The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-08-06
FATAL UNIFORM.
COLONEL SEXTON TELLS HOW IT
CHANGED HIS LIFE.

The only bad feature OF this thing
Of addressing the school children. /" said
Colonel James A. Sexton. the former
postmaster. lis the fact that they al
WAYS want me to wear my reRimentals.
It's a thing ! haven't the courage to do
except when I'm among u uniformed
body of men.
my aversion to wearing a uniform
about in public dates from my boyhood
days. Upon that aversion IL based an
early incident that may have had a
good deal to do with the course of my
subsequent life.
Il enlisted as q private at the outbreak
Of the war. being then a boy Of III;
rather mature looking, however. for
those years. Like all boys of hat age.
! was Of = romantic turn. but exceed
ingly bashful in the presence Of ome
The one woman in whose presence l was
especially shy was a dear girl whom I
used to see home from prayer meeting.
mo parting in all that time Of part
ing was more affecting than was ours
when my regiment started for the front.
When, a year later. l was sent back to
Chicago TO recover from . wound In the
jaw. ! found myself a. dear 10 her rs
ever. and she AZ dear to me, IL goes
without saying. ! was in the hospital
ut Camp Douglas. My wound healed
rapidly. I was allowed to 60 about the
city very much as l chose, and prayer
meetings. with their escort privileges,
claimed q great part Of my attention.
About that time the Y. NJ. G. A.
was organizing q regiment, to be COM
posed exclusively of men who professed
religion. The scheme naturally attract
ed a great deal of attention. The papers
were full Of il. / was selected 10 cap
tain u Of the new regiments compa-
MES. Protest against the selection was
made on account of my age-then just
Is. The matter was carried up to the
adjutant general Of the state. who final
ly decided in my favor. Ny age. the
singular character Of the case and the
popularity Of the regiment caused such
an amount Of newspaper gossip that 1t
seemed as though everybody must have
heard Of the matter ut least. All this
time ! never wore 1py uniform outside
Of camp. Tho dear girl. therefore. new
or saw me except in citizens clothes.
Its an outrage she said just after
We met . very youthful looking man in
captains uniform on one of our walks,
that such young men are trusted with
the responsibilities of command. Idon't
know what the country is coming to-
For u moment l was overcome by
the shock. When I recovered my breath,
I told her that youth did not necessarily
debar q man from possession Of the
qualities Of q commander. She declined
to be convinced, and the conversation
became decidedly chilly. Instead Of
making my customary call when We
reached her house. l stopped at the front
gate.
Laura I said, 4 must tell you
goodby. Ny regiment has orders to
leave for the front tomorrow. 1t may
be that we never shall see each other
again
But we did. All fashionable Chicago
came to Camp Douglas the next day to
see the fral dress parade of the much
talked Of Y. N. G. A. regiment, and ]
could see the dear girl among the crowd.
Ny new captains uniform gave me a
good deal Of satisfaction just ut that
time, I can tell you. The colonel Of the
regiment had asked me, on account OF
the power cf my voice, to act as adju.
taut for the occasion. That furnished
additional qualification. The parade had
the magnificent splendor that only
dress parade can have, and the solemnity
Of this occasion was vastly increased BY
the reflection. not TO be dismissed, tina,
many Of those among regiment and spec
tAtors were seeing each other for the
last time ON earth. The band played Al
though speaking our last farewell Il
/, orr friends. Every one ! am sure. wal
|, deeply impressed. It was at this time
that the dear girl had her first and last
view Of me in my captains uniform.
. "'Ofacers TO the front and center
March, I ordered, with all the dignity
III could assume. As they reached thu
center they saluted me.
Sir. the parade is formed. l said
saluting the colonel.
1.-THE colonel returned a. grave q "a
; lutte ~ he had received and put the reg
iment through the manual Of arms
Meantime I marched a few PAGES be
hind him. turned squarely and took pc
sition almost within arms length q
the dexr girl. There I stood ut parade
rest, with my tack to her, until th'
regiment wheeled into column to march
on the field. AZ that juncture I tool
command Of my company and wen
, with IL aboard an Illinois Central train
Between the dear girl and myself ther,
passed. NO word.
"A few months passed and I received
slight wound. The circumstance wa
mentioned in the Chicago papers. Then
for the 6rst time after my departur,
from Chicago. the dear girl wrote me
letter. II was a beautiful epistle. full
of regret for our Misunderstanding
hopes that my wound would not prov,
serious, assurance that she never ooult
have doubted my ability and request
for forgiveness for her mistake. I an
! swered IL, and harmony was restored.
D "At the close Of the war NJ ono