Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-05-12

as e1gf-iTaNeS-lDL UG4lcNln2 the e4O
was 50 Upholstered him up as best
they eould; but in a short while the dear
I fellow was gone forever-ere the game
was ended. Here's a prayer for your
rest and your memory, my dear friend!
4 His grief-strieken father when over
/ fifty years of age, led fine company of
my old eountrymen out 10 the front IN
! der a famous general. He took his sons
place in the Grmy But half his men
never again crossed the Threshold of
home after bidding good-by to their
loved ones, but they achieved immortal
honor for their leader and their COM
mand.
But jess Coward was the most rest
/ less and the most impatient-if not the
most Observation-Disclosures / ever saw
under drill. He rebelled at the dis
/ cipline of war, not at the war itself, for
| he was always ready for the fight when
/ that came on. There was one trouble
| with many of our high-spirited and self
/ willed young men entering the armies
/ they could not quietly, and at all times,
/ properly submit to the rigors of c =
| cipline. The idea of mastery, or author
/ ity, is repugnant to the American youth,
| who believe in the idea of democratic
/ equality. The commands of authority
/ often came from men who were the so
,cial and intellectual interiors of many
in the ranks or In subordinate positions.
/ jess Coward was one man who would
never acknowledge superiority in any
/ position, or in any feature, in any NOR
tai man-save in the commanding gen
4 eral of his army. Jess would invariably
/ yield absolute and profound obeisance
4 and obedience to him-and to him only.
| In our camp of instruction the drill
master was an old warm and personal
/ friend of edwards They had been
raised. together in country town. And
while the drill master had achieved, or
reached, the rank of major, Coward
could not forget or fail to consider the
fact that in every other respect the two
We're on an absolutely even footing.
! Nor did Coward intend to allow mere
military rank to impose any restrictions
on the old-time familiarity between the
/ two men, and the subordinate resolved
to indulge also in certain liberties in
| the presence of his friend, the major.
One day the drill-master was endeav-
/ Oring to impress upon his squad the
/ Importance, the essential requirement,
/ of skill and attainment in tactics, aud
| especially in the art of adroitly using
| the saber. The major addressed his
remarks particularly to his old friend
/ Coward who seemed quite disinclined
to learn in military precision; in fact,
| the master lectured the fellow quite
severely and urgently. Jess relieved
his overburdened contempt and indig-
nation exactly as follows-minus
whole volume of profanity, interspersed
| by way of explanation and emphasis,
wherever he could manage to get in an
ugly or impiously or emphatic word
in the deliverance:
''What in the - is the use of all this
foolery, major? Here's right moulinet'
| (moo-le-nay), left moulinet,' in tierce
point, in cart point, front guard
rear guard and all such - stuff"
And the fellow quoted the military
terms from the French with intensest
scorn and disgust and in unrepeatable
profanity.
4 ''Ah my friend, said the major. with
the JUNCTION of politeness and authority
in knowledge, that is according to
Hardee-and we must now learn Har-
| dee's tactic's."
'Hardee's tactics, and be git out"
sublimely returned Coward, in the ex-
tremity of disgust, impatience and pro-
family. "Hardee's tactics to fight by!
If you will just give me good sword
and put me in crowd of-them other
fellows-and drat if don't show you
system of edwards 'tacticsr"
The fellow had ample opportunity
often afterward to exhibit in fullest
display all he had of edwards tao
tics, for during the four years conflict
he crossed sabres'' time and again with
the bravest of the brave. But no man
Il am glad to say-ever got the advant-
age of him, however skillful the antag-
onist was in his attainments in sword
drill. Jess welded his saber with the
fury of a cyclone, and with the dexter
! ity of skilled fencing maSter.-Detroit
| Free Press.