Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-06-29

V.IE
OLD JACK STANDING OVER THE BODY OF
HIS MASTER
Jack standing over the dead body of
his master. Other horses were gallop-
ing wildly about, but he showed no ex-
element Wounded horses approach ed
him 10 beg for sympathy. but he drove
them away for fear they would injure
the man at his feet.
"Old Jack was with us up and down
the Shenandoah valley, and one night
when a terrific storm stampeded three
hundred of our horses over to the
enemy he alone returned. He raided
and fought throughout that memorable
year of 1864 and was wounded twice
again. He was ready for the last cam
paign, and when the surrender came
the white flags almost brushed his
nose. Only the day before that piece
of shell had given him a severe wound,
but when driven to the rear with hun
dreds of others he literally fought his
way back A quartermaster at Wash
ington got hold of him when we re-
turned from Appomattox, but when we
knew that our old brigade was to go
west we got Old Jack back on the ac-
tive list again, and he was one of us
At Leavenworth when they weeded
out the horses, preparatory to the long
taunt to the Colorado line. they led Old
Jack away to brand him with c. and
sell him to the highest bidder at auc-
ton Company A resolved and petit
toned and argued. and our second
lieutenant bought him before the de-
grading branding iron had touched his
shoulder. We gave him a reception
when he returned after his brief alb
sence-the sort of a welcome an old
comrade could have counted on.
up the Platte as we got into the In
dian country, dozen men were cut off
from the command one day. 1t was a
race for life. The horse of a trooper
fell with broken leg and the heuten.
ant took the man up behind him. Old
Jack came in bearing double, and an
Indian arrow had grazed his quarter
while making the last half mile. Far
Their west it was old Jack who suddenly
raised an alarm one midnight Just in
time to save us from attack. A week
later he was bitten by a rattlesnake.
The order was to shoot him, as it had
been in the case of a score of other
horses, but we would not have it so.
Providence sent a rainstorm TO stop
the march, and we poured whisky
enough down Old Jacks neck to make
ten men drunk. After three or four
days he was kicking up his heels as of
yore, and every man in the brigade
wanted a look at him.
zone day between the forks of the
Upper Platte Old Jacks rider ventured
too far from camp and was rushed by
half dozen Indians. He dismounted
and menaced them over the saddle with
his revolver. The horse stood like a
rock, They yelled and shrieked and
waved blankets and fred their rifles,
but they could not stampede him. In
the midst of the excitement he saw the
relief party while yet mile away aud
neighed a shrill recognition and a
warning to ride fast. When l tell you
all these things You will not wonder at
our kindly feeling toward our horse
comrade. There We're just fifty-fve
men of us in company A out on the
plains. Had we some day been obliged
to accept fifty-five hard tacks for full
days rations no man would have be-
grudged Old Jack a generous nibble.
II remember when the sad day came
as if it were only last week Two hun
dred of us were pushing a fresh Indian
trail and the hour was noon, when Old
Jack, going at a gallop, put his foot
into gopher hole and broke foreleg.
Two hundred men groaned out at sight
of the poor beast standing on three legs
after recovering from the fall. We re.
allied that his last hour had come. To
leave him alive behind us would be in.
human. There was neither water nor
grass for miles around The wolves
would pull him down after few hours
and he deserved a nobler death And
yet who could have the heart to kill
him?
strip off the saddle and shoot him.
That was the order that came back
from the head Of the column, and that
was the order given by our captain to q
sergeant The saddle was removed
Old Jack must have been in terrible
pain, but he Sid not utter a sigh His
eyes opened wider than usual, and he
seemed worried and anxious as he
looked around.
Captain. can 10 it! It would be
as bad as shooting down a comrade
80 said the sergeant as he stood re-
yo!ver ia hand. A second and = third