The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1895-11-28
STORIES OF THE DAY.

STORIES OF THE DAN.
Wartime Incidents--The Story Of Eight
ing" Jim Stewards Horse. $
Major James Stewart Of Carthage,
O., retired regular, who commanded
Battery B, Fourth artillery, talks about
two occasions when he was shocked aud
saddened. His horse, Tartar, was Of
blooded stock, and horse and master
were much attached to each other. AT
the second Bull Run battle solid shot
plowed through the rumps Of high strung
Tarter, gouging out pounds Of flesh and
cutting off his tail snug to the body.
The wounded animal frisked about right
briskly for u minute and then settled
down and carried his rider until the
battle lulled, seeming to know that, the
commander could not spare time, in
that iron and leaden hail, to change
horses. He had bled to weakness. but
quickly obeyed every summons Of the
rein. When Stewart dismounteds and
saw the CHASTITY wound he was, to
use his own language, ''as shocked
as if I'd lost an ARM" He supposed
that his favorite riding horse would die
or have to be killed. When, the next
morning, Tartar slowly and with a
wobbly gait walked to his master while
he was slipping coffee and munching
bareback and raw pork, and gently laid
his head upon his shoulder and groaned,
the artilleryman put his arms about his
neck and kissed the brown name. II
can't kill him." said Stewart. "We
will leave him here to die in his own
way and time" ~
When Battery B and the other troops
moved out on the retreat to Centerville,
the major, then lieutenant, on new
animal, took fearful glance at his dis
tressed war horse, said "Goodby, Tar
tar" and passed on in silence. Between
shutdown and dark that night Tartar,
jaded and broken, struggled into camp
and sought out his master as if to report
for duty. He was tenderly petted and
given an extra feed of oats. The next
morning Stewart summoned the sur
geon, had Tartar examined, and never
was boy gladder over red topped boots
on anything else than Tartar's master
when the doctor told him that the horse
would be ready for service within a
month or six weeks Tartar followed
the regiment through Washington to
South Mountain and Antietam, sticking
close to the horses during the battles,
and when Mcclellan was ready to start
from Bakersville back to Virginia, late
in October, he was the proudest horse in
the Army of the Potomac as he again
took charge of Battery BIS commander
The story of Tartar's mishap spread
throughout the army. Thousands Of SOL
diers visited the battery on purpose to
see him. He Jared like prince. Moth
ing was quite good enough for him. It
often happened that the battery passed
troops resting by the roadside. The ap-
pearance of Fighting" Jim Stewart and
bobtailed Tartar was always signal for
q variety of comments that put every
body in happy frame Of mind. .,i
Tartar never just relished the begin
ming Of battle after his Bull Run ex-
perience. He didn't try to sulk, grab a
root or dodge behind tree, but he did
a good deal Of prancing, especially when
shells and solid shot shrieked and
whistled in his immediate vicinity, but
after few minutes he seemed to be as
much interested in what was going on
as any one in the command. -