Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-04-13

of being the heaviest commercial trav-
eler in Boston, weighing in the neigh
borhood of 800 pounds. He talked with
little man who also sold goods.
Now, this little man didn't weigh over
10 pounds, he wasn't over five feet in
height and he had one Of the most genial
faces Imaginable, Notwithstanding g.
sharp and piercing eye. The big man
spOrted three badges, one OF which
and perhaps the others as well-told
that he was a member of the Grand
Army of the Republic. The little man
wore nothing in that line and he didn t
look like fighter.
The conversation turned on street car
incidents and each related story Of
trouble with drunken passengers. Then
the little man said: Il don't like to
fight and 1 don't look like a fighter but
had a good one once-I'n never forget
it. Feel that!"
He barred his head, and taking each
man by the hand, indicated a deep in
dentation in his scalp about two and
half inches long, just over his right
temple.
THAT nearly lost me my life but it
won me a majors commission, he said.
The members of the party looked aghast
as the little man went on.
1T was when Grant was anxious to
get into Richmond. I was captain of q
troop of cavalry. When the war COM
menced 1 was a second lieutenant in
the regular army and managed to reach
a captaincy during the struggle.
AT the time l speak of [ had been
sent out early one morning with two COM
panies, comprising all told about eighty
men, to tear up few rails on the Weldon
railroad We spent the day indus
triously, and it would have been hard on
any train that attempted to get over the
place where we had been at work when
we finished.
1T was about O'Clock in the after
noon when we heard the clatter of
horses hoofs, and we had just time to
get together before four companies of
cavalry were on US.
1T was a trying moment. [ tell you.
There were about one hundred and
eighty men to my eighty. [ surely
thought we were caught in trap. but |
wouldn't give up without trying once,
and we went to work. There was one
point in our favor. The rebels were as
much surprised to come across us as we
were to have them.
Our bugler sounded the order to
charge. And charge we did. [ doubt if
ever eighty men went to work with more
determination. We rode at the oncom-
ing horsemen as Sheridan rode to Win
chester, and with cries that rivaled in
sound the noise of a thousand Indians
we went through the ranks OF the gray
uniformed men.
"One hundred feet beyond them the
buglers sounded the order to turn and
we turned in a trice. Back we went
through their ranks and when we reached
the spot where we had first started we
turned again. Back through those
ranks, with the blood -curdling yells, we
drove, and with scarcely the swing Of a
saber on the second trip our victory was
won.
THE rebels thought there were a doz-
en- companies instead Of two, 500 men
instead of eighty, and they dispersed
and fed. They could not stand such an
onslaught; and since then, in thinking it
over, I don't know as [ blame them. We
made a dash to save our lives and we
succeeded.
How did I think of making such a
move? Why, L had no time to think.
We had 'forlorn hope, that was all I
knew that a simple charge against such
odds as were against US would have been
supine, altogether too slow, and in the
excitement of the moment I did what
came to my mind at first.
yes, won majors commission by
it; but | wouldn't take another scratch
like the one in my head or spend anOth er
half hour like that one to be general. )"
AS the little man stepped from the car
in the Boston depot two men on the
platform met him with, Colonel, how
are your"
The little man won that title later
He lives out in Michigan now but many
Bostonians know him, and they also
know that this story is a true one.