The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-01-20
THE WRONG ORDER.

! My friend, the ex-assistant secretary,
told me the story, and made me promise
not to use 1t, for he knew my failings, un.
til he retired from office have kept my
word, although greatly fear that the OK.
assistant secretary will not be pleased to
see it appear at all but he will be some
what treasured when he remembers that
he and are the only two persons now liv-
ing who know the true version of his sud
den rise, which at the time filled the ooun-
try with some passing wonder, and certain
older and, as they doubtless felt, better
men with much enduring anger.
1t was one of the OK -assstant secretary's
favorite observations that the most useful
Of the great yet homely truths of life Is
that mans merit should never be judged
by his position in the world My friend
Ia keen observer Of human existence, and
from his long experience with men Is SO
well fitted to judge them that what would
appear as smartly epigrammatic in anoth-
er and younger man Is we'll worthy of con-
sideration when falling from his lips. 60,
when he delivered himself of the aphorism
which has just been quoted, felt sure
that he must have had some excellent
reason for his belief therein. Impelled by
curiosity, in which, from my long inti-
macy with him, Iunhesitatingly INDUCED,
one night over bottle of the ex- secretaTy's
favorite madeira which had been given
him by the captain of conflscated brig
for whom he had been enabled to do some
slight service In the days Of the war, l
made bold to ask my friend why he should
50 emphasize the value of that particular
observation. He gazed at me long and
thoughtfully, and finally told me, after ex-
acting the solemn promise mentioned
above. t'
Now, In order that reminiscent chord
may be struck in the minds of those who
are In position to remember the affair,
and that the minds Of those who are Of
later generation may be guided to intelli-
gent comprehension of it, will briefly re-
lato the facts as they appeared at the time
of their actual occurrence as seen and
Judged by their contemporaneous wit
nesses.
In the third year of the civil war the
president of the United States appointed
to an important and lucrative place in the
war department d young, inexperienced
and as some were pleased to say, entirely
incompetent man, who had left a law
practice In New York to accept captaincy
In volunteer regiment organized in and
about his native village, not far from the
metropolis When the news of this pecnl
lar appointment had been sent abroad by
the correspondents, the friends Of the other
and better known applicants for the Same
place rnised loud and unanimous protest,
which occasioned much editorial conmo-
ton, as all will remember who read the
papers Of that time. After this had con-
tinued with unabating bitterness for a
fortnight an enterprising journal printed
the authentic reasons for the precipitate
act of the president and thereby stilled the
disoord into melody Of admiration. 1t
appeared that this unpretentious and OBJ
scure civilian soldier had proved himself
hero and military genius of no small order,
for with mere handful of men he had
completely routed brigade and half of
the best Confederate troops without firing
a shot, and by that deed paved the way for
the brilliant military movement which SO
successfully followed. The young man
was no other than my friend the ex-secre-
tary, who, with that as a foundation, rose
After my promise had been faithfully
accepted the ex-secretary lit fresh cigar,
slipped his wine, satisfied himself that the
door was closed, tasted the madeira again
and began.
"You must know, he said, with faint
smile, "that when a man Of my age and
experience says anything like the quota
ton to Which you refer he probably means
It, and when a man means a thing ho
usually has good reason for his om-
phasis.
This, of course, was an indirect compli-
ment to my perspicacity, and bowed grace
fully. He resumed:
I'm the present case my reason is no less
than my own career, which, as you will
see when l have ended, is an existing proof
of the truth of the aphorism. When l was
first prevailed upon to accept cnptaincy
In my regiment, was n young man with
small law practice. My naturally roman
tic temperament made the life of y soldier,
although was not ignorant of its pripa-
tions and miseries, seem most desirable.
Therefore, against the advice Of my friends
and the prayers of my family, l finally de-
termined to go to the front The first day
that wore my uniform and the first day
that paraded at the head of my company
down Broadway were to me the happiest
and proudest moments of my life, and l
thought that 1t would be an easy and a
grand thing to charge headlong against
the guns of the enemy. We went at once
to the front and were brigaded with Cen
eral IS division of the -th corps then
waiting orders to advance in turn in rapid
pursuit of Lee, who had started out on his
great invasion of Pennsylvania. Before
had become really accustomed to the hard
ships of camp life and had had some of the
glitter of arms dimmed by aotuality, was
ordered ono night to report at regimental
headquarters. / went, my heart in my
mouth, just as I used to set out for the
principals office in my school days re.
turned from regimental headquarters In
far more demoralized condition than ever
came from my sohoolmaster' study 1t
was strongly suspected, had been told,
that there might be body Of rebel troops
acting as blind to the real movements of
the Confederate army, not far in advance
of the TIL corps Now, 1t was absolutely
necessary that this be Investigated Major
General ------ had selected the - regi-
ment to ascertain this fact, and the colo.
mel, delighted with the honor, had select
cd me to command the reconnaissance, for
ha had alwava Ind n fnndness for ma I