Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-06-27

not very we'll off, and she hasn't any
cloak she said her hat was out ofstyle
and she was afraid that some people
might laugh at it, you know there are
people who will laugh at other peoples
clothes Now, never cared for style
myself, no more did the general. I've
seen him when he wasn't dressed as
well as l am now, and I've had this
suit four years, but thousands OF men
were cheering him as he rode by and
ready to follow him right down into
the valley O death. | told Maggie not
to mind II she wasn't In style; while
she amt got any cloak she's got a good
warm shawl that belonged to her
mother; her hat is only little faded
thing she bought winter before last,
but she looks purity In 1t. But she
wouldn't come; she said | could tell her
about 1t when got back. Maggie felt
bad because she couldn't come, for she
thinks almost as much Of the general
as do ever since told her how he
once did me and the boys In my regi-
ment great favor saved us from dis
grace.
eyes, sir, III tell you about it, 1t
was the Second Iowa infantry-Col.
futile. You may have heard Of the
Second Iowa--frst regiment over the
breastworks at Donelson. | was in
company A, first rank, going up the
hill; a hard hill to climb, sir, but that
charge was something more than life
and death to us, the reputation of the
Second Iowa was at stake and Grant
was watching us
Before we went TO Donelson we
were in camp near a medical college.
There were some wild boys in the Sec
ond Iowa and | was one of them. We
got into that college one night and we
raised the old Harry. We unjointed
some of the skeletons and the others
we stuffed full of baled hay. We put
soldiers clothes on some of them, with
caps cooked on the side of their heads,
and stuck pipes In their mouths and
had good time generally. The next
day we were off for Donelson, but we
hadn't gone far before we discovered
that something was wrong All the
other regiments were marching with
their flags flying and bands playing,
while we were tramping along with
furled colors and muffled drums, The
doctors had reported us to Col futile
and he had ordered us to march that
way to punish us; we were disgraced.
The other regiments heard of It and
made sport of us, We felt pretty bad,
but we laughed among ourselves over
the way we fixed those skeletons.
"The Second Iowa wasn't In the first
charges on Donelson that were re-
pulsed, We were sitting around like
schoolboys with ounces caps on their
heads, and we were getting madden
and madden all the time. Something
had to be done to redeem the honor Of
the regiment. We hit on plan that
pleased all the boys. 1t was to send q
delegation to Col. futile with re-
quest to allow the Second Iowa to lead
the next charge on Donelson, and we
told him we would take the fort or not |
man would come back. The colonel
didn't approve Of 1t; he said 1t was
throwing away human lives, but he
agreed to send our regiment to Brig.
Gen. W, +, Smith. The brigadier said
he couldn't do it; that he would not be
responsible for ordering another
charge on the works, but he was will
ing to submit the request to Gen.
Grant.
"a courier mounted bis horse and
started for Grants headquarters, and
we were on the anxious seat till he got
back; our blood was up and we meant
business Among ourselves we threat.
ened all sorts Of things II our request
was denied. But Grant did not disap-
point us, he never did; you could al.
ways rely on Grant when 1t came to
question Of fighting
when the courier came riding back
on the dead run he waved piece Of
white paper which looked like an or
der, and the Second Iowa set up yell,
Gen. Smith had written on our request
an official reference to the commander.
Under this Gen. Grant wrote with =
pencil;
Tell them to charge .. S. GRANT
"Short and to the point; that was
like the general. You never heard
such cheer as we gave. We were go.
ing to show the other regiments that
the Second Iowa was not regiment to
be made sport Of; that it was ft for
something besides turning medical
college topsy-turvey.
I'VE went up that hill and over
the outer works--some Of us did.
Wa iaid all nioht in the rain on that