The Press., 1897-08-12
THE FATAL UNIFORM.
COLONEL SEXTON TELLS HOW IT
 CHANGED HIS LIFE.

The Girl Who Would Have Married
 Didn't Like the Idea of Young Fellows
 In Omcers'SClothes-sheR ReIented Lit-
 tie When Her Admirer Was Wounded
 "Tbe only bad feature of this thing of addressing the school children" said Colonel James A. Sexton, the former postmaster, "is the fact that they al ways want me to wear my regimentals. It's a thing haven't the courage to do except when I'm among uniformed body of men.
 My aversion to wearing a uniform about in public dates from my boyhood days. Upon that aversion is based an early incident that may have had a good deal to do with the course of my subsequent life.
 ''I enlisted us O private at the outbreak of the war, being then a boy of IT; rather mature looking, however, for those years. Like all boys of that age, was of a romantic turn, but exceed ingly bashful in the presence of women. The ono woman in whose presence was especially shy was a dear girl whom used to seG home from prayer meeting.
 "No parting in all that time of part ing was more affecting than was ours when my regiment started for the front. When, a year later, was sent back to Chicago to recover from a wound in the jaw, found myself as dear 10 her as ever, and she as dear to me, 1t goes without saying. was in the hospital at Camp Douglas My wound healed rapidly. I was allowed to go about the city very much as I chose, and prayer meetings, with their escort privileges, claimed great part of my attention.
 About that time the Y. M. O. A. was organizing a regiment. to be com posed exclusively of men who professed religion. The scheme naturally attract ed a great deal of attention. The papers were full of it was selected to cap tain one of the new regiments compa- nies Protest against the selection was made on account of my age-then just Is. The matter was carried up to the adjutant general of the state, who final ly decided in my favor. My age, the singular character of the case and tho popularity of the regiment caused such an amount of owspuptr gossip that 1t seemed as though every hody must have heard of the matter at least. All this time l never wore my uniform outside | of camp The dear girl, therefore, nev- CT saw me except ill citiZen's clothes It's an outrage, shJ said just after we met a very youthful looking man ill captain s uniform on one of our walks, that such young men are trusted with | the regpOnEi liiitiCS of cC:nmand. l don t know what tho couDtry is coming to- For moment 1 Wiz overcome by | the shock Wli,m recovered my breath, told her that youth diG not necessarily | dcbar a man from pC' session of the qualities of commando r. She declined to bo convinced, and ihe conversation became decidedly chilly. Instead of | making my customary call when we reached her hoase. l stOi ped at the front gate.
 |" Laura said, I must tell you goodby. My regiment has Crders to leave for the front toL orrow. It may l be that we never shall see each other again.
 "But we did All fashionable Chicago came to Camp Douglas the next day to see the final dress parade of the much talked of Y. M. c. A. regiment, and could see the dear girl among the crowd My new captaip's uniform gave me a good deal of satisfaction just at that time, can tell you. TLe colonel of the regiment had asked mo, on account of the power of my voice, to act as adju- tant for the occasion. That furnished additional qualification. The parade had the magnificent splendor that only 8 dress parade can have, and the solemnity of this occasion was vastly increased by the reflection, not to be dismissed, that many of those among regiment and spec tators were seeing each other for the last time on earth. The band played as though speaking our lust farewell to our friends. Every one, l am sure, was deeply impressed. It was at this time that the dear girl had her first and last view of me in my captains uniform. l Officers to the front and center Marchp ordered, with all the dignity could assume. As they reached the center they saluted me.
 |" Sir, the parade is formed, said, saluting the colonel.
 | "The colonel returned as grave 8 sa- lute as he had received and put the reg | iment through the manual of arms. Meantime I marched a few paces be- l anu IOOA pO- sition almost within arms length of the dear girl. There l stood at parade rest, with my back to her, until the regiment wheeled into column to march off the field. At shat juncture I took command of my company and went with it aboard an Illinois Central train.
 Between the dear girl and myself there passed no word.
 " A few months passed and I received 8 slight wound. The circumstance was mentioned in the Chicago papers. Then, for the first time after my departure from Chicago, the dear girl wrote me a letter. It was a beautiful epistle. full | of regret for our misunderstanding, hopes that my wound would not prove serious, assurances that she never could have doubted my ability and requests for forgiveness for her mistake. an swered it, and harmony was restored.
 "At the close Of the war ! at once | sought her," the colonel added, "and found her-already married, "-Chicago Times Herald.
 A Fearful Duel.
 The most terrible duel fought at any