Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-08-16

whose active years had been passed In
commonplace business enterprises on the
Pacific coast and In his native buckeye
State. lie was one Of the average promin-
ing fellows seen In every camp In those
days, specimen 20 ahead Yankee.
Ill. fnthcr had served In tho 1912 war,
and his grandfather had been a fighting
patriot Of the Revolution, and he would
wear the ago rust Oh tho saber OF his slrcs
In the old, old fight
II was comparatively easy forsueh aman
10 be a good soldier. but Emerson Opdyckc
asplrci TO wear the XXX band, and threw
his whole soul into the task Of mastering
the iirst lcttcrs Of his new art. Having
mastered them DO was prepared TO teach
Others. Fer volunteers the capable novice
Is the most enthusiastic and practical drill
master, and one Opdyckc was worth a
regiment u old fogy martincts.
SO some sensible colonel or governor
pinned II licutenant's straps upon him md
gave him standing ON par with his voca.
ton. To tell the truth the recruit was
Hoon proficient enough 10 give points on
soldering tosupcfinrs. IN fact, ran school
for commissioned officers. In Nix months
time he was a captain putting other cnp
tains, mud mayhnp majors and colonies,
through their sprouts But be enlisted to
fight and not 10 Keep school. and the first
battle OF his regiment found him In limo
posted q notch higher. lie was acting
major.
Now the major Of Infantry Is In about
the position OF an heir waiting for dead
mems shoes. There Is nothing for him 70
do IN the way of handling troops until the
chaps Of higher rank step down aud out
Al Shiloh, In April, l5da, the forty-flmt
was In Nelson's division 81 Bucl's army,
the command which Grant dispatched for
IN hot haste on the first day TO march to
his relief. Nelson's troops entered the
charge TO recover the captured eneaup-
monts Of Sherman and pronilss. The
Orleans dashed Ia with the rccklossncsa of
new hands. and the Confcderates first led
them away from their supports and then
charged back ON them. The color beavers
went down In succession until six had
fallen.
At tho frst or second misiap Of this
kind II Is not az all difficult to lind a sub
stitute In fact for u round or two there
will be rush of candidates for the place
Of honor And IL "a a. natural in an ortli-
nary light for the man nearest the flag to
pick It up when II falls Rs IL u for gen.
tlcman to pick up u noighb0r's hat when
Il blows toward him. hut when that snmo
nag counts not merely first and second
victim, when the third and fourth aud
nth and sixth TO hold 10 "bitc the dust" lt
looks like fatality 10 grasp Il.
In very sNort time In that first charge
Of the regiment the sixth bearer Of tho
stan dropped nc tho call Of u bullet, and the
forty-hrst WINS without flng 20 rally on.
Though ON n charge the Ohioans hcsitntodi
they looked into onch others faces; their
eyes bosought from colonies aud captain
m explanation. Was the god Of battle
fighting on the other sidoY II looked sC
with their colorp down and Xix pairs Of
hands paralyzcd In trying To keep then
waving
Tho acting major. hanging on the odg,
Of tho line waiting for something to turn
up and wipe out his official nothingncss
taw the hating column, the prosttnt,
banner and the enemy rushing on tw,
against one. Pushing through tho rank
he seized the staff and waved the flag bacl
and forth ns II 70 say, Here are you
colors again and hcre icy shall remalnl'
shouted TO the men ~ and lcapo,
into the smoke and fame l,,.t masked tn
Confederate line In front. The tide turned
Opdycke lived through the tornado of shot
hurled at the banner. lilo kept II wayin,
and tho men look heart. The old barracl
drill mater was for the hour man q
destiny. Bullets couldn't Kill him. AM
II II was not his to command IL was his 4
lead by dnshing ahead flgyt.
The Shiloh Incident once moro lmprcssc,
Opdyeke's suporors that them was somt
thing In the young man and the governo
of Ohio called him home 20 raise u ne,
regiment. lIs was securing the state 10
recruits whtn Braggs Confederate
reached her borders IN the fall OF $50,
TFoops for homo defense were scarce
towns on the Ohio river woro IN panic
Cincinnati was threatened by kirb
Smiths Tennesseeans and Morgnn's raid
Ing cavalry, Acting on happy insplra
ton, opdyeke drummcd up corps Of met
known ms squirrel Hunters tho sports
mon Of the rural counties aud the back