Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-09-11
THE COLOR BEARER.


Get Of bravery that | recall was performed
during one Of our disastrous battles.
Brimmerwa a private In Battery =. He
was happy-go lucky sort of fellow who
had been brought up tenderly at home and
who had a joke and pleasant word for
every one. AS yet he had developed no
very bad habits. Indeed he was q mere
boy and had enlisted with number of his
school companions one evening at q meet
Ing on the village green, when an eloquent
orator dwelt on the duties Of patriotism.
The speaker, with great deal Of spread
eagle eloquence, urged the young and mid
die aged men to join the Union army. But
1t was noticed that he showed no disposi-
tion to put on Federal unifofm himself.
However, this Is not to the point. Brimmer
was mustered In and went to the front
He was in some terrific fights. Courage
ousf Yes, he was, and this surprised many
who thought he was a trifle effeminate in
his manner. He was always much cooler
under fire than some of the full blooded
fellows who boasted of their courage around
the campfire.
"Well," he would say, II youldn't make
much show in the prize ring, but I've got
an ear for music and can stand the singing
of the bullets as well as any OF you. Bluff
fer, the color bearer, might knock me out
In a stand up fight. He was fed on bacon
and greens and on sillabubs and cream,
but although my ancestors did not give me
much muscle they gave me my fair share OF
pluck and endurance"
To which Buffer would reply:
"Well, you always put me In mind Of a
woman, don't you know; you're so gentle
and soft spoken. Why don't you yell like
the other fellows and let US know you are
alive once in awhile"
II might do that IL It were my nature,
but as it isn't / prefer to act out myself
rather than try to be something for which
j was never intended. There is one thing,
however, that l want you to remember,
and that Is, there Is more real spiritual
bravery among women than there Is among
men; so your slur don't count"
The fight was on. The cannons doomed
continuously, and the leaden rain fell un-
ceasingly. The Union men were beaten.
There was no doubt about 1t, and Battery
was one of the last of the retreating bod
les of troops. The soldiers were under ter
rible fire, and many brave fellow fell new
er to rise again, while guns and carriages
were piled togetherin apparently inextrica-
BILE confusion. Still the colors of Battery
were borne forward, but all at once they
disappeared. Buffer said he was tired of
serving as target and threw them away.
Brimmer was just behind. He remarked,
81 must play the part of amateur color
bearer" and he coolly stopped down and
picked up what the coward had cast aside.
Brimmer proudly bore the standard until
i. the enemy had about given up the chase,
and then Buffer, who had kept well ahead,
turned around and gasped:
"You might let me have the colors now
was about to 20 back after them when i
saw they were already secured by you"
Brimmer relinquished them with smile,
remarking philosophically:
well, what matters it after alli They
were not lost"
That night Buffer received many con-
gratulations from his comrades for the way
he had saved the colors, and Brimmer took
deep drink from his canteen to hide his
mirth. That was his way. He enjoyed.
with q quiet, humorous satisfaction, the
foibles and vanities of his neighbors and
had not unfortunately sufficient self asser-
tion to command respect He was liked as
child is liked, but no one ever thought of
giving him credit for what he really accom-
plished. He had the fatal gift of good ma
ture and was therefore imposed upon by
men who had not half his natural abilities.
Well, the war was over, and many a
young man went home with ruined health
and habits acquired in the field which were
worse than physical ills. Brimmer was a
wreck when he returned to the old home
stead. Good care restored him somewhat,
but he had acquired the drinking habit,
and the village tavern bar, which was
reached by a series Of intricate passages, be-
came his chosen haunt when he was well
enough to be about.
He needed some stimulant, the doctor
had unwisely said, to keep up the circula-
ton of his blood, and Brimmer took his
medicine in frequent doses of whisky, with
scarcely an effort to avoid temptation. He
was pleasant companions; he told a story
well, and there were always plenty to treat
him, until he began to look shabby in his
dress and untidy in his person, and then
dntil he was left alone, a tramp, an out
cast, a beggar.
1t was great day for Toptown. Buffer
was returning from the west rich man,
and his fellow townsmen were going to
give him a great reception. It was to be
held in the hall Of the new academy that
he had endowed, and the young people were
decorating it with the national colors and
with evergreen in honor of the occasion.
There was great clapping Of hands and
stamping of feet when the committee ap-
peared upon the platform, with Buffer
arm in arm with the chairman. There was
music by the boys and girls of the academy
to introduce the exercises, and then the
Hon. Timothy Shortright arose to well
cone the distinguished guest. He alluded
In glowing words to Buffers patriotism
during the late war, how he had nobly
borne the colors from the field when less
courageous man would have left them
amid the wreck of battle, and the speaker
concluded by presenting Buffer with
medal in acknowledgment of one Of the
most daring and heroic acts ever performed
by a Union soldier
The applause which followed was deafen-
ing, and then Buffer came forward to re-
spond Handkerchiefs fluttered, the band
played Hail to the Chief" and It was
some time before the excitement subsidized
sufficiently to allow Buffer to make him
self heard. Silence at last reigned, and
then the honored guest Of the occasion &C
cepted the token of esteem with thanks. It
would be useless for him, he observed, to
deny that he saved the colors, and he mod
estly said that he was only the instrument
chosen by heaven to perform brave deed.
Just then there was heard q loud snore
In the back part of the hall, and the people
shouted, Put the tramp outr' The offender
was seized by a dozen willing hands and
forced through the open doorway. IL was
Brimmer. Buffer continued his remarks