Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1898-09-16
HOT BLOOD In CAMP.
ARMY ouARRELs THAT ALMOST END
ED IN TRAGEDIES.


In His Heart-A Fiery Lieutenant Cole
mel Who Wanted to XIII His superiO
OAicer-A Peaoen,akInx AdIutant.
"seuios Ill our own cahhps out
side OF battles, were more common thai
the public knows, y said distinguishe,
soldier.
THE shooting of Major General Mel
son nj Louisville nv Rr;godiar f,anaro
.JefF O. Davis hocors. Naisor l., a. J
on,or hoa oaI,aa n, '
20, ,'"e ''i'"s
""iu ''o0' IN 'no VI 'no 10" Vhac Cant
!" INC surface you wouldn't think i
propapiy' put myself was once 30 clos
to a tragedy that 1t makes my gray hail
rise up rs | recall it.
while number of officers Of the
regiment were in the majors tent said
something that u captain took excep
lions to, and a war of words followed.
When he pumped out, You are Il liar I
struck out with my right and rot him
to bleeding. He came back at me like d
tiger cat We olinched and for three OF
four minutes had it hot and sharp; then
the others separated us. He made ali
sorts Of threats. was adiutant He
ranked me. and 1 confess that for n tine
did fear he would make me trouble In
the way of court MARTIAL but tho mnt.
ter seemed 70 blow over
Zone fall afternoon the oantain ipvit.
ed me TO take n walk with him Think.
inn that our troubles Ind comnlatoly
healed. I oopsonted On tbo wnv bacI
To oamu we nassed thropOb an orchard
| climbed tree to get come nnnjos
Just as l reached for nm annie I saw tha
oaptain reach for bis revolver and o,ora
at mo like n vary f,end INSTANTLY ioo..
ened NV hold and dronnod In ,ho oronnd
Selling "A stake I took INV nIoce hv lis
side and said Now Won coIvordIv do,
mt mn that gpn ar I'll brain Won MT,
time he was l,ent ON n bot griddla fo, n
month though made no tbroats and
had no Thought az reportinU bis atte,',nt
10 assassinate ma
"rhe next fight wa not into WIZ made
IN for good md all and remnined fas,
friends until the final round up. when
General loo Johnston had his man
throw down their guns and 90 home TO
mako IL croA. IL iupp,. ..od " this wnv.
The colonel had given the order to form
line of battle. As adjutant IL was nv
duty to see that each captain carried
out the order. When / reached the
would DO assassin and had performed
my duty and started to go away, he
called out, 'Adiutant, come back.
When l complied, he took my hand,
looked me squarely Ia the eye and said :
Lieutenant can you forgive me for all
Of my meanness to your hope no.
have never had good hour since that
incident in the orchard
"'With all my heart captain. No
one but you and myself knows anything
about that little affair.
"As l said, nothing else came up to
separate us while In tho army. We
never met after being mustered out. He
died three years ago or course / could
have sent him out Of the army in dis
grace and placed him in the peniten-
tiary after no was out, but I've always
been glad did not He was good sol
dier IN BATTLE ~ brave as they made
them, but bulldog in camp. He left
the army major. His name? Never
mind that. Ii IL true story / wish it
were not, for cannot forget that at one
time in my life was in fair way to
be- murdered "
REPORT to your headquarters under
arrest, sir. "
Tho colonel Of western regiment
missed that remark to his lieutenant
colonel M he dismissed tho parade one
evening In December, 1864, II few miles
back Of Petersburg.
IL refuse to go. d. you, WAS the
reply
"Adjutant, SEQ that Lieutenant Colo
mel Blank goes to hisquarters mt once, "
said tho angry colonel, who was In the
right, for the Lieutenant colonel, who
had been drinking, had disObeyed or
ders.
Tho adjutant knew both officers well,
and that IL would not do for them to
come together that night. Ho had q
merry timo Of 1t keeping them apart
The lieutenant colonel would jump up
and start for the cabin door with
threat to go TO tho colonePs quarters
and cut him down with his sword. lie
was powerful man, able to carry out
his threat unless tho colonel should get
the drop. Once the arrested officer got
away and was half way TO tho colonies
man. SAID the adJutant' would you
Diot your r'c9ru VI enreo years Wy ooin-
mlttlhB murderf lhlhk Oh Jhat' lhlhh