possible explanation of how he came
by it Meantime it was known thai a
great deal Of irregular trading had been going
on at that particular part Of the line; it had
begun through quiet order that had come
from Washington that any cotton which could
be allowed to enter the Union lines without
prejudice to good order and military discipline
would lessen the probability Of foreign powers
becoming disagreeable. Spies had reported
that gray cloth. quinine and other articles con-
traoand OF war we've getting through the lines
and that lot of percussion caps were expected
the very day Of the search Wedgeway had
heard In general terms Of what was going on
indeed the colonel had consulted him as to
ways and means Of detecting the wicked
parties. yet it was among his effects that
the percussion caps were found. Taking eyery-
thing into consideration the wretched man
informed himself that any court would find
him guilty-previous good character would
avail nothing. nor would his record for gallar-
Try In the field Had not Benedict Arnold been
one OF the bravest and most useful scldiors III
the old army?
Wedgevay decided that he was in fo- disgrace
anyway He would not remain to be punished
or even, what was worse, to meet the suspicious
and representa- looks Of his old comrades At
dead Of night he slit the back Of his tent
shipped out OF camp and to the rear, made
his way down the river and to q rail-
way station and was in New Orleans be-
Tore the dispatch announcing his disappearance.
All railway trains carried special guards in
tnose DAYS TO examine the passes Of officers as
well rs soldiers, but Wedgeway had the good
fortune To have just been detailed as M ember
Of board OF Investigation to convene in the
city. so he had no troub IN getting through.
From there he wrote a m. t.; letter to the col
onel reasserting his inno- cree. but DECLARING
his right to avoid the disgrace which seemed
inevitable II he remained Then by some
trickery be made his way north as far as possi-
Bile from his own home. and enlisted a. private
under an assumed name for a regimen, on duty
IN Virginia, where he made fine reput ation
for himself and astouished his new Comrades
BY refusing promotion when il was offered him.
when the war ended his fear remained: he
determined to bury himself somewhere and
resolved after much thought that New York
was Just the place, SO he went to work at
nus trade, which was typesetting. and in the
eoarse OF time became acquainted with ~ little
woman who loved him so dearly that abe mar
fied him. although he first told her of the
cloud which was over his life. She framed his
captains commission, draped the national
eoiors about II and hung il where she could see
each morning a. soon a. she CO uld open her
eyes.
let a. years went on the cloud rev greater
instead OF less- Wedgeway wanted TO ION the
9r2nd Army Of the Republic and the LOYAL
Legion, put how could he do SO without giving
ms record! he dared not write any old com.
rzde 10 AJAX II the matter had ever been e1-
Dlalued Pc hae Al.