The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-06-03
gLAHERTY ON GUARD
eToRy or A YANKEE RECRUIT FaEeH
FROM THE OLD SOD.


Onicers Of His Company and Even Then
Couldn't Got the Countersign.
City Messenger. George L. WarrIner nj
why's has good supply Of war stories on
tap. In Mr.. Warrinors regiment, which
was recruited at Worcester and went To
the front from there was private who
might have been named Patrick Flahcrty,
but wasn't, and who might have been
French, but was Irish. And he was an
Irishmsn not only In name and hair, but
IN that national characteristic Of witty re-
tort and peculiar densencss In some d.
reotionA
While the company was In tho barracks
at Weroestar II was the fashion for the men
to run the guard and get out Qk the lines
through hole In the high board fence,
made by removing the nail at the bottom
of wide board and swinging 1t to one
eide. After the men had got through they
would let tho board swing hack and there
was no sign Of exit. The officers finally
discovered this method Of procedure and
determined to put stop to It. They Sc
lccted az sentry at the crucial point Fla
horty. He had impressed them az man
who would do his duty at whatever cost,
even though 1t meant sticking bayonet
into some ones vitals or boring hole
through him with an ounoe Of lead. They
also elaborated system Of countersigns
which they proposed TO have strictly en-
forced.
II ehanoed that ono night several of tho
men prepared to run tho guard. The pass-
word that night was "Ticonderoga. It
was guarded very carefully, but by some
means the men got hold OF II and planned
ID xoIwo % IN klrn, kotd IN th,
lines. SO party Of four or fvc started to-
ward the point in the line where Flaherty
was on picket. For safety's sake one of
the party started ahead to experiment on
Flaherty with the password, while the rest
staid behind to watch the outcome. II the
advance guard got through all right, the
rest had pretty good assurance of going
through also The soldier approached Fla
herty In the dark and the latter brought
his musket to charge bayonets and shout
ed.
"who be yezr"
"a friend"
"Shure and yez can't get ont o. this
widout do oountersign." The soldier ap-
preached the picket and whispered In his
ear the word "Tioonderoga." "Pbat did
yes sayp' "Ticonderoga, repeated the
guard runner In louder whisper. "That
ain't the worrud, said Pat, and as the SOL
dior made motion to withdraw, he added,
approaching the point of the bayonet q lit
tie closer to his body, "Don't yez move
wan step, or by tho holy mither I'll stick
this inter yez." The soldier knew Pat we'll
enough to know that he would do 1t In o
second II he made motion, and 80 he
stood there passively while Pat yelled,
"Carp'ral of the guard" In q moment or
two the corporal came running up to sec
what was the matter, but he was halted by
Pat, who said, "Give the countersign."
"Ticonderoga," said the corporal, and
started to approach nearer. "HOwld up"
interposed Pat, "yez haven't got it right
ayther, at all, at ALL" In vain the corporal
protested that that was the word that had
been given out. Pat would not let him
move either way, but kept the corporal and
the private standing there with his bayonet
vibrating between them while he shouted
for the sergeant Of the guard. The word
was passed along and finally the sergeant
arrived on the scene. Meanwhile the guard
runners companions began to edge away
to await developments, remaining, how
ever, within earshot.
"What's all this trouble?" demanded tho
sergeant, looking over the group.
"Ticonderoga, replied the sergeant.
"Faith and yez haven't got 1t right,
ayther," said Pat, pointing his bayonet at
the sergeant.
eyes, 1t is, you fool" answered the SER
geant. "That's what all tho pickets have"
at don't make wan bit of difference"
said Pat. "If yez don't give that counter
sign and yez move wan step, I'll put q hole
through yez."
Pat was getting angry by this time and
the protestations and threats Of the ser-
geant and corporal did not move him a
whit Flaherty called this time for the lieu
tenant of the guard. He was by this time
surrounded by q pretty respectable sized
crowd Of puzzled officers, all of whom he
was holding at bay at the point of his
musket. The hubbub soon reached the
ears Of the lieutenant, and he came down
In tearing hurry to see what the trouble
was all about. Pat brought him up short
with his bayonet and demanded the ooun-
tersign, although he knew we'll enough
who the officer was.
"Tioonderoga," said the lieutenant.
"Howly SMOKE" sighed Pat, "he amt
got IL right ayther." And he pondered as
to who he should call out next.
Amt got 1t rightf' said the lieutenant
angrily. "why, you fool, gave it to You
myself"
Sure, thin, yez forgotten 1t" said Pat.
'Ticonderoea' wasn't the worrud yez
gave"
What was It, thenr' asked the lieutcn-
ant, beginning to see the fun.
"Bsdad, IL was 'Wroang kind Of rogu-
cry said Pat, and shout Of laughter
went up from the group he had standing
around him. Flaberty, having recently
como over and not being well up In Amer
ican history, had not heard Of Ticonderoga,
and had mistaken the word, although they
had drilled him carefully, trying to get
him to pronounce IL. Not long aftcrward
the regiment moved to tho south, and
with IL went Flaberty. now rechristened
"wrong kind Of roguery." It stuck to
him all through the war, and he got 90
used TO 10 that he responded to 1t as his
nams.-Springneld Republican.
Barrels.
They really arc the most useful articles
IN the household repertOry Among 60