The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1897-10-23

tlG1 IliuU tE3Gu Iiksi laIi 1tIS45 y -
duet preiudicial to Coed ofatr and mill
tary discipline. the specifications isllca-
ing that he, Private Barney Hogan,
Troop G, did, with certain others, en-
gage in d fight III the rear OF bis troop
quarters. When asked by the judge ad-
vocate whether le had anything 70 say
il his own defense, Barney Glsctaifned
and most emphatically declared that he
had done all il his power ITO kape the
pace.
Il suppose, Hogan" interrupted the
president Of the court, that you acted
on the principle that tie sooner the sol.
cio1s Of Troop Fl We're Knocked out the
sooner peace would prevail
This was how it happened, sort. On
this same day | WAS ;rderly for the
commandin officer Of this post, and
as the arderly thrumpeter was BLOWN
miss call ] happened to cast me eyes i'll
the same direction and its moself sees
Sergeant Clancy with his coat off run
min through the saliy port loile mad,
and ] knew what it mint. So ! reports
to the kurl.el for dinner relief and, seq
|, rale quie5 loihe, to the krrEel, sez !:
SER, there's ! flight Gu IL c
thIoop.'
Sure seq he, is thot SOP
Wis, seq /. FL ,l9roop is murder
i'll G throop.'
Where's the officer Ct tho day. SEE
the kurnel.
'Divil a bit-beggin your pardon
DO ] know, seZ !, for me blood was ZIP.
And shall | sthop the foight, sorr?'
SEE /, rale quiet loile, again.
"'Yis,' seq the kurEel, with a glance
cut Ct his eyes, sim me mp.
$50 with thot ! runs to the barracks,
and I did me best to sthop the foight, |
did. And sure I'd sthcpped it entoirely
ii the dirty blackGards. seein tie loot
nant come, hadn't ivly mothers sen Of
'em rGn for his hole loike SO many
prairie dogs
Private Hogan was told that be could
retire, and he did SO with all the digni-
tyof a prince Of the royal blood. When,
a few days later, his sentence was pub
lished in orders, it was fenLd that the
pitiless court martial had sentenced
athe eaid Private Barney Hogan to Le
confined at hard labor under charge Of
the post guard for the period of one
month"
Occasionally after that | caught sight
Of the tall figure clad i'll brown overalls,
the red hair surmounted by a drab cam
paign hat, meekly following the. wood
wagon about the post, while d few feet
away a sentinel with loaded carbiGe
stood IS a representative Of the majesty
Of the military law. Poor Barney ap-
peared SO crestfallen that when | sud-
denly came upon him a few days later,
as he was engaged in the compulsory
cutting Of weed for the pest bakery, |
could not refrain from speaking to him.
His reply was characteristic.
"Sorr.' said he, this is a quare
wurld, where a man is disgraced for
doin his juty. But, lcotnant," looking
cautiously about and lowering his voice
to a whisper, while his blue eyes spar
kled, I'D do two months fer another
rale good rev with them Dutch roif1es."
Over a year after this Private Barney
again came prominently into notice,
and the circumstances were such as to
make a lasting impression on my mind.
1t was a night in February, and q gen
uine blizzard was raging. The Their
mometer hanging at the front door Of
my quarters registered 40 degrees be-
low zero, and the cutting northwest
wind blew the snow against the win
dow panes with such force as to sound
like hail. Through the whitening glass
nothing was visible. and it was danger
Gus even to attempt finding one's way
to the front gate. The paymaster, who,
III the teeth Of the storm, had just ar
rived from the faraway railroad station,
was congratulating himself over having
reached my comfortable quarters by
nightfall, when there can1e a pounding
at the front door, and with the cold
wind and snow which entered with q
rush came a tall and muscular figure,
so mrffcd in fur overcoat, cap and
] gloves as to be un1ecognizablc. Out Of
the furs am 4 we'll known voice:
"sorr, Private Hogan reports as ar
DERBY fer the T~aymaster, and the COM
mandin officer sinds his compliments
and seq the major naden't report till
marnin, bein such a noight, SER"
Very well. orderly, returned the
major, you may 90 to yclr quarters
and Ielor1 ID tic mcrni.r at ! Put
hold en- i r%ainEto, he added, and then,
calling me aside:
is this 14aa perfectly t-ustvcrthye''