San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-11-21
SeIgeIlI PIAIs' G0IeeT
Has Had A Very Interesting And
Romantic Life.
The First Sergeant Of The Fifth
Cavalry Band ReciteS His His
tOry-NewS Of The Post


have had remarkably interesting car
GERS, which, if told, would make first
class novels, even of the five cent yell
low back variety.
OF this class is First Sergeant Gus
tav Paulus, of the Fifth cavalry band
of this post Several days ago, in con-
versation with a Light reporter and
several others Sergeant Paulus relat-
ed a partial history of his very varied
romantic it is deemed worthy of pub
lication. Said he:
II was bornin Rhine, Bavaria, De-
eember II, 1851 My father was what
you would call city collector in this
country and was comparati-
vely well to do. He sent
me to school and offered me
all the pleasures desired, with the ex-
ception of music, of which was very
fond He would not have that taught
to me. l was of rowing disposition and
in 1868 at the age of II l decided that
l would like to come to America and
live with my, uncle in Philadelphia.
Accordingly my father agreed and paid
my passage over.
when 1 arrived in this country the
presidential campaign between Grant
and Seymour was on, it then being in
the month of September, 1867. The
speechmaking, torchlight professions
oil tro tiopS
something new and novel to me, and
/ was simply enthusiastic with the
charms of this country.
Il went to live with my uncle in Phil
adelphia, where 1 stayed a year, but
l became dissatisfied with his treat
ment which was not the kindest, and
tramped it to Baltimore, passing
through Washington. In Baltimore 1
sought employment, but could not find
any. l tramped the streets three
weeks, sleeping in dry goods boxes and
wagons at night with the thermometer
at twenty degrees below zero, subsist-
ing on a loaf of bread brought me ev-
cry night by a kind friend. l accept
ed job on an oyster boat and went
out on the Baltimore bay to dredge for
oysters. The captain was a hurley
Irishman and grew to dislike me as
soon as 1 went aboard and you can bet
he made matters as extremely colloric
for me during the trip as was possible
for him to do. He promised me my
board and six dollars for months
work, but when we returned to Balti-
more 1 was so glad to get ashore that
l never once inquired about the six
dollars.
Leaving Baltimore 1 tramped it
down to Prince Williams county, South
Carolina, where / went to work for a
German farmer named c.. A. HEM
ger. l worked a year and in July,
1870, went back to Baltimore, where by
some earnest talk, / succeeded in get
ting the captain of North German
Lloyd steamer to allow me to work my
way back to Germany. He sent me
below to the cook, where l payed my
passageway by peeling potatoes and
doing other such work.
when we left port the Franco
Prussion war was brewing and we
touched at Queenstown on our way
out to get the latest tidings. There we
learned that war had been formally de-
clared. Then instead of making for
a German port we altered our course
and touched at Southampton. There
all naturalized Germans eligible for
war service were turned over to the
authorities.
Il went ashore and applied to the
German consul and asked him to send
me home, as l wanted to fight for
Prussia. He told me that 1 was too
young and that I would have to go to
the consul general in London. l start
ed out on foot and tramped the entire
distance in two days, begging my food
and sleeping in poor houses at night.
Once arrived there 1 sought him out
and he took pity on me and gave me
passport. and a railroad ticket to Rot
terdam. He also gave me a note to
the consul saying that l could be ac-
cepted in the army, as l was large
enough, though l was only nineteen
years of age.
Il accompanied several other re-
cruits and we were received we'll by the
German consul at Rotterdam, who
gave us new tickets and passports,
sending us on home. I arrived home
on July 26, 1870, enlisted in the service
in the army to fight the French, July
20 and went to the field on the 30.
ION August the battle of Weisen-
berg and Woerth was fought and 1
was in the thickest of it. When we
first began to fight felt like / would
rather run than anything else, but
that soon wore off and / enjoyed il
more than anything else.
Il participated in several minor bat
ties during the month and on Septem-
Der was in the battle of Sedan where
Napoleon was captured with $4,000
men. After that, in the fall, the next
big battle 1 participated in was that of
New Orleans. / was then with the
army which surrounded Paris and was
with it on its triumphal entry in that
city in January 1871, under Emperor
Wilhelm Ill We were kept there eigh-
teen months, after which peace terms
were arranged and we were sent to
Metz, where we were mustered out of
the regular army into the reserve
force.
Leaving the din Of war behind I
Travelled about over Germany seeing
a. country then intO Austria Hum