The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-11-11

the paurleneld that he had to resign to
keep from being kicked out. And there
was big feast in honor of his depar
ture. Ofcourse it was supposed to have
been got up as token OF his under
officers regard for him. After we had
finished eating-it was in the lieuteu-
ant colonel's tent-and the whisky and
wine and cigars were on the speech
making began. The colonel nafie lit
tie talk, saying how sorry lie was to
leave us, and all that sort Of thing.
Then the lieutenant colonel and the two
MAJORS made a little speech. They all
saia so.uething about the colonel being
suca u fine man and officer and how
sorry they were to see him leave-eyery
bit a id lie. +"
The judge stopped and laughed. His
laugh wasn't loud, and one could not
get the full benefit of it unless one saw
him. His whole body shook with the
amusement Of it, and his features took
on such comical expression that it
made one laugh just to see him.
Then he continued, "they called
on me for a speech. didn't want to
respond and told them SO. They would
not rest. and finally told them l had
never made an after dinner speech or
departure speech in my life and didn't
know whether or not could make one,
but that if did get up I'd say some
things l thought, and didn't care
about doing that. But they wouldn't
hear Of it, SO got rp.''
| The judge stopped again, shut up his
knife and took the remains of his stick
in his right hand, holding it on level
with his shoulder.
81 began, told them how long 1 had
known the colonel and what kind of a
man used to think he was before he
got his commission as colonel of our
regiment. And then started in. Gen
tlemen, said, If had known this
man was going to have command of my
regiment I'd enlisted as raw private
in another one. He's got no more bust
ness being in command Of men than a
yellow cur dog. There's not man in
the army would rather see kicked out
than our colonel. He's the most ornary
man, officer OF private in the whole
army, and it would have been bless
ing to every mothers son of us if he'd
been killed before we left camp
"Well, boys, kept up this lick for
about 80 minutes. When 1 began to
talk, the faces Of all the company were
just normal-what faces of men ought
to be whom they've had good dinner
and are drinking good liquor and have
not had anything to rufhe their tenn
pers. But when began to launch forth
against the colonel the faces changed
knew there WASH t more than one or two
men there who didn't feel just as
did. But the colonel-hu, hui It was
the funniest thing every saw. He got
red, then white, then red again, and
kept on changing color this way until
got through my talk. 1 spoke pretty
loud, too, let me tell you, and it WASH t
long before every man in the regiment
who could was around the tent listen
ing, and everybody in the regiment
knew was blowing up the colonel. y
The judge stopped and laughed again.
There warn't any more speeches
after got through, because the love
feast seemed to break up by mutual
agreement. Soon as stopped saluted,
got my hat and went out. The boys
met me at the door Of the tent, hoisted
me up on their shoulders and carried
me round the whole camp, shouting
and yelling like Sioux Indians. Our
next colonel was good man, and we
never had much more trouble, except
once or twice with our brigade COM
mander."
'Did you ever see the colonel after
that, judge?" Henry asked.
eyes, saw him when came back
home, but we warn't very friendly,
and pretty soon he moved farther west.
When came out to Omaha, / ran up
against him again. He was one of the
big guns of the place, wealthy and re.
spected, and was good man; seemed
to have reformed. He met me down
town one day and asked me to come up
to his Office with him. When we got
there, he shut the door, turned around
and held out his hand to me saving:
Judge, want to thank you for that
speech you made back in 1862 when I
was leaving the army. It was the first
time anybody ever spoke SO plainly to
me. 1t hurt then, but it did me more
good than anything that ever happened
to me. want to thank you for making
a decent and respectable man out Of q
contemplate cur who called himself a
gentleman