Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1898-01-12
PRIVATE LAUFER.


except to the regiment in general,
$3.50 recrui 3 to the Tenth svalry.
for instanc'.
Then the colonel, q stiff old West
Pointer, II m the general list a,sgn' q
to ,ach t. oop the number required to
fill up the gaps the last campaign h'd
eft. We wers all anding around the
porch as Church. our adjutant. called
off the names of the men for each troop,
A, B, G, D.
Az each mans name was called he
stepped one pace to the front and SIDE
step to the right, 30 that they would
form separate squad when the list
was completed When my troop. j,
was reached, naturally had q general
interest in what manner Of men might
fal to my lot, but confess l was not
so absorbed as would have been II L
| wa, receiving 20 horses instead OF re-
cruits.
However, I was short Of good timber
lust tht n and was struck by the ap-
pearance of the man who stepped out
as Church called "George Laufer." His
crisp, distinct "Here" in reply to his
name made me think that it was his
own and name he was proud OF. 'Ihe
vast majority of emitted mems names
in tho army, ike those in the pen,ten-
tiary. are fictitious and run from Chris
tan Scripture to George Washington
with only one rule seeming to govern
their selection-the better the name
1.-The worse the man. Christian Scrip
| ture was the worst soldier, drunk or
Iso1er, / ever knew,
Laufsr, however, had every mark o.
. well bred man about him, was OF an
average heighth, was light strong
frame, weighing 165 or ITO pounds
Young. with brown eyes and hair, sma
dark mus ache, clean, well grcomed
face and a complexion that dissipation
would have ruined in o k, but
which was now clear aud healthy.
My sergeant took the squad and
marched them down to the troop quar-
ter., whersl with my ieutenants, ]
inspected them, listening to the stories
of all the rest-the same old story !
had heard II thousand men tell and vary
only in detail--as to VIII re they lived
whether they were married. why they
had enlisted, etc. Laufer promptly
told me all rat it was reasonable
should know and rs promptly showed
his manhood when any Irrelevant ques'
ton was propounded by declining t(
. answer.
was satisfied that he had told thu
truth and that had luckily picked W
a Jewel of a man. 1 made up my mlut
that should he fulfill my first impress
8 on dur ing his "setting up" and grad
uation from recruit to private he shoul'
be a corpo al at e. one or two tours o
guard duty.
The colonel frequently came aroun'
from one troop to another during tn
, ceremony of stables. Morning an'
evening a cayalryman's horse is thor
t oughly groomel, fed and watered
each private and corporal grooming tn
Q horse he rides, the extra horses heinz
taken care Of by the recruits or by tn
stable guard whIn there were no re
cruits.
That afternoon l was right glad t
walk down with the "old man" as W
called our colonel. He was harsh on
and swift in his punishments, yet 10
slow in his rewards-just, but col
bloc ed md almost unmtrcitul, O ma
in many ways cordially hated by us al
ret in many more ways idol'zed b
every one who knew him. We turne
into many troop stables, and to my u
f ter astonishmsnt l found my STAB
, sergeant standing with Recruit Laufe
s ready for my orders to put him IN IL
e Suardhouse.
k Dressed now in his white stab
frock and trousers, he locke typic
cavalryman, but there was that In b
ID face-not defiance, rather determin
s: rion-pla My showing that he hi
st m d. his decision.
S. Whats the matter, Sergeant Car
in yell," asked the colonel.
e, "Recruit Laufer refused to groo
f. his horse, sir, reported Carswell, WI
es his hand at the visor of his C p.
ok RI fuses to groom his horse, eh
Id tho on onel asked. with that twang
his voice which every soul from /
kid bugler to the leutenant-color
n knew meant mischief. Then, turni1
n to Laufer, in manner to make $50
We nerves culver, be asked;
"Why won't you groom you horse
Because am no groom, sir, a
is because such was not explained to
at as : art of my duties when l enliste'
said Laufer, SO uting, but STEADY a
ve eran.
:" "lhe-you say" roared the old mi
u now m d beyond all hope ct calmli
asergsqntl Sergeant (arswell )
geant!' he yelled.
"Y.s, sir" sa d the sergeant, W
had st pped ASIDE to ] ok after
other recruits.
sergeant CarswelI, have the 81
dl.r make halter for this man,
him lid in this vacant stall when it's
him feed him in the trough, lead b
out to water and bed him with str
until further orders.