The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-01
THE DARE DEVIL
IRISH SOLDIER.
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| Copyright, 1897, S. S. Mcclure Company
And the Irish volunteer. That com
pound of recklessness, joviality, HARD
fighting and Impotence of discipline in
camp In our western regiments he ap-
peared usually as an atom floating in the
more purely American organizations. but
il; a certain few cases he coalesced with
klndred atoms and made an Irish regi-
ment Happy the commander who had
one OF these in his line when the enemy
russed out by charge. If the officers
would but show good mettle. the Irish
regiment would go at an earthWorth with
lad shout as of men meeting sweet
| hearts in wilderness. But in camp the
irish volunteers seemed to put in such
Tune as they were not using in inferno
cine nights in Matching develments and
pitfalls for the authorities.
1t was an Irish captain of Ohio volun-
teer infantry who, having failed in be-
ing elected to the command of the first
company he raiSed-narroWly escaping
BENZ mustered in as a private in the
next company he recruited anticipated
the action of the mustering-in officer by
drawing his men up in line and admin
istering an oath like this:
Leg do, ache an livery wan ov yez.
Solemnly Schware to bear thrue allay-
janice to the United Shtates governmint
ar TO vote for meself as captain aV this
company, so help yez," etc.
In those early days it was the custom
Tor each company to-, elect its own Of
Ulcers at the start, and although some
times the wfsest selections may not have
been made, at least towards or fools were
never chosen. The Irish soldiers were
easy TO drill as a general thing, and if
as was frequently the case, an ex-soldier
OF the British army was the drill mas
ter. they mastered the manual and fac
mrs
DDS involved curious mixture of grim
severity and happy badinage.
'Attintion, We thrifers. Kape yer eyes
to the front. Right shoulder. shift ar
rums. in a voice like muttered thun-
der.
Then in a sort OF, winning tone:
20 Rafferty,, shlopes yer gun. man.
Shlope it well back Don't be howIdin'
it straight in the air. Suppose it nd
go off, man. Tis shooting the angels in
heaven you'd be. We cursed tailor
And with sudden gruffnesS:
Stop laughing there, We tunnel-mouthed
balloons. Attintioni''
I don't think they were as good as
American boys on a long march. The
trouble seemed to be in tender feet and
in their inclination to straggle. The pun
ishment for struggling they We're clever
in avoiding by excuses which usually
ity. 5utSu
General R., who, as the soldiers phrased
It put on a good deal of side" once
halted the column of staff officers, or
derlies and cavalry escort without which
he never moved, and berated severely Il
straggler from the -th Ohio Orish),
who was sitting beside the road, stripped
to the waist and amounting himself with
some mercurial ointment, sure cure for
parasites. The general concluded some
hard language with the query:
What the ID do you mean? What are
you doing here in rear of your company,
sir?" To which the high private replied
Tr1ll
me body guard, general"
That scamp escaped the punishment
some of the staff would have enjoyed
seeing melted out to him.
These Irish volunteers could chaff an
officer with such perfect external respect
and such sober faces that only an adept
could read below the surface.
One of the most unpopular officers in
the army of the Ohio in the second year
of the war was Surgeon X. He was
really a good surgeon and trained Of
ticer of long experience. but too harsh
in manner to suit volunteers. So when
he attempted TO better the sanitary con-
dition of the Irish regiment, to which
the straggler already mentioned be-
longed by insisting on each company
having one man relieved from other duty
to act as cook, thus breaking uD in
Vulnerable little groups of chums who
were messing together (sad messing it
deal of i'll feeling. While this was still
rife the surgeon, happening to ride up
to a sentry line one day, asked of the
sentry pacing his beat-"a boWld chunky
chap, wild legs on him like Poman
centchurion, an eyewitness said-to
what regiment he belonged, adding some
thing TO a fellow officer as to the excel
lent physical condition of the man. The
sentry answered that he was of the -th
Ohio.
'.Ah,' quoth the doctor, "how are you
men messing now?"
We are said the sentry. still hold
ing his musket at present arms, now
cooking be brigades.'
An American soldier could hardly have
From the Irishman it seemed like a
mere blunder of the tongue
Gen. c., who was almost mono
maniac on the subject of total absti-
nence had been promised for his lame
horse some liniment by chaplain who
claimed to have cured his own nag by
its use. Writing . few words for the
chaplain the general called his orderly
an Irish soldier detailed that day FOR
duty at headouarters-and ordered him
to carry the note and an empty bottle
to the chaolain's quarters. and to be
very careful in bringing the bottle back,
as there was no cork TO it.
.Bedad' said the orderly. saluting.
"ye needn't be afraid o. me, gineral;
an We might as well save yer note an
me legs / know two fellys over in the
second brigade wild. mebbe, gallon be
tune EN- av. commissary whisky that
I'll go over there for We, av we like,
an
The sentence was never completed.
| was once sent to bring in under
arrest some soldiers who had escaped
from camp and were reported as anus
ing themselves riding terrified contra
bands down coal shute in the vicinity.
Within half a mile from camp | met
coming back fine looking soldier. whom
I had often noticed as one who had evil
IDENTIFY served in the British army and
who was, so far as | knew, a model
man.
"O'Neil. am sorry to see you here
the fellow had evidently been drinking
but my orders are to arrest and send
back all soldiers out of camp without
permission. There's no help for it,
He brought himself together and
hand at visor of his cap. hiccoughed:
Plaze sir. just what did we say was
he ordhers2
ITO arrest al soldiers out of camp
without permission.
Then, sir, said he.. throwing his
1and out full length in exaggerated |
salute. .begorra. I'm all right I'm a |
1ugler. There's lots o. sodgers down be- |
ow there mostly in terrible state O. |
ihrink, I'm sorry to say. There's moth |