Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-04-29

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a rlire as that. Ever since June. there
fore, Close had been alone with the men
and they with him, and no one in au-
thority had the faintest idea how things
were going. Inspectors were also un-
known IN those days, and so long as re-
ports and returns were regularly re-
csived at headquarters, and no com
laiuts came in from the civil author
ilies OF negligence or Indifference on
the Ear- of their military hackers, all
went smoothly. Now, there had not
been a few instances where civil and
military officials had clashed, but Capt.
Close and his splendid company" had
been the theme OF more than one laud-
atory report from the marshal on the
score of what he heard from his depu-
ties. The general commanding, indeed,
had been much elated by high COM
mendation from the highest power in
Washington. all due to services rem
Gered in running down ku KluX and
breaking up moonshiners by Capt.
Close, ot company 6, -th infantry.
Its just exactly what TIE old buffers
cut out for," said the adjutant general
of the department.; but I'm sorry to
have to see young Lambert sent into
such exile
He could hardly have been sorrier
than Lambert was himself, as that
young officer went brisltly up the des-
olate road along the branch" He had
never seen landscape So dismal in all
his life. How on earth was he to en-
ploy his time? No drills, no roll calls,
no duties except the sending forth of
oetachmcnts at the call of this fellow
Parmelee: no books except the few in
bis trunk; no companions except this
heavy, illiterate, money-grabbing lout
who did not know enougI to offer him
seat or cup of coffee after his long
night ride; not n soul worth knowing
nearer than Quitman-and only the in
cbriate Potts there. Certainly Mr..
Newton Lambert felt at odds with fate
this sunny December afternoon. He
had tried to persuade himself that the
lsughable stories about Close were
grossly exaggerated; but now that he
had met that officer tha indications
were in favor of their entire truth.
1t seems that Close had been on some
detached service in connection with the
freedmer's bureau, and had only joined
his regiment late in the autumn of the
memorable yellow fever year, when,
had he 81 desired, he could have re-
manned away. His appearance at the
stricken garrison when the death rate
averaged 30 a day, when the post was
commanded by lieutenant, and some
of the companies by corporals, every
body else being either dcd@. down or
convalescent-added' to the halo which
hung about his hitherto Invisible head.
There was no question as to his con-
summate bravery. Grant himself had
stopped in the rear of his regiment and
asked his name after It's dash on the
works ut Donelson, and the unknown
private was decorated with sergeant's
chevrons on the spot. Before he had
opportunity to learn much of his new
duties, 'the Johnnies jumped the
picket" one night and stampeded every
body but Close, who was given up for
lost until he came in two days later
full of buckshot and information. His
colonel acted on the latter while the
doctors were digging out the former,
and Close got commission as first lieu
tenant In a new regiment for his share
of the resultant benefits. One bloody
ofternool as they wer> scrambling
back, unsuccessful, and " Ter an awful
fire, from the works at \ .cllsburg, the
colonel was left writhing on the lead
swept glacis with no shelter but the
acnsi ond dying around AiH, anu SIose
headed the squad that rushed out and
IL. rlasasl a. NnD r.
sons side could see that the rebs were
firing high, when once the daring sur
vivors of the six who star ted reached
their prostrate colonel, but the bull
let's sounded Just as deadly to the four
who got back alive, and Mcpherson sent
for Close and wrung his hard brown
hand and looked admiringiy into the
scmber, impassive face with it's deep
brown, almost dog-like eyes. Some OF
the Thirteenth regulars were the next
to report on Close. And these fellows,
being at Sherman's headquarters, had
influence. In the midst of 80 rough
campaign, Close looked but little worse
for wear than did his associates, and
when he brought in ten prisoners with
only two men at his back, turned them
over to the Thirteenth, and went In for
more before anybody could thank him,
"Uncle Billy" swore that man was one
of the right sort, and asked him what
he could do for him that very night.
And then-so the story ran-Cloae said
he guessed he'd like to be either SUIT
ler or quartermaster-he didn't know
which--and for once in his life the pop
ular general looked bewildered.
After Mission Ridge, where he got an
other bullet through him, and one that
would have killed an OK, they simply
had to put Close on quartermaster duty,
he wanted it so much and had done such
splendid fighting and so little talking
for It. That was the end OF him until
near the end of the war. His train was
captured by dash of FORESTS cav
airy and, though most of the guards
got away, Close went with his wagons
Andersonville was then his abiding
place for n time, but In some way he
turned up again during the march to
the sea, which he made on muleback,
and when congress authorized the or
ganization of 10 regiments Of infantry
as n part OF the regular army in '66 the
great generals at the head of military
affairs were reminded Of Close. He
wrote from somewhere far out west,
saying modestly that they had told him
to let them know IL they could ever be
of any use to him, and the time had
come. He had concluded to continue
soldering, and wanted TO be n quarter
master. He was offered n first lieu
tenantcy in the infantry and accepted,
though the examining board shook their
heads over his ill-writtcn papers; was
applied for by the colonel whose life
he had saved at Viclssburg, and who
was now on bureau duty" in the south;
and on that work Close remained. de-
spite some rumors OF his unfltness,
until the fever cut It's wide swath in
his regiment. The adjutant and quar-
termaster were both down when Close
arrived and reported for duty. In his
calm, stolid. impassive way he proved
vastly useful. Indeed, at time when
men were dying or descrting by scores,
when even sentry duty had 10 be aban-
doned, and when government property
was being loaded up and carried AWAY
and sold in the city, II Is difficult TO say
what losses might not have been sus-
tanned but for his tireless vigilance. He
exposed himself fearlessly among the
dying. He said he had had light Mt
tack &c the fever at New Iberia earlier
In the season and couldn't take IT, again.