The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-12-08
1--WE would have had out the battery

IL a1ter retreat now. Next tl1le, gen.
eral, if you'll ride down some day, I'll
be proud to give you a review of the
whole command. We have a great biz
field back here"
And the general had promised to come.
This necessitated combined prepare
ton, hence the order for full dress re-
hearsal with battery and all, and then
came confusion. Fresh from the COM
mand of his beautiful horse battery and
the dashing service with a cavalry d.
vision, Cram hated the idea of limping
along, as he expressed it, behind
battalion of foot, and said SO, and
somebody told Brax he had said so,-
more than one somebody, probably,
for Brax had many an adviser to keep
him in trouble. The order that Cram
should appear for instruction in review
of infantry and artillery combined
gave umbrage to the battery COM
mander, and his reported remarks
thereupon, renewed cause for displeas-
ure to his garrison chief.
$50 far as we're concerned" said
Cram, who wanted to utilize the good
weather for battery drill, ''we need no
instruction, as we have done the trick
time and again before; and if we
hadn't, who in the bloody Fifty-first
is there to teach us? Certainly not old
Brax."
All the same the order was obeyed,
and Cram started out that loveliest of
lovely spring mornings not entirely in
nocent of the conviction that he and
his fellows were going to have some
fun out of the thing before they got
through with it. Not that he purposed
putting any hitch or impeachment in
the way. He meant to do just exactly
as he was bid; and so, when adjutant's
call had sounded and the blue lines of
the infantry were well out on the field,
he followed in glittcring column of
pieces. his satin-coated horses dancing
in sheer exuberance of spirits and his
rcd-crested cannonecrs sitting with
iolded arms, erect and statuesque,
1pon the amunnition-chests. Mrs.
Cram, in her pretty basket phaeton,
with Mrs. Lawrence, of the infantry. and
several of the ladies of the garrison in
ambulances or afoot, had taken station
well to the front of the forming line.
Then it became apparent that old
BraX puYposed to figure as the review
ing officer and had delegated Maj.
Minor to command the troops. Now,
Minor had been on mastering and dis
bursirg duty most of the war, had
never figured in review with
artillery before, and knew no more
about battery tactics than Cram did
of diplomacy. Mounted on sedate
old sorrcl, borrowed from the quarter
master for the occasion, with an
Anticipated, brass-bound Jenifer saddle,
minus breast-strap and housings of
any kind, but equipped with his better
half's brown leather bride, Minor
knew perfectly well he was only n guy,
and felt indignant ut Brax for putting
him in so false plight. He took his
station, however, in front of the
regimental colors, without stopping to
think where the center of the line
might be after the battery came, and
there awaited further developments.
Cram kept nobody waiting, however;
his leading team was close at the
nimblc heels of Capt. Lawrence's COM
pany Is it marched gayly forth to the
music of the band. He formed sections
at the trot the instant the ground was
clear, then wheeled into line, passed
well to the rear of the prolongation of
the infantry rank, and by beautiful
countermarch came up to the front
and halted exactly at the instant that
Lawrence, with the left flank COM
pany, reached his post, each caisson
accurately in trace of its piece, each
team and carriage exactly at its
proper interval, and, with his crimson
silk guidon on the right flank and
little Pierce signaling up" or back"
from point outside where he could
verify the alignment of the gun
wheels on the rank of the infantry,
Cram was able to command front"
before little Drake, the adjutant,
should have. piped out his shrill
"Guides posts"
But Drake didn't pipe. There stood
all the companies at support, each cap
tain at the inner flank, and the guides
with their inverted muskets still
stolidly gazing along the line. 1t was
time for him to pipe, but instead of SO
doing there he stuck at the extreme
right, glaring down towards the now
immovable battery and its serene COM
mander, and the little adjutant's face
was getting redder and pulitzer every
minute.
go ahead, What are you waiting
for?" hoarsely whispered the senior
captain.
waiting for the battery to DRESS"
was the stanch reply. Then aloud the
shrill voice swept down the line:
DRESS that battery to the right!'
Cram looked over a glittering Shout
der to the right of the line, where
stood the diminutive infantryman.
The battery had still its war allow
ance of horses-three teams to each
carriage, lead, swing md wheel-and
that brought its captain far out to the
front of the sonbcr blue rank of foot;
SO far out, in fact, that he was about
on line with Maj. Minor, though
facing in opposite direction. Perfect
ly confident that he was exactly where
he should be, yet equally determined
to abide by any order he might re-
ceive, even though he full Y understood
the cause of brakes Delay, Cram
promptly rode over to the guidon and
ordered right DRESS" at which every
drivers head and eyes were promptly
turned, but not an inch of wheel, for
the alignment simply could not be inn
proved. Then after commanding
front" the captain as deliberately
trotted back to his post without SO
much as a glance at the irate staff Off
Ger. 1t was just at this juncture that
the bay colt came tearing down the
falJ b;c r,opa and foi1 Sfrao,p;up II,