Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-23
STORY OF A HORSE.
Badly Wounded in Battle, He Still
Performed His Duty.
From the Chicago Times Herald.

From the Chicago Times Herald.
Here is a horse story told me by James
F. Lyon of the first cavalry, who had no
superior in valor and will carry to the grave
limp and quarter Of a pound of lead He
said: 1--WE hnd in our company young
German named Schultz. His horse was his
especial pride. Sometimes Schultz went to
sleep without rations, but his horse never
No matter how scarce or how hard it was
to get forage, the young Germans horse
always had an evening feed thorough
rubbing down, loving pat and a Good
night, Frank, in two larguages-br6ken
English and German. Many time have
seen Schultz skirmisn for lunch for his
horse when We halted to make coffee in
stead Of preparing his own lunch.
wv lille the Test Of US stayed in our tents
and read or played cards Schultz would keep
FRANK company for hours sometimes talk
ing German to him and sometimes English.
Some of our horses showed lack of care;
Franks showed overcare; was always in
good order; in camp he glistened like new
plug hat, and seemed as fond of his master
as his master of him. When the Atlanta
campaign opened, in May, 1854 there was
not a prouder soldier or a prettier horse
than Schultz and Frank in the first.
Our FIST fight OF note in that campaign
was at Farnelrs Station, May 8. Somebody
never mind who-made a mess of it. Our
little brigade, the second, of the first cav
fourth Indiana and the first Wisconsin,
commanded by Col. o. H. La Grange, was
thrown against Gen. Joe Wheeler's entire
command, and we fought it all day. We
started to charge, but were halted in a piece
of woods and were ordered to fight on foot.
We were already under fire and in consider
able confusion, and only portion of the
command heard the order. SO it happened
that some of US fought as cavalry and some
as infantry.
Schultz remained mounted and did heroic
service. Early in the fight his pet was shot.
AS the animal made but little fuss over it
and steadied down quickly, his rider thought
it was only slight wound, and remained in
the battle all day, having travelled many
miles in the perfol nance of important and
Dangerous tasks the wounded animal SEEM
ing to enter into the spirit of the work as
completely as his master. That night. at 8
o'clock, the brigade camped. The moment
Frank was unsaddled he lay down. Schultz
thought 1t was because the horse, like him.
self, was tired and, after patting him and
telling him in both languages what a SPLEEN
did fellow he had been that day, and thank
| ing him for carrying him safely through one
| of the hottest battles, he busted himself
with supper getting.
In the forage bag were several extra ears
| of corn. After his own repast of black
coffee crackers and uncooked white pork,
such a banquet as many soldier has been
more thankful for than he for the feast
| of last Thanksgiving. Schultz shelled the
| corn and took 1t to Frank. The horse did
head on the masters shoulder and look. If
| he did not speak, thanks for such master.
| He didn't hear Schultz announce in German
| that he was coming with double ration.
| Frank was dead and stiffening, showing
that soon after lying down life had departed.
when Schultz realized that his pet was
dead he threw the corn down. dropped by
the side of the animal. tenderly laid one
| hand on his neck, and with the other gently
| rubbed his head, as he had done many times
| before. and sobbed like a child. In talking
about his loss the next Gay he said: My
poor Frank couldn't tell me he was badly
hurt, and ask to go to the hospital, as
would have done had l been shot. He car
ried me all day as If he thought it was his
duty, and that things would go wrong if he
didn't, and when the battle was over and L
was getting supper he lay down and died
That horse was better soldier than am
than any man in the regiment. Not one of
would have fought all day with such
hurt that. No one would have expected
it of us: yet l expected it of Frank and he
did not fell mo- l shall never think as much
of anything again as long as I live With
this outburst the poor fellow broke down
again. and none OF his comrades made light
of the young Germans sorrow-they knew
1t was sincere"