St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-05-27

gave him a beautiful, blooded mare, for which
he had refused fifteen hundred dollars; but
in those days nothing was too good for the
soldier boys, and it was that same equine
beauty that so severely tested the courage
and presence of mind of Sam Harrington.
This is how it was
Up to April, 1862, we saw but little Of the
enemy. We had had few skirmishes with
Morgan and Forrest in Southern Kentucky,
but as neither side seemed eager for fight
there was but little damage done. Wedrilled
during the fall and winter, and Sam, who
had gotten over his clerical inelinations, de-
yeloped a great fondness for horse racing,
and no wonder, seeing that his mare, Belle,
could outrun anything in either army.
We were in Nelson's advance in the rush
for Shiloh, then called t'Pittsburg Landing"
where Grants star was in eclipse. Although
it was near dark when our battalion was fer
ried over the Tennessee, we were pushed
up Snake Greek, where we joined the Second
Michigan Cavalry and the fragments OF other
mounted regiments, and We had brush with
the Texas Rangers, called on their rolls, ''the
Eighth Texas" % and commanded by Colonel
John Wharton. Up to this time, we had had
a sort of sneaking dread of the be-bowie-
knitted terrors of the Lone Star prairies, but
the fact that we drove them in the first clash,
gave us no end of comfort and confidence.
Sam was very pale and nervous during the
fight, but after it was over, I saw him de-
spelling dead Texas captain of a pair of
large silver spurs of Mexican fashion. Sam
put the things on, and their jingling gave
him a great deal of boyish satisfaction.
Lo
took great many of our guns that first day
at Shiloh, and we naturally felt like getting
them back after Buell. and Lew Wallace had
put in an appearance.
On the afternoon of the next day, all the
mounted men were pushed up Snake Greek,
the order being, after we had gone certain
distance, to dash up the bank, and charge on
the batteries posted at right angles to the
line of our advance, and about three hundred
yards from the top of the ascent.
"My God, I'm afraid I'm going to disgrace
myself" whispered Sam to me, as we formed
for the charge, within full sight of the guns,
now rapidly wheeling to receive US.
There was no time for response The
bugles sounded, forward, !" tstrot," "gallop,"
then 'scharge" and with wild cheer we were
of.
The tendency of horses >galloping side by
side is to crowd together. 1t was so in this
case, and the crowding turned Sans feet
and drove those cruel Mexican spurs into the
satiny sides of the spirited mare. Stung
with pain, and no doubt believing there was
a great race on hand. the mare snapped her
teeth on the bit, and shot ahead of the line.
saw the act, plainly as see this white
paper on which L am writing, but while
frozen with horror was helpless to aid Sam.
The brave fellow was fully thirty yards
ahead, and we were laundering and cheering
behind him; AMI the guns in front were be-
ginning to open. saw him rise in the STIR
: rups,letting his sabre hang by the knot, while
with both hands he jerked on the reins.
Instead of checking the mare, he broke the
headstall and pulled the bride over her head.
He was now helpless He looked back, as
if debating whether to leap off or go on. He
reasoned that no matter what he did, it was
death, and on the instant, he decided to die,