The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-08-03
Army Horse Under Fire.

We had in our company young |
German named Schultz. His horse
was his especial pride Sometimes
Schultz went 70 sleep without ratioDs,
but his horse never. No matter how /
scarce or how hard it was to get forage, |
the young Germans horse always had |
an evening feed, a thorough rubbing |
down, loving pat, and goodnight,
Frank" in two languages broken
English aud German. Many a time
have / seen Schultz skirnlish for q i
lunch for his horse when we halted to |
make coffee instead of preparing his
own lunch. While the rest of US stay |
ed in our tents and read or played cards |
Schultz would keep Franks company !
for hours, sometimes talking German |
to him and sometimes English. Some
Of our horses showed lack of care
Sehullz's was always in good order; in
camp he gIistened like new plug hat,
and seemed as fond OF his master as
his master of him. When the Atlanta
campaign opened, in May, 1864, there
was not prouder soldier or a prettier
horse than Schultz and Frank in the
First.
Our first fight of note in that cam
paign was at VarnelFs station, May 0.
Somebody-never mind who-made a
mess of it. Our little brigade, the
Second Of the First Cavalry division,
consisting Of the Second and Fourth
Indiana aud the First Wisconsin, COM
manded By Col. o. III. LaGrange, was
thrown against Gen. Joe Wheeler's
entire command, and we fought it all
day. We started TO charge but
were halted in a piece of woods
and ordered to fight on foot We
were already under the fire and in
considerable confusion, and only a por-
ton Of the command heard the order,
so il happened that some Of Us fought
as cavalry and some as infantry.
Schultz remained mounted and did
heroic service. Early in the fight his
pet was shot. AS the animal made but
little fuss over it and steadied down
quickly his rider thought it was only
a slight wound and remained in battle
all day, having travelled many miles in
the performance of important and
dangerous tasks, the wonderful animal
seeming to enter into the spirit Of the
work as completely as his master.
That night at . o'clock the brigade
eamped.
The moment Frank was unsaddled
he Law down. Schultz thought it was
because the horse like himself was
tired, and after patting him and telling
him in both languages what splendid
fellow he had been that day, and thank
ing him for carrying him safely through
one Of the hottest battles, he busted
himself with supper getting. In the
forage bag were several extra ears of
corn. After his own repast Of black
coffee, crackers and uneOoked white
pork, such a banquet as many sol
dier has been more thankful for than
he was for the feast of Thanksgiving,
schultz shelled the corn and took it to
Frank. The horse did not welcome
him as usual, did not rest his head on
his masters shoulder and look, If he
did not speak, thanks for such a master.
He didn't hear ShultZ announce IN
German that he was coming with a
double ration. Frank was dead and
stiff. ming, showing that soon after
living down his life had departed
When Schultz realized that his pei
was dead he threw the corn down
dropped by the side Of the animal
tenderIy laid one hand on his neck and
with the other gently rubbed his head,
as he had done many times before, and
sobbed like child. In talking about
: his loss the next day he said: "My
poor Frank couldn't tell me he wa
badly hurt aud ask to go to the hos
pitaI, as would have done had l beeE
: Shot. He carried me all day as il h'
thought it was his duty, and tina
things would go wrong II he didn'
and when the battle was over and
was getting supper be lay down an'
died.
THAT horse was better soldier thar
am-than any man in the regiment
Not one Of US would have fought al
day with such a hurt as that Noon
would have expected it Of US, yet | ex
peeted it Of Frank, and he did not fai
me - With this 0utburst the poor fel
low broke down again, and none Of hi
comrades made light of the younI
Germans sorrow. They knew It wa
sincere. James F. Lyon, in Chieag
Times Herald.