Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1896-10-22

gray, II was or
dered to report to
Gen. T. ]. Jackson with a detail OF 100
men for special orders. l went at once
to headquarters and presented the or
ders had received Gen. Jackson came
out and, reckoning me to follow him,
rode some fifty yards from his staff and
then turned and halted.
Captain. do you ever use liquor"
he asked
No. sir l replied
"A smile lit up his rugged face rs he
said: I sent for a special detail Of 100 |
men under command of an officer who !
never used spirituous liquors. Are you |
that man.
Eyes, sir" said. was detailed on
that account
Well. then, have an order to give.
upon the execution of which depends |
the success OF the present movement
and the result Of the battle soon to be
fought
If to keep sober is all that is need
ed, general, you may depend upon me,
l said.
No, he answered, that isapot all.
but unless you can resist temptation
to drink you cannot carry out my ord
ers Do you see that warehouse over
there" pointing to large building
little way off. Take your command
up to that depot, have the barrels Of
bread rolled out and sent down to the
railroad track, SO that my men can get
it as they pass. and then take your
picked men into the building and spill
all the liquor there; don't spare a drop
nor let any man taste it under any cir
cumstances. This order l expect you 10
execute at any cost
He turned and was about to ride
back to his staff, when called hasti-
iy:
"'One moment, general! Suppose an
officer OF superior rank should order
me under arrest and then gain posses
sion of that warehouses;"
Coming up close to me and looking
me through and through, as it seemed
to me, he said, with look of solemni-
ty that l shall never forget:
| Until shall relieve you in person
you are exempt from arrest except upon
my written order. l fear that liquor
more than Pope's army he added, as
he rode rapidly away.
| Il took my men down to the ware
house which had become so important
and threw guard around it, placing
five men at each entrance. with ord
ers neither to allow any one to ente:
nor to enter themselves.
"The next thing was to roll out the
bread, which We did. Just as we were
finishing that task l was called to one
OF the entrances to find that a general
officer with his staff commanding that
the guards should either allow him to
enter or bring out some liquor. OF
course / refused to comply with the
command, upon which he ordered his
adjutant to place me under arrest.
II told him l was there by General
Jackson's personal order and was es-
pecially exempt from arrest. He or
dered his staff to dismount and enter
the warehouse, and gave my men the
order to level their guns and make
ready.
"This made the general halt, in spite
Of his thirst. and hold a consultation
with his officers. They concluded to
ny PolSu0oAoh' sIHCe Iucy COu!u not get
what they wanted by force. But they
found that method Of no more avail
than the other. Then they asked my
name and what command l belonged
to. and threatened to report me fer dis
obedience.
II should never have yielded. and
whether they would have pushed things
to an extremity in their raging desire
for the liquor I do not know, but Just
at that moment Gen. A. p. Hill came
galloping up with his staff, and natur-
ally wanted to know what was the
trouble. / explained the situation.
which the quickwitted general took in
at once, and ordered the thirsty squad
off.
"'Have you orders to burn the build
ing?' he asked.
mo l answered, i have not
without word he rode away. and
within an hour there came an order
from Gen. Jackson to fire the ware
house and when it was all destroyed to
report to him
II carried ouSs he order to the letter:
not man got drink that day, and for
that time the foe that Stonewall Jack
son most dreaded was vanquished"