The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-12-23
PRIVATE GREEN.
DY CHARLES D. LEWIS.

BY CHARLES D. LEWIS.
Ut the 10 recruits who came out to the
Fourth cavalry once upon q time as 1t was
stationed at Fort Bascombe'was Private
James Green, who was assigned to Com
pany b. From the first hour he came
among us we realized that he was of good
birth. we'll educated and that he had en-
listed In order to disappear from the world
for time. There are plenty of such cases,
and they excite no particular interest or
remark. Unless soldier wishes to talk
Of his past he isi seldom questioned by his
comrsdes. II d recruit Ia set down as a
gentleman, the inference Is that family
troubles or some wild adventure was the
cause Of his enlistment, and the matter is
never referred to unless he makes an enc
my among his comrades. 1t was the mis-
fortune of Company B to have q captain
who was hated by his men and not we'll
liked by the officers Of the regiment But
for the fact that he was blood relation Of
the colonel's his position would have been
made SO uncomfortable in one way and
another that he would have been forced to
resign. He not only drank too much to
keep his dignity and maintain the respect
due an officer, but was fault finding and
tyrannical, and was given to meddling
with petty affairs which were none Of his
business. Captain Bowers excuse for
''getting down. on Private Green was
that the recruit was impudent and AFRO
CANT When this was sifted DOWN. 10 was
found that he had questioned the soldier
regarding his past life and the reasons
~ L. 80, Is.A
curiosity had been by no means satisfied.
He may have been little stiff in his re-
fusAl as was his right under the circum-
stances, but his refusal to unbosom him
self made tho captain his enemy, and for
months he was prosecuted man. Few
officers descend from their pedestal to
"nag'' an enlisted man, but Captain Bow
ers did it to his own shame and to the
scandal Of tho post. That he was an enc
my Of Private Green made all the sergeants
and corporals down on the man, and as n
consequence he put in more days in the
guardhouse than in his barraok. 1t was
the general belief that the recruit was try
ing his best and that he was by no means
given affair show. Captain Bowers knew
that this was the feeling, but that only
made him the more persistent in his
course.
After three or four months something
happened which should have made the
captain change his programme and feel
that he owed Private Green debt Of
gratitude Companies B and d were
scouting along tho eastern edge Of the
Great Staked plains Of Texas in search Of
Indians, with whom we were then at war.
At noon ono day the two companies sep
arated to beat up both sides of ridge,
and after mile or SO tho B men were
suddenly charged by about 100 Indians
who had been concealed by a fringe Of
bushes. The troopers wero taken by sur
prise, but made good fight of it Ind
after ten minutes beat off their assailants
In their FIRST rush the Indians surrounded
Captain Bowers, who was few yards
ahead Of his company, and they sought to
make him captive instead Of killing him.
But for tho action Of Private Green, who
dashed forward to the help Of his officer
while oil others wero confused for the mo.
ment, the captain would have been taken
1t went down in tho military reports that
tho now man killed three redskins with
his own hand, and all bis comrades de.
clared that no saved the leader of the
troop For tho next two or three weeks
there was cessation Of the nagging, but
the fact that no owed his life to the man
ho had prosecuted ranked in tho captains
breast and after awhile some excuse was
found for sending Private Green to the
guardhouse In disgrace The man made
up his mind that no was being bounded
and that life would DO mado miserable,
and he decided to desert It is probable
that the sentry on duty at midnight wink
cd ut the escape from the guardhOuse, but
it was unfortunate for Private Green that
he should meet his captain face to face be-
foro he was clear Of tho grounds. So it
came about, and Captain Bowers seized
him and sought to detain him. In the
struggle llo was knocked down and render.
cd unconscious for time, and next morn
ing tho chase after the deserter was taken
up and pushed with great energy. Tho
country was secured for days and days,
but Private Green had disappeared like
shadow.
A month after the assault and desertion
Company b was ordered out alone for
scout over tho same ground as before.
with orders to pick up the trail of any
small war party and follow it upvigor-
straight out upon the sandy DESERT butiit
had not been followed above two miles
when the troopers ran upon u largo force
of Indians in ambush behind ridge of |
sand and were badly cut up and scattered.
Captain Bowers horse was wounded at
the first volley, and mad with pain and
fright dashed off to tho west and could |
not be checked. Tho troop broke up un- |!
der the fire Of the Indians, and after suf- |
fering heavy loss made back to the fort |
in a state Of panic, closely followed by tho
exultant yictors.
After mad rush of seven or eight miles
the captains horse fell exhausted and soon
died. The officer knew that his command
had been routed and that ho was cut off
from 1t. That tho Indians did not pursue
him was probably because of their desire
to annihilate tho company by following
swiftly or its heels He had ridden be.
yond their kon and the strong wind had
already covered his trail in the sand, but
the fort was IL miles distant, and he was
on foot and cut off from it. He had lost
his saber, but still retained his revolver,
and was seated on the dead body of his
horse and planning what move he should
make when a. trooper suddenly appeared
beside him.
"Youp Is 1t you, Greena" exclaimed
Captain Bowers as no sprang to his feet.
The other stood with folded arms and
made ITO reply. TWAS Private Green, the
deserter Of a month ago. His uniform
was torn and stained, and the man had
haggard, wolflsh look He had not been
hiding among the hills, where the soldiers
L. |
sand ridges, where his only living COM
panions were serpents and lizards. He
had been driven there by the persecution