The Press., 1897-06-17
HE WANTED TO "PUT DOWN
 THE REBELLION"

"When the war was on," remarked an ex-Congressman to "Star" writer. land felt pretty sure that it was to be no ninety day affair, I went to work to recruit company and see what could do to wards settling it. I lived in a community whose men were all willing to take few risks in that line as myself, and it wasn't any trouble at all to pick up enough mon for a company. I had any number of enthu- siasts in my command, but one boy about sixteen years old had more enthu 5iasm than all of us combined. He wasn't very handsome and he wasn't very good, but he was full of hurrah, and that was what was wanted, because I felt that hard times were before us and all the surplus effervescence would be worked off as as soon as we got into the field.
 "This particular young fellow thought would be about the first to cave, for he talked like a man that was more mouth than sand, and I can't say that had much confidence in him except for tenn porary purposes. Well, got the con- pany together in short order, ,and it wasn't very long until we were ordered to the front with the regiment. One night short ly after we got into fighting country, we came within range of the Johnnies. They were somewhere on the other side of 8 small stream, with bridge over 1t and my company was sent forward to protect the bridge. As we moved forward there was no sign of the enemy, and we didn't ex- pect him for a mile, at least, when sud- denly we sprung him in a clump of woods not three hundred yards in front of us.
 "I thre W my men into line of battle al once to storm the woods, for 1t was not big, and I knew that not any more men than had could be hidden there, and was at that time ready to fight four or five times as many men as I might meet. waited, however, for some sign before making move, when all at once long line of light shot out from the woods and the bullets spattered all around us, and two or three of our men went down. This had @ cooling effect, and conclud ed it was not my time yet to charge, so I let the boys return the fire. They did ii with will, too, and in a very short time the woods were still and the enemy had got out. I ordered my men to stop firing, and the order was obeyed, except as to one man down about the middle of the line who kept on banging away, regardless. I spotted him and made a rush down his | way.
 "'Here, you blamed fool,' exclaimed what do mean by firing2 Don't you heal | the order to cease P
 'It was my young en ntnusiast abou 1 five paces in advance of the line, and h banged away again and dropped his gun
 "What do you mean by that?' saic getting hot.
 1 Excuse me, cap.,' he responded, witt the easy familiarity to the volunteer, 'bu I lined this army to put down the rebel lion, and dod bob my skin if ain't goin to do it as soon as can, and right here too, if you give me half a chance and h pulled up his gun, aud had to threat el him with my sword before could quie him. It wasn't bravado, either," cpntin
 ued the captain, "for the first man to fal had dropped dead at his feet in tho rant in front of him, and, what is more, i
 hadn't been an hour before the scrap tha
 the man killed and the young fellow hal
 had squabble for the placein tn" iron
 rank held by the man who went down."