The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-07-28

Inat evening after ''retrcot' DICK
aad !. sat on our hunks, polishing belts,
cleaning brasses, Furnishing our saber
scabbards and getting things ready for
guard mounting next morning, for
Dick was q great fellow ITO run for
orderly"
As we smoked and talked and pol
ished I wormed some of Dicks ex-
perience out Of him
'Say, Dick,r I asked; what was your
first enlistment9"
well" said Dick, with laugh, my
first soldering was sailoring. listed
in the marines and was sent down to a
fyblown hole In Florida. The heat,
the bugs and the style Of the marine
officers sickened me, so resigned.
"Resigned?' queried
Gave them a French resignation.
you know. struck New Orleans in a
Cuban ban ana boat, dead broke, and
Joined company of 'doughboys' at
Baton Rogue. That place was worse
than Florida The first pay day set
tied me, and took a trip up the river.
They charged me with two rifles, q
dozen brooms and a wheelbarrow on
my muster roll, when I skipped. Handy
thing for deserter, a awheelbarrow! l
often wondered that they did not charge
me with Tom Gorman's wife, who lit
out with a coon about the time I re-
tired
"Where did you go, Dick-St LOUISE"
"Yes! Thought I'd take flyer in the
cavalry. Got sick of old Bully Welch
there, and was glad enough to 60 with
detachment to the Third in Arizona
Well, that's a lovely country to got
away from. II there's q hell on earth,
Arizona is the place. was stationed
at Verde, and the malaria, bad grub
and Apache chasing changed my views
of the cavalry. Three Of us skipped
the first time the paymaster got round,
and we worked down through Apache
pass into New Mexico with our hair all
right. We struck the settlements, sold
our horses, and separated worked
down TO Ell Paso and went broke on
monte game. Invent over to Fort Bliss
and took another blanket l liked
soldering there first rate and got the
chevrons; but the captain broke me
for raising row down town and
humping a greaser. That made me
mad and went on the retired list once
more. That quartermaster sergeant
was daisy, and. as was chum of his
he socked 1t TO me-charged me with
six-mule harness, q grindstone, two
spades, long Tom and a hundred
rounds of ammunition. Just think Of
me hoofng 1t across desert between
Quitman and Davis with q grindstoue
under my arm! Must have thought I
wanted 1t to sharpen my appetite. I
got job rs teamster at Fort Clark, but
ran across q fellow knew at Baton
Rogue, and he was always hard up and
had an idea that I was q bank, aSA
concluded to 60 east"
And then?" insinuated
Then" resumed Dick, II guessed
had all the west wanted for awhile, so
honored the artillery. made a mis-
take was in fort where you could
see nothing but sea and sand, and
where 1t was cold enough to freeze
brass monkey. Lord! but the artillery
is tough and dull, all guard duty and
polishing; no mountains, no plains; all
buttons and drill. That heavy artil-
lcry made flying artillery man of me
l waited for pay day and left without
leaving my address Well, my muster
roll caught it. They landed me on the
pay roll for caisson and fifty rounds
of fixed and strapped ammunition and
other trides.-
Draw it mild, Dicls.- suggested
We'll, if they didn't" said Dick,
may be 'bobtailed.' put
out for the west and listed in Coving.
ton in the 'doughboys' again, like q
fool was just in time to be rounded
" Tor batch Of Johnnies' going TO
Monessa, '6,e vonst bot of fresh Ash |
ever got fuon PuuchP WelA say! We
booted It all day and stood guard every
other night We he'd Q chap just ap.
pointed from civil life in command,
and he was scared TO death. And the
grub' Well, let that GO We got to
our post and had to build new stables
for the cavalry. Fstigus duty every
day and dress parade every night made |
lie hardly worth living. Then I was
detailed 70 guard . railroad survey.
That was exciting, for the Sioux had . |
spite against u. but concluded thir.
teen dollAn . mouth was too small q |
bet TO stake my LIE against -Four Of
us said good-by end wsltssd for the |
rSilrOsd. slseping In raxinss by day |
and trsmping BY night Once moro / |
figured Q big thisf on the muster rollA
The post qusrtermsster sergeant sold |
six mules 70 . freighter and tho team |
turned up ON my psy roll, with plundss
saoush 70 start Q suffers STORE"
We'll, 60 on, Dick" said.
"oh, to make . Long story short |
kept getting In and out all the tima
Had 70 keep going and changing my |
name, for I was always running into |
some fellow that knew me. Not many
fellows will blow on you--but YOU
can't help thinking they will. Then a
fellow that knows you have skip
against you Ands you very convenient
to borrow tobacco from and money, and
. chap winds up by getting out Now,
there's Mackey who just Joined. He |
was with me in the Nineteenth. Twas
nervous about him, though he never
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