Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-09-16

SuAlS AOL COAIluS 10 TIE war. money
was flush. The officer In command
was a Frenchman. and as / afterward
learned had made gallant record in
his regiment. which was from Ohio.
There was gambling in nearly every
tent in the camp. One evening the cap
tain came to me and said: I am SOL
der. When give orders like to have
them obeyed promptly. just as soldiers
should obey orders. To-nigh: I show
you something. First you sit down and
write an order directing that lights be
out In every tent the minute taps are
sounded
''The order was made out and issued.
At . O'Clock, when taps sounded, he
touched me on the shoulder and asked:
Can you Keep your mouth shut?'
81 guess so; I'm willing to try
That will not answer the purpose
will you keep your mouth shut:'
II was kid private, he fierce
French officer, and l said: Yes, sir, l
will
well, you say nothing about what
you see and hear tonight Come with
me"
I'VE went down one street and up
another to see if the order for lights
out was being obeyed. Away off in a
corner of the camp we saw tent in
which there was dim light. We
started in that direction. Suddenly the
lights went out. we stand STILL the
captain said, that means nothing.
They will light up again pretty soon"
1--WE had not long to wait. The lights
We're burning again in a few minutes.
Now, show you something said
the captain.
''Stealthily approaching the tent, he
threw back the flaps, we walked in,
and there before us was number of
men sitting on the ground, with an oil
cloth in front Of them, upon which
there was a large pile of greenbacks.
Apparently they Were just ready to see
who would take possession of a jack
pot
THE captain walked up to them,
reached over the shoulder of a man and
gathered up the big wad Of money,
SAo"uVu ~ ANU LIS poSAClS anu Ill Il
savage tone said: Gentlemen, did you
get the order to extinguish lights when
taps sounded"
"One Of them said: Yes. sir
"'See that you obey that order here
after
Then we coolly walked out and
passed along the street until we saw
another light. At that tent we went
through the same ceremony, with like
results, except that the Doodle in the
second was much larger than that In
the first. This will do for tonight,
said the Frenchman, as we went to his
quarters. asked him how much
money he had captured.
"'Oh, don't know; we will count It.
"There was something over $500.
asked him what he was going to do
with it.
"Oh, we give this to the Christian
commission
I'VE went through the camp every
night for some time and got rich hauls
ut each tent visited so the captain
must have gathered in several thou
sand dollars. was anxious to know
what disposition was to be made Of the
money. Though a private, l realized
of my anxiety.
"'Oh,' he said, that's all right. We
won't bother the Christian commission
until we get a large amount to turn
over
1--WE never got a sufficiently large
amouES TO turn over; at least, none was
turned Own.
''There was at that time an actress
Lottie Holland, playing an engagement
in Chattanooga theater, and the cap
tain became very much interested ir
her. Two or three days after l haG
been ordered to General Thomas head
quarters for service saw notice in q
Chattanooga paper that a well-knowI
officer Of a certain Ohio regiment. who
had been holding an important com
mand, had presented the actress, Lot
tie Holland, with cluster Of diamonds
l have always thought that the captalr
mistook Actress Holland for the Chris
tan commission.
mot long after that the captain wa.
returned to his regiment, and the mex,
time I saw him was at Nashville, soor
after the battle in which Thomas de
Seated Hood. He was out at the ell
bows, had no money, was hungry an(
thirsty. I didn't have any clothes t.
give him. nor any money, but / divided
my rations with him.
1.-THE next time heard from him wal
In 1883. He wrote me from Dayton, o
He was an inmate Of the Soldiers
Home. / replied to his letter, but 60
no answer. A year or two later
wrote the commandant about him ant
he informed me that the captain hat
died Of consumption In 1683."-J. A
Watrous In Chicago Times-Herald.
Gen. Sherman just After 1ull 1uu
1.-The first battle Of Bull Run. liks