Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-01-08

| respondent IN IS~tes"s
Tho tale was elected by question as to
| whether Lord Wolseley knew Charles Cor
don in the Crimea and what ne thought
Of him.
ooh, yes; / knew Gordon-knew him
very well! We were subalterns together
young fellows, just beginning life, fun OF
spirits and go. In spite OF all the hard
ships the road before us seemed bright, IN
terminable-always leading upward. Ger
aid Graham, Gordon and / were often to-
| eether in tho advanced works in front OF
| the Redun We had already come to look
on Graham's courage as something almost
| supernatural. You know his height-well
| on to 6 feet inches, i should say. Well,
| he used to stand upon tho trenches and
| nay no moro attention to the Russian fire
| than if the bullets had been snowbalis,
| and when he was relieved In the evening,
instead of crawling along the trench I'M
der cover, he used to step out OF IL on 10
the open ground and make bee line for
his quarters. At first the Russians We're
too astonished at this piece OF cheek to
take any steps TO put an end to IT, but as
it was repeated again ana again then
sharpshooters grew more numerous, TIL at
last perfect mob Of them used to wait
for Grahams appearance, and then let
hy. But he walked away, with his back
to them, evening after evening, as cooi
as cucumber, and was never touched.
Again and again we demonstrated with
him, told him ne had no business to make
cock shy of himself, bur nothing we
could say altered his resolution. He'd be
hung, he said, before he'd take the trou
BILE to crawl quarter OF "a mile out Of his
WAY to avoid the Russian fire! Let them
shoot and hc damned to themr'
And you, we asked, interrnpting the
narrator, how used you 10 go to your
terts'i
ON" he went on modestiy, with q
CLEAN Of humor in his eyes, II crawied
along the trench in the mud and slush till
was well beyond gunshot! l suppose
my disposition was calculating and amb!
tious. did not see what could be taken
by getting "a bullet In the back for 10
reason
And Gordonf" again we interrupted.
That the curious part Of II, " was the
reply. "Onc evening Charley Gordon
would link arms with Graham and walk
away as if q hailstorm OF bullets had no
power 10 hurt him. and the very next even
ing he would crawl along tho trench after
me as if he would like to hide in the
slush. -
The second story is concerned with the
man who Vii probably be found to have
won enduring reputation, though not OK
actly the fame II the heroic defender OF
hhartum.
War correspondents" exclaimed Lord
Wolseley. Some OF them are desperately
brave, while others are anything but he
roes The majority, ] think, do their duty
well, evon when it leads them into tight
places. by the way, talking Of tighi
places and wa correspondents I rcmem-
her an incident that may interest you. ]
was at the beginning of the Ashanti earn.
palgn, just after our landing. \ square
built little man came up to me and said,
speaking slowly and with an unmistakable
American accent:
= General, allow me TO introduce my
self, l am the correspondent of the New |!
York Herald. l.
"Too busy TO attend to him, l cut him
short with, What can do for you, sir?'
He roplisd imperturbahly, with the |
same exasperating slowness, We'll. gen
eral, | want to be Us near you % L can ii |
t4itIt Is any HGntlfl 10 DS Seen.
Captain Soand-so has charge of all |
the arrangements concerning correspond |
entS, l rojoined CURLY. You had better |
See him. And with this turned on NV |
heel and went about my business.
Il saw no more of my correspondent |
with the aggravating GOODNESS and slow |
ness of speech for many day. | did no, |
even knew whether he was ACCOMPANYING |
the column or not
Personally speaking, l was only in |
danger once during the whole expedition |
Ii was shortly before we entered Kumassi. |
| had pressed forward with the advanced |
troops hoping to break the last effort a, |
resistance and have done with the affair,
when tho enemy, utilizing the heavy GOV. |
ert' came down and fairly surrounded us.
For few minutes the position was crit
zeal and every man had to fight. for the
enemys fire was poured in at close quar-
tiers. They pressed upon us from all sides.
lodging from tree TO tree, and continually
edging closer, hoping to get hand to hand.
In the hottest of it my attention was
caught by a man in civilians clothes, who
was some ID or 20 yards in front OF me
and who was completely surrounded by the
advancing saSagos. He seemed to nav no
heed to the danger lie was in. but kneeliDg
on one knee :bok aim and fired again and
again. and seemed To see that every time |
ho fired u black man fell | was fascinated
by MS danger and GOODNESS. AS our main |
body came up and the snvages were driven
back, went forward TO SEQ that no harm
came to my civilian friend, who rose lust
Us reached him, To my aStonishmcnt it
was the correspondent of the New York
Herald, and he began again, in the same
slow, calm way:
Well, general
Again / interrupted him: You are
lucky to escape. Didn you see that Won
were surrounded?'
Well general, he began again. L
guess was too much occupied by the MIG
gers In front to pay much attention to
those behind
THAT was evidently the simple truth
Whatever men may say in the future about
Henry Nj. Stanley, no one that has seen
him IN danger will deny that his courage
is of the first quality. l took liking to
HIM on the spot. and we became great
Trends, Nor has anything occurred since
TO alter my opinion of him. London
Saturday Review.
mt