Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-06-30
THE FATAL UNIFORM.
COLONEL SEXTON TELLS HOW IT
CHANGED HIS LIFE.

CHANGED HIS LIFE.
Tho Girl Who Would Have Married
Didn't Like tho Idea of Young Fellows
In Ohicers' Clothes-She Relented q Lit
tie When Her Admirer Was Wounded.
"The 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 thing haven't the courage to do
except when I'm among a 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.
II enlisted as private ut the outbreak
of the war. being then a boy Of II;
rather mature looking, however. for
chose years. Like all boys Of that age.
l was Of romantic turn, but exceed
ingly bashful in the presence of women.
The one woman in whose presence was
especially shy was dear girl whom /
used to see home from prayer meeting.
"No parting i'll all that time Of part
ing was more affecting than was ours
when my regiment started for the front.
When, year later, was sent back to
Chicago to recover from wound In the
Jaw, found myself rs dear to her as
ever, and she as dear to me, it 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. NJ. G. A.
was organizing 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 1t. 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. Ny age. the
singular chararter of the case and the
popularity Of the regiment caused such
an amount of newspaper gossip that 1t
seemed as though everybody must have
heard of tie matter ut least All this
time l never wore my uniform outside
of camp. The dear girl. therefore, new
er saw me except in citizens clothes.
"'It's all outrage, she said just after
we met IL very youthful looking man i'll
of nur xr.tlE -
that such young men are trusted with
the responsibilities Of command. don't
know what the country is coming to-
For moment l wus overcome by
the shock VIXEN l recovered Ely breath,
told her that youth did not necessarily
iebHr man from possession of the
Qualities Cf u commander She declined
to be convinced, and the conversation
became decidedly chilly. Instead OF
making Dy customary call when we
reached her house, l stopped at the front
gate.
" Laura 1 said, L must ta!i yen
goodby. My regiment has c,dors to
leave fer the front tomorrow. 1t r;,ay
be that we never shall gee each Other
again.
"Rnt we Gi;.. All fashionable Chicago
came 10 Capp Douglas the next day 20
see the final dress parade of the mach
| talked OF Y. II. L. y. regiment, and |
could see the dear eirl among the crowd.
Ny new captains uniform gave me 4
good deal Of satisfaction Just at that
| time, can tell xSu. The colonel OF the
xers l0nt had ha.5ss ssiAsi ~ nic. OH account Of
,s1.e.l l.sswer G. -tI!.y-vvir-,-te-nct as +tdju-
| tant for the occasion. That furnished
additional qualification. The parade had
| the magnificent splertlOr that only u
| dress parade can have, and the so!eniuity
| of this occasion WIS vastly increased Ly
| the reflection, net to be dismissed, that
many of those arlong regiment and spec
tators were seeing each otEer for the
last time Oh earth. The band played as
though speaking oar last farewell to
our friends. Every cuo. l am sure, vas
deeply impressed. 1t was at this time
that the dear girl had her FIRST ard last
view of ME il Iny captains uniform.
Officers tn the front ard cfutrr!
Mmrch!' 1 ordered. with all tie Gilni:y
l could assume. As they reached the
center they saluted me.
| SlT, tuc l'hIsttt II lottitu, t"ius
saluting the colonel.
| 1.-The colonel returned as Gr.ivc a sa-
lutte as he had received aud put the .cg-
iment through the manual of arms.
Meantime / marched few PAGES be-
hind him, turned squarcly and took po-
sition almost within arms length OF
the dear girl. There I stood at parade
rest, with my back to her, until the
regiment wheeled into column to march
off the field. AT that juncturc l 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 l received
slight wound. The circumstance was
mentioned III tic Chicago papers. Then,
for the first time after E.y departure
from Chicago, the dear girl wrote me 9
letter. 1t was beautiful episi!c. full
of regret for our misunderstanding,
hopes that my wound would nos prove
serious, assurances that she never coult
have doubted my ability and request.
for forgiveness for her mistake. l an
swered it, and harmony was restored.
LAT the close of the war l at once
sought her." the colonel added, "ant
found her-already married. "-Chicast
Times Herald.