Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-01-07
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
HONESTY OF THE SOLDIER.
Not Paymastcr Robbed During Moro
Than -Four Years OF the WAR.

Not Paymastcr Robbed During Nor,
Than -Four Years OF the WAR.
After the first entry of the volunteer
into the new life OF the soldier. IL al
ways seemed to me, that either the
oath of muster in or some invisible
cause made him man OF honor,
man whose word could be trusted. I
am willing to admit that in the prepare
tory camp he may have been, and was.
somewhat wild, but when he became
somewhat accustomed TO the routine of
soldierly duties, saw tho necessity C.
drill and discipline, his word always
seemed to me as good as gold.
This fact is moro firmly established
for the reason that with the thousands
OF opportunities have yet to hear Of a
paymastcr being robbed during the war
by the sutler, the volunteer or regular
soldier, and this point stands out In
high relief TO their credit, for nothing
could have been more easy during
those days than for ono soldier and one
accomplish, making themselves indie.
pendcntly rich had they been so dis.
posed
During the last two years the surviv.
ing soldier OF the late war will no
doubt remember the small iron safe
carried by paymasters when they came
20 the froLt' to pay OFT the troops.
They were small, as n matter Of course
and two men could carry II easily, IL
having q handle on each sido for that
purpose
When paymastcr would arrive, no
would be given an extra tent in which
to place the safe; guard would bc de,
tailed who was supposed 10 keep the
safe In sight and | we'll remember an
incident that came under my own view
Of that kind. The safe in this instance
contained, the paymaStcr told me sew.
en- hundred thousand dollars. An ex-
ira tent was assigned him ON his ar.
rival. and a detail OF three men, all no
asked for, was made TO guard the axtra
tent. The guard paced backward and
forward in front Of IT, but as he could
not posi- ly see the rear of It, and only
occasionally its sides, any one can read
lily see that II would have been no din.
cult matter for two dishonest soldiers
to have cut open the tent from the rear,
quietly enter IL, and carry oil the safe
with all its contents, tho guard being
none the wiser. Even the guard could
easily have become an accomplicc with
some others and winlScd at the rob.
berry. After securing the booty. IL
could easily have teen hidden away,
20 await u future visit; when the for.
tune could have been secured and di.
vidcd.
This is only one illustration Of tho
ease with which paymustcrs could have
been robbed, but there were dozens ~
other plans that might have boon put
in force, whereby fortune might have
been secured
To the everlasting credit Of the sol.
ders composing the federal army dur.
ing the late war, not Il aiuglo paymas.
ter was robbed by the soldiers them.
selves They did lose money in many
ways; one believe. lost in gambling
nearly all the contents Of his safoI az
immense amount of rrconhaclts were
lost by the sinking Of TIA sultana on
the Mississippi below Mcmph 5, II re-.
member correctly, rising into more
than n million Of dollars They lost,
money In many other ways. but nu sol
dicr that | eyer heard of, was guilty.
With all the opportunities at his dispos.
A. Of taking single green back from
them.
There was something in the service
that seemed to put men on good bcha.
vior; it might have been the oaths re-
Pnircd Of them or IL may have been
the knowledge that when they wore
the uniform Of their country they rep.
resented tho everlasting principles Of
right justice and humanity in general,
aud that it would he inconsistent in
them TO do n single act that wa, mean
or wrong In any way IL may be
looked at the fact that no paymastcr
was robbed 10y the soldiers during the
war whose opportunities were excel.
lent every day speaks volumes Ia
praise OF tn inherent honesty Of tho
pay corps al the fed raj army during
the waE-Reub. Williams, in American
Tribune.