The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-01-06
SOLDIERS ATTEND SERVICE.
rhey Appeared Devout Enough to Satisfy
the Most Exacting of Army Martinets.

Major Randlett of the Ninth Cavalry
was good soldier and man of disci-
pline. but he believed in allowing the
men some sort of liberty SO long as
they remained within the bounds of
reason. He never urged them to at
tend religious service, and there were
a good many of them who never went.
He seldom asked what they were do
they would probably be ready when
duty called them. One day his post
was visited by colonel commanding,
and every one got ready to go on good
behavior. There was no order, or
anything of that kind. but it was well
known the colonel disliked the general
looseness of army morals, and par
ticularly disliked seeing men and
officers lounging about their quarters
on Sunday. when they should be at
church. He had spoken of the matter
SO often. that his views were so well
known that Major Randlett resolved to
win his approval, and then tell him
how it was done.
So, on Saturday evening at retreat
he issued an order that never had been
issued before. ALI the companies
were drawn up in line for rol1-cal1. the
first sergeants took their positions be-
fore them, and at the proper distance
were the company officers. At his
regulation distance from these stood
the visiting colonel commanding the
regiment. He listened to the strains
of the band and approved them. He
heard the sergeants call the roll and
report in the swift military monotone
that the companies were present or ac-
counted for, and then he heard those
same sergeants turn to the men and
recite another order, retire to- their
posts and the parade ended. What
the sergeant had said in that last mo-
ment he did not know. but supposed it
was something about fatigue. He re-
ceived the reports of the captains and
dismissed the companies.
Next morning he was surprised to
see what clean and tidy men Major
Randlett had in his command. Every
one of them had on clean clothes,
whether or not on duty, and every
one, when the time came, went, up to
the catholic church just beyond the
reservation lines. There was nc chap
lain at the post. The colonel went to
mass. as he was devout catholic, and
felt proud to be in the same army with
lot of men who kept the Sabbath so
well and made themselves SO tidy.
At dinner he asked Major Randlett
how he had managed to bring his men
into such commendable habit, but
Randlett only parried the question.
Two years afterward, however, the
two men met at dinner in Washing
ton and the colonel was telling of the
excellent Sunday observance in Rand
lett's command. He could not speak
in sufficiently high terms of that por-
ton of the Ninth Cavalry.
IN tell you how that happened"
said the major.
HowP" asked the colonel.
well, after the sergeants finished
calling the roll that night 1 had them
read the following order. which was
sure you would no be able to hear, and
would probably not find on the books:
All men not on guard who attend
mass tomorrow morning will be ex-
cused from duty. All men who did
not attend mass tomorrow morning
are for fatigue And there was only
one man who didn't CO."
"Who was that?"
"a recruit who thought fatigue
meant resting"