Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-11-24
bank, looking for a place where the
water was not so high

followers plunged into the river, swan
to the opposite bank, secured the ca
noes, rowed back across for all of the
rest of the command, save just enough
to guard the horses, and went on up
stream. Reaching the mouth of the
Coosa and rowing upstream a little
way, Major Weston sighted the trans
port in a little bayou only short dis
lance ahead.
Pulling to the shore and Bleaching the
canoes, Major Weston began making
signals which might catch the attention
of some one on board the transport.
Presently he had the pleasure of seeing
a gig push off from the transport and
come toward shore. When the gig ran
up on the beach, who should step out OF
it but the captain Of the rebel supply
boat
what do you want with me?" asked
the captain.
"And who may you be?'' asked Major
Weston.
Il am the captain of the transport out
there" was the reply.
''Ah, then you are just the man l
wanted to see,'' said Major Weston. Il
am the major commanding the advance
guard of Gen. Wilson's cavalry, which
will be along here in a few minutes
several thousand strong, and to save
you and unpleasantness l would ask
you to surrender yourself and your
transport"
The captain thought the matter over
for a while, noted the determined eX-
preston on Major Weston's face, and
concluded to oblige him. Leaving the
captain under guard with two Of his
men, Major Weston and the rest of his
command got into the captains gig and
one of the canoes and rowed out to the
transport, where Major Weston told the
officer in charge that his captain had
surrendered and that he had come to
take possession of the boat.
The transport was promptly turned
over, was taken down the river to Mont
gomery, and there was destroyed. For
the success and daring of this under
taking Congress awarded to Lieut.. Col.
Weston a medal of honor.
''For which," said the lieutenant col
onel the other day, Il am very CRATE
full. But had not succeeded l would
have been promptly contaminated
and probably cashiered from the army
for practically abandoning every
blooming horse and all my equipments.
SO far as l know, this is the only in
stance during the civil war of a cavalry
command capturing a rebel ship."-Chi-
cago Inter Ocean.
The Craze for Relics.
"a good many of the boys upon their
return from Cuba,' said the colonel,
had the same passion for relics as we
had in the old time. / remember par
ticularly aggravated case at Fort Don
elson. After the battle the boys were
in a craze for relics, and they gathered
up stacks of old bayonets, belt plates,
revolvers, swords, bullets, and even
cannon balls. One captain, who lived
at Fort Defiance, Ohio, had about three
bushels of relics stored in his tent
when we We're ordered to move. He
threw most of them away, but he kept
handsomely ornamented artillery
sack, which he decided to use as hav-
ersack. The morning on which we
were to march he had taken great pains
to supply this new haversack with eat
ables. He had a teacup of butter, a
bottle of pickles, some cold chicken,
box of condensed milk, and hardtack,
and gingerbread. He left the well-fi1l-
ed haversack hanging on the gun
stack, while he went to look after some
company business, and one of the boys,
while he was absent, dropped Il six
pound cannon ball in it.
''This went in, Of course, without ref
erence to the butter or gingerbread OF
the condensed milk. When the cap
tain returned he swung his haversack
over his shoulder. He was surprised
to find it so heavy, but he made no in
yestigation, and submitted no remarks.
The boys could see that it wore on him
during the day. He changed it from
one shoulder to the other, and finally
carried it under his arm. When the
SlUppeu lOI tut uOOAudJ 1ucdA
the captain, with his mouth watering,
sat himself on stump to enjoy his
well-ordered dinner. When he opened
his haversack, or artillery sack, he
was amazed The cannon ball i'll go
ing in had crushed the butter cup and
uncovered the condensed milk, and but
ter and condensed milk were smeared
over all the other articles in the haycr
sack. The captain caught sight of the
cannon ball, and, swearing and griey-
ing, threw it as far as he could into
the woods. After his dinner, however,
he thought better Of it, went out into
the woods and hunted up the cannon
ball, and swore that as he had carried
it so far he would carry it through.
When last saw him he was using it as
paper weight" Chicago Inter Ocean.