The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1893-11-04
HIS VOICE WAS FOR WAR.


How Opie Read OF .Rentucky Colonel
Fame. Achieved . Military Title.
The nearest friends of Opie Read,
the novel-writer, would not suspect
that he had ever achieved military
rank. He Is most unmilitary look
ing man who cannot be induced TO
wear so much Of gaudy trapping as a
printed badge on any occasion, no
matter how great Besides, with the
exception that he was born in Ten
nessss and lived several years in Ken
tucky and Arkansas, it is not gen.
orally known that there is any reason
why he should have a military title.
But Read was once major under
commission in military service.
What was knOwn as the Perry
vile war" in Arkansas. in 1882, was
a riotous strike that had 10 be con-
trolled 10y the state militia. A large
body Of the National guard was sent
TO the scene under command Of Gen.
eral Bob Newton, and these troops
were encamped there several weeks
Opie Read, who was then a reporter
for Little Rock daily newspaper,
was sert To the front as that jour
nails official correspondent in the
field, and being close friend Of the
commanding officer that gentleman
sent for Read, and in order TO give
him the comforts and advantages
OF headquarters appointed him TO be
Major and aidde camp. with all the
honorS and emOluments pertaining 10
such position.
OF course Major Read paid no at
tentiOn to anything like personal
military service, and doubtless slept
soundly long after 'reveillc," and
played poker or wrote his newspaper
letters without regard 10 tattoo"
and TAPS"
One day, 'during the war;" Read
mad been writing one OF his letters
for the Daily Gazette in General
Newton's marquee and was in the act
of folding and enveloping it TO send
away in the mail when the General
said to him:
Here, / want to read that letter
before it goes"
"You read it," queried the news
paper Major.
"Yes, sir. l want to see II it con-
tains anything conJraband Of war"
"But / don't intend toilet you read
it," -
II demand it, sir, as your superior
officer"
Il don't care wnat you demand,
you can't see that letter until it is
printed in the paper"
"Ill have you court martialed for
insubordnation, Major Read"
During this dialogue General New
ton had maintained very serious
face, and he fairly bristled with mill
tary dignity. Read began to regard
the matter seriously also, as General
Newton was usually very jolly and
unconventional. TO the last remark
of the officer the correspondent re-
piled interrogatively:
Court martial me? How can you
have me court martialed?"
To which General Newton replied:
"You are a Major, sir, and aid-de-
camp on my staff, under pay Of So
per day from the State, by virtue of
this commission" presenting parch-
ment rCle,) "and yet you refuse to
obey my orders, and / am command
ant here. shall prefer charges and
nave you court martialed, SIR"
That was the first intimation Read
had received that he was on any
other payroll than that of the news
paper he was serving. But now he
blurted out:
Say, Bob, am / to get s. day as
Major on your STAFF"
''That is your pay" said General
Bob.
Read broke out all over in big and
audible smiles, pushed the manu-
script across the table toward the
officer, and said:
Take the stuff. Read it and let
the war go on"
General Newton rushed out Of the
tent bowling with laughter and re-
peating Reads last remark. The
newspaper Major remained at the
front during the war, urging reasons
in his correspondence for continuing
the troops in the field, and with his
two salaries accumulated enough
lucre to lift mortgage that had
heretofore deGed him in the most
annOyinp Inter. Ocean