The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1897-05-21

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mire as that. Ever since June, there
fore, Close had been alone with the men
and they with him, and no one in au-
thority had the faintest idea how things
were going. Inspectors were also IN.
known IN those days, and so long as re-
ports and returns were regularly re-
ceived at headquarters, and no COM
u!aints came in from the civil author
tiles of negligence or Indifference on
the part of their military hackers, all
went smoothly. Now, there had not
been few instances where civil and
military officials had clasbed, but Capt.
Close and his splendid company" had
Eeen the theme of more than one laud-'
atory report from the marshal on the
score of what he heard from his depu-
ties. The general commanding, indeed,
had been much elated by high COM
mendatian from the highest power in
Washington. all due to services rem
dered in running down Nu Klux and
breaking up moonshiners by Capt.
Close, OF company G, It'll infantry.
Its just exactly what tie old buffers
cut out for," said the adjutant general
Of the department; but I'm sorry to
have to see young Lambert sent into
such exile"
He could hardly have been sorrier
than Lambert was himself. as that
young officer went briskly mp the des
olate road along the branch" He had
never seen a landscape So dismal in all
his life. How on earth was he to en-
ploy his time? No drills, no roll calls,
no duties except the sending forth of
detachmcnts at the call of this fellow
Parmelee; no books except the few in
his trunk; no companions except this
heavy, illiterate, money-Srabbing lout
who did not know enough to offer him
seat or a cup of coffee after his long
night ride; not a soul worth knowing
nearer than Quitman-and only the in
cbriate Potts there. Certainly Mr..
Newton Lambert felt at odds with fate
this sunny December afternoon. He
had tried to persuade himself that the
lsughable stories about Close were
grossly exaggerated; but now that he
had met that officer tho indications
were in favor of their ertire truth.
1t seems that Close had been on some
detached service in connection with the
treedmer's bureau, and had only joined
his regiment late in the autumn of the
memorable yellow fever year, when,
had be 50 desired, he could have re
manned away. His appearance at the
fricl1en garrison when the death rate
averaged % day, when the post was
commanded by a lieutenant, and some
OF the companies by corporals, every
body else being either dead, down or
convalescent-adde to the halo which
hung about his hitherto invisible head.
There was no question as to his con-
summate bravery. Grant himself had
stopped in the rear of his regiment and
asked his name after its dash on the
works Ut Donelson, and the unknown
private was decorated with sergeant's
Chevrons on the spot. Before he had
opportunity to learn much of his new
duties 1.-The Johnnies jumped the
picket one night and stampedeG every
body but Close, who was given up for
lost until he came in two days. later
| full of Duckshot and information. His
colonel acted on the latter while the
doctors were digging out the former,
and Close got a commission rs first lieu
tenant in a new regiment for his share
of the resultant benefits. One bloody
afternoon as they were scrambling
| back. unsuccessful, and under an awful
fire. from the works at Nicksburg the
| colonel was LEFT writing on the lead
| swept Giacis with no shelter but the
| dead and dying around MN. and Close
| headed the squad that rushed out and
fetched him in. Everybody at McPher-
| sons side could see that the rebs were
firing high, when once the daring sur
! vivors of the six who started reached
their PROSTATE colonsI. but the bull
lets sounded just as deadly to the four
| who got back alive. and Mcpherson sent
| Cor Close and wrung his hard brown
hand and looked admiringly into the
scmber, impressive face with its deep
brown. almost dog-like eyes. Some of
The Thirteenth regulars were the next
to report on Close. And these fellows
being "a Sherman's headquarters. had
Influence. In the midst of so rough a
| campaign. Close looked but little worse
| for wear than did his associates, and
when he brought in ten prisoners with
only two men at his back. turned them
over to the Thirteenth, anG went in for
more before anybody could thank him
Uncle Billy" swcre that man was one
Of the right sort, and asked him what
he could do for him that very night
And then-so the story r2n-Close said
he guessed he'd like to be either SUIT
Ter or Iuartermaster-hcd didn't know
which-snd for once in his life the pop.
ular general looked bewildered.
After Mission Ridge, where he got an
other bullet through him, and one tina
would have killed an OK, they simply
had to put Close on quartermaster duty
he wanted it SO much and had done sucl
splendid fighting and so little talking
for it. That was the end of him unit
near the end of the war. His train was
captured by a dash of FORESTS cav
/ nj thOno,,, Of hn orClS