The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-08-04
The Rogue's March.


ED HE Is DRUMMED OUT OF CAMP.
Homestead Pa.) Despatch.l
The "Rogue's March, beat through the
company streets and the camp of the
Provisional brigade on Homestead Heights
this morning. Before the drum corps of
the Tenth regiment, which beat the
march, skunk disfgured, DISTINGUISHED,
abject thing, which had been but yester-
day a citizen, a soldier and a Pittsburg
travelling salesman, with a very good
opinion of itself.
At the edge of the camp the thing heard
these words from the white mustached
lips of Colonel Hawkins: -''You have
brought this thing on yourself, my man.
Colonel Streator gave you every oppor-
tunity to retract. If you return to the
limits of this camp you will be summarily
dealt with.
The thing which had been a soldier and
! a citizen skunk down the bank, crept into
a box car on the Baltimore and Ohio rail
road, and covering there realized what it
is for soldier of the National Guard of
| PENNSYLVANIA to call for three cheers for
an assassin.
''Summarily dealt with,' said Colonel
Hawkins. Doubtless the thing that had
been yesterday Private Thomas lams, of
Company r., Tenth regiment, wondered
as he was iolted home to Pittsburg
through the heat, what there could be
further in the way of summary dealing
than that which had been meted out to
him since yesterday afternoon.
He had been disgraced in front of his
regiment and then had been hung up by
his thumbs for nineteen minutes.
This by his colonel's orders After he
LaI 1.i, oil, ,;tr no, Nd hp h1f
again been dis@raced before his regiment,
had been dismissed from the service in
disgrace. stripped of his uniform, and
finally marched out of camp i'll the rags of
a tramp, with the final dishonor of hav-
ing ne-half of his head shaved so as to
distinguish him, not only from all honest
men, but from all ordinary criminals.
1t was when the news sped through the
camps of the attempted assassination OF
Mr.. Prick that Private Iams brought upon
himself the most extraordinary punish
ment ever inflicted on an American Ma
tional Guardsman.
He was sitting in his company street
when the news came. He was tonguey
fellow, fond of saying things to attract at
tention: resident of Pittsburg for the
last year, though he halls from Greene
county, where his family is held in high
respect and his father has been county
commissioner.
''Fricks shot"' cried Private Iams,
''three cheers for the man who shot him.
But James Streator, in command of the
Tenth regiment by reason Of Colonel Haw-
kin's command Of the provisional brigade,
heard the words himself and strobe quick
ly from his tent.
''What did you say?' he asked.
81 Il al, Fl, >yIn
shot Prick, replied the private, logged
ly.
''You must take that language back,
in the hearing of the men who heard you
use it. said Colonel streator.
well | dom like Frck and | won
take it back answered the private.
Colonel Streator turned back to his
tent. The private returned to his, think
ing that he had the best of the encounter
and had indicated his rights as a citizen
and a sympathizer.
\ few minutes afterward Private lams,
with the rest of Company X, was march
ing to the parade ground to which the
whole regiment had been summoned as
soon as Colonel Streator had returned to
his tent.
1t WAS almost the hour for regimental
dress parade, and Private Iams was still
OF the opinion tllat he had the best of the
argument until he heard his colonel $
voice ringing out to the color company:
''If the man is in the ranks who called for
three cheers for the assassin of III. C.. Prick
he will step two PAGES to the 'front.' >
| Down the long roster Of nine companies
the same dread query and order travelled,
while Private lams wondered why he had
ever been fool enough to list fora SO er, -
| l,1Ix nod hnI Won wifi
| pleasant coterie of commercial colleagues
in the smoking room of a parlor ear.
| Finally the dread query and order reach
ed Company X, last on the roll, and then
the formula was changed to this: ''Ihe
man who did call for three cheers for the
| assassin of II. c. Prick is in this company,
| and he will save me the trouble of iden-
tifying him by stepping two PAGES to the
'front.'
Quite convinced by this time that he
had not had the best of the argument and
wondering if a militia colonel had the
power to order travelling salesman shot
on sight, Private Iams did as commanded.
! Private Iams, you have been guilty of a
grave offence" said Colonel Streator
You, soldier, have openly appiauded
the act of a cowardly assassin, and have
endeavored to incite your comrades to the
same conduct. You nave, moreover, re-
| fused TO atone for the offence.
There was deathlike silence along the
ranks of the Tenth, standing at parade
rest on the pleasant hilltop meadow which
makes the parade ground of the provision
al brigade. 1t was broken by the voice
of Colonel Streator calling briskly, ''Ser-
geant of the guard. turn out the guard"'
From the guard tent, where they had
been silently watching and listening and
waiting for what would come next, a file
of infantrymen came marching to where
their colonel stood facing the palid pri-
waite of Company X.
The sergeant took the private's rifle;
the guard closed in before and behind
him.
''Adjutant dismiss the regiment said
the colonel, and while his comrades
marched back to their company streets,
Private Iams marched to the guard tent.
Thither in a moment came three surgeons,
and in another moment came the sergeant
of the guard and corporal rate ready
with a stout piece of Irvine. To do Private
Iams Justice it must be said that he did
not whine nor SWIVEL when he saw the
preparations for a punishment, which in
war time was reserved only for vicious and
refractory soldiers.
The sergeant Slipped the Irvine over the
ridgepole Of the tent, and without fun
bic tied its ends in a slip knot about Pri-
vate Iams' thumbs Then Private Iams'