Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-09-10
THEY'RE COMING.
Continued from page ~

youngster. He found him. wiped OF a
few more tears and sent an orderly for
a constable.
1 When the gentleman in whom the
majesty Of the law Is invested arrived
on the scene, the captain turned the
/ lad over to the officer with the instrue-
tions that the kid be sent back to the
aching heart in Bangor. Then the
soldier turned his attention to his troop
and set his face toward the West
! will bet weeks salary that by
this time that boy has had an inter-
view with his fond and loving parents
that he will remember for many day.
| And this reminds me. When Troop r
was in camp in Pittsfeld, last trip. an
old soldier came out TO view TIL.
soldiers. After looking them over for
a time he remarked to a bystander,
''Pshaw, they are only lot of boys.
1t is true the army of the United
States is made up mostly of young men,
but / would like to ask that veteran
| how much ice he would cut in the ser
vice today. You We're not as old when
you went to war as you are now. Did
you expect to see old. grey haired meii
| the Wilderness, Antietam and Rich
| mond? Remember dear old fellow
| whether you We're in the coast guard or
| at the front, that you were young when
you went TO war and that there re-
mains yet that old saw "Old men for
counsel. young men for war"
1t is matter of historical record that
The service Of our standing army in the
tan, fro, ?
with far more horror and greater de-
gree of mortality for the amount of
service in the field that is performed
than that of the war of 81 to '65. Cap:.
Dodd has seen q years Of service in the
army the most OF 1t having been
passed on the frontier among the In
dams; Lieut. Tate has seen almost as
much service and Lieut.. Moses, If he j.
not picked off by some Indian sharp
shooter, win some day have seen as
much service.
There are good reasons why | should
not attempt to rob veteran of the war
of any of the glory that may attach Il
self to the exploits of himself and his |
comrades upon the field of battle, and |
there is every reason why | should say |
that tho bone and sinew OF the army Of |
the United States. today, is but tn |
graft from the same old stock tina. |
saved the life OF the nation during |
those trying days when
The Southerns rose in madness
And our land was dark with slaves
When the prairies and the mountains
And the valleys yawned with graves.
When our blessed stars were falling
And our eyes were dim with tears.
And winged time brought every day
a burden filled with years.
The Grand Army man who saw ser
vice for any length of time does not
60 around finding fault with the
soldiers of today. The veteran soldier,
he who stood between US and dis
union for the war" must needs be
drawn out when in the quiet of his
humble home or at the annual gather
ing and reunion. He never boasts. he
tells his story in that sad way that
never fails to impress his hearers with
the thought that none regrets more
than he that the war was a stern
necessity.
Wen. anyway. we got out of Pitts
field on time and began to get over the
ground in the direction of Burnham at
the rate of about four miles an hour
Now, Capt, Dodd is q down right good
fellow and he does not intend that any
eff his passengers shall miss a thing
that goes to make up the regular rou-
tine of the soldiers. particularly when
he has as enthusiastic guest as the
Journal man is supposed to be. II
seemed to anticipate our desire to trot
and SO gave the command.
How my heart went pit-a-pat when
the brazen notes of the bugle rang out
the command "Trot?" While / think !
of it, my heart at the hour of p. NJ. .
is still doing the pit-a-pat business and {
my 20 pounds of anatomy responds |
i'll perfect accord. If l have a heart
when / reach Augusta il will not be !
Capt. Dodd's fault. t
Corporal Greppo. who, by the way q
has been newspaper man in his dag,
reported to the hospital steward SICK.
last night, and. today. he rode in the
ambulance. Capt Dodd fell back oc-
casionally to see how the sick man was ,
getting along after seeing to it that he
had the service of good physician at
Pittsfield. The troopers all speak
good big word for the captain along
these lines in particular He looks
after the health of his men. {
a short halt was made four miles
outside of Pittsfeld. At Burnham I
Harris hotel was Respondent with |
flags and great group of the villagers i
had gathered to see the troop pas
through. Lieut.. Moses called my at {
tention to a dress parade of flow /
ers along the roadside and they looked :
as beautiful as a sunhower can posi-
bly, look. The day was glorious-and
hot.
About two miles from Clinton we
stopped at Aunt Hannah Turner's and we
quaffed from the old oaken bucket that |
Aunt Hannah said we were welcome to
use, and then we went out to look over
the dear old lady's California beans and
visit the bee hives. | took a corporal's |
guard along with me for safety when APP
preaching the bee hives. Aunt Hannah
had some sunilowers but we did not stop
to see if they were paraded. but started
ON the way to Clinton. Arriving at that
equestered hamlet with the, Shakespeare |
left ouD we We're greeted by a large |
crowd of citizens who waved flags and |
handkerchiefs until their arms ached
Son h..l 4, |