Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1897-02-04
AN ARMY STORY.

Wilson joined tho battery at Fort Candy
q little while before the territory of Wash
ington became state. He had enlisted
at Seattle as recruit and was therefore
classed as "prairie chicken as soldiers
then were who took on anywhere west
of the Mississippi. We all had a good
many reasons for believing, however, that
Wilson was not quito so much of a recruit
as his Seattle enlistment record showed on
its face. None of us could remember hav-
ing soldiered with him anywhere, and his
face was unfamiliar to all. Nevertheless,
from the day he arrived at Candy in charge
of the Seattle batch of recruits-of which.
according to the list he handed to the otfi-
Ger of the day, he was one-he carried him
self too much like soldier to fool those OF
US who had been in the outfit long time.
Old Sergeant Fisher took the recruits
out to the parade ground the morning
after their arrival to begin to lick them
into shape in the awkward squad. Wilson
was among them He tried hard to assume
the recruit clumsiness, but we could see
that the job was II little too much for him.
He WAS too naturally graceful man in
his carriage for that and his shoulders
were too square. At the command of eX
eeution he forgot himself every time and
stepped out with the left foot A recruit
never docs that. 1t takes at least six
months to teach recruit that he is pos
sessed Of lett foot. Old Fisher gave 10
the rear, marchH' suddenly, and it caught
Wilson MAPPING. Alone Of the squad, he
whirled on tic ball of his left foot and
took step rcarward, while the rest of the
squad ignorautly Ilowed on. 1t was
bad give away, ard Wilson's dark, hand
some face hus!cd. Old Fishers eye was
sharp, il ho lad been cauteen sergeant for
six years.
"IIalt!" lie commanded the squad of re-
cruits, and, in their own time, one by one,
they halted. Wilson, fail out" Wilson
fell out and for Il time stood by watching
old Fisher drill tho rockies in the facings.
After while the sergeant, having brought
the squad to "a rest walked over to Wilson,
looked him over for a minute with a sort
of half smile, and said, whats the use?'
''None," said Wilson, probably seeing
that tie game was up So far as old Fisher
was concerned.
All the same, not to mako tho officers
suspicious, the drill sergeant took Wilson
out with the awkward squad every day for
IA time. 1t was Il fEe thing to see Wilson
handle his rife when the guns were dished
out to the rockies fer the first time. A
young lieutenant, fresh from West Point,
happened to GlCp Into the dayroom, and
he stopped for Jaw HIie to watch the new
nen trying to get through the manual.
His eye naturally drifted to Wilson, who
would have attracted attention in me mid
die rank Of regiment, for he certainly
was fine looking chap. Wilson was try
ing to handle his gun as II he had never
seen one before. We couldn't help but grin
Enthusiastically as we stood around, although
we wero careful not to let the little West
Point shave tail see us do it, for we all
liked Wilson and Didn't want to see him
get into any trouble. Wilson tried so hard
to make it appear that he didn even know
what rifle was made for that he dropped
it while the squad was standing at rifle
parade rest. 1t made the devils own clat-
ter, and the l:ttle lieutenant seyes snapped.
"Gawkr' lie n.uttered, while Wilson,
red and ncrN uus, reached out and picked
up the gun.
"Attentionr' shouted the drill sergeant.
Wilson alone of the batch was like Il ram
rod before the echoes OF the command died
away in the dayrOom
hight shuulder-humsr Wilson's gun
came to his shoulder with II snap, the three
movements lerfoct, while the other fell
lows of the squad were sluggishly coming
to u port, Il present, carry, everything
but right 81 oulder.
"Fix-bay -o-nctsn' Wilson's was fixed
with the Iapidity and precision of an
pert.
"Welll' said the little lieutenant under
his breath, as he turned away with a kind
of puzzled twinkle in his eye
Wilson was put to duty the next day and
caught commanding officers orderly the
first time he went on guard. All of us
who occupied hunks in the old timers
squad room had to confess that Wilson was
as fine il soldier as we had ever seen.
None of US ever asked him what outfit
he had been in before he came to our lay
out as IL recruit Wilson was Il very quiet
man, well educatcd-we used to see him
reading queer looking books in foreign
languages, as he lay on his bunk on rainy
afte1noons-and we didu care to bother
him with questions. 1t was none of our
blasted business, anyhow. A young wheip
of Il rookie was watching Wilson daddyack
his cartridge belt one day, and, like the
pup that he was, he said that the other
fellows in the room could hear him:
soho, but hasn't Wilson done that a
lot of times before, d just like to known
One of US reached over caught the cub
by the scrutf OF the neck and dropped him
over the banisters of the double decker
quarters Wilson said nothing, although
there was an odd sort of CLEAN in his black
eyes There were no illusions to his past
after that you can bet.
Fort Candy is a teautiful, gloomy post.
1t is ut the mouth of the Columbia river,
under the shadow of the mountain that
forms the extremity of Cape Disappoiut-
ment. Oh, hut the Pacific EATERS wildly,
wildly at those black rocksl In the quar-
tiers we could always bear the roar of the
sea. Tie sound used to break some of US
up little, kind of, at night, after the
lights Went out. l don't know why. The
sea is ut urliul anyhow, think. a hun
dred salmon fishermen from A astoria and
u Waco got upset and drowned ON that
wicked luiuu.uIa bar while we were there.