The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-07-06
HIS FAVCRlTE REGIMEN
WOULD LIKE TO HAVE "THE
BOYS" GO WITH HIM.
WANTED TO SEE "THE TAR HEELS" FIGHT
Gen. Burt Says he Noted With Pride The Regi
ments Fine Record in Cuba and The
SoIderIy Manner in Which
They Returned Home.

General Burt.
A n;,ane that will bring to the mind of
every member of the First North Garo'
lima volunteer regiment Il flood of pleas
ant recolections.
General Burt was the officer in COM
maald of the brigade, of which the first
was part-in Lees corps at jackson
Vile. The Tar Heels. as he loved to
call them, were his favorites. He loved
them like children and he never tired oil
talking about the great things he Wo'iii
accomplish with them if he ever Sue
ceeded in getting them into actual bat
tie.
And because the order would never
come to go over and thrash them darn
Spaniar,ls'' the General would often
quarrel and worry in his good-natured
way. The failure of that order to come.
that he might have a chance to see has
Tar Heels fight, or the information that
some officer had maltreated Il private
soldier. were the only things | ever knew
him to lose his temper about. Though
he had worked his way up from the
ranks to the exalted position of a lBrga-
der General. he had lost nothing OF
his sympathy for or appreciation of the
private soldier. Nothing so Infatuated
hm as to hear that an officer had taken
advantage of his rank to punish or i'm
pose upon a private or subordinate.
With !: strain of Irish in nim-lle was
a man of rare good humor, fine common
sense and quick perception. And above
all he was a true friend. Once You had
won his friendship and good opinion, yodl
had it always. The North Carolina
troops possessed it to the utmost.
1t was therefore not surprising to me
yesterday when the following letter, ac-
congpanied by General Burt's photo
graph. was received from Fort Logan.
Colorado. 1t will he read with greatest
interest 10y every member of the Frs;
regiment and by their friends.
1t will be observed that he hunoronsly
interviews himself, which is pernEssaoie.
as the General was once himself news
paper man. working for the New York
Tribune. print the letter just as writ
ten:
Fort Logan, Colorado. June -, 1899.
Dear Merritt: l enclose herewith my
picture. in case you have forgotten my
handsome (!) features. WE'LL the girls
say I'm handsome when they want
some favor from me.
General. do you remember your dis
cOvery of the fountain Of youth where
Ponce de Leon failed in Fliroda!''
What! do l remember it? Will 1 ever
forget it? i have followed up the pre-
cept of my secret industriously ever
since and believe I'll live on forever
like the running brook. You can tell it
to any old bald head who enquiries.
I1Jon.f halinva wa, ayar told mn. I've
got pretty good crop Of hair"
''Your memory is rather short, but as
it's yon I'll whisper it in your private
ear. If .elow wants to live always let
him make love to all the women he
meets young and pretty, old and ugly.
all OF them, every blessed one.
But it wasn't about that intended
this letter to be but about the Firsi
North Carolina Volunteer infantry, First
Brigade, Second Division, Seventh Army
Colps-my dear old Tar Heels. l still
call them mine. God bless them all
even that old drunken rooster who used
to get into the guard house so much.
What, General, did amy OF them ever
get drullk:'
''Oh, yes; they were not all angels, all
the time, and | had to cuss them out
sometimes"
And you could do that in great shape.
they say
Yes, | have heard So but | used to go
to my tent after one of those red hot
heats and fret that had to do it, Ii
l hadn't lacked them up when they de-
served it they wouldn't have turned out
to be one of the best regiments in
Fits corps as they did and against
all kinds Of odds and difficulties. What
scare crows they We're when they first
came to the camp, awkward, poorly clad,
without accoutrements. But didn't they
bloom out into a jim dandy regiment i'll
the end.
DO you know the secret of their sue
cess!
They the officers and men, with
few exceptions, were anxious and willing
to learn their duties. DO YOU rememba.
my driinns an awkward squad on thei.
parade ground ONE day? That was 4
funny thing for Il Brgadier to do. But
/ meant that as an object lesson and be-
sides there was not anything i wasn't
willing and happy to do for their adj
vancement Moreover. | had made IA
pledge for them | was bound to make
good. 1t happened i'm this way: One
night at the Windsor Hotel / was in Il
crowd of cur corps and some one said.
Flows your North Carolina regiment
getting along, General!" and the gang
laughed. | got hot / replied You
people just hold on for a while. I'll bel
you anything. from dollars to doughnuts
my old Tar Heels chats the first time
I'd called the regiment that, will march
III review i'm this camp as fine a body OF
drilled soldiers as is in this corps
More, there's not better behaved regi-
nient here right now. | believe l said
scme cuss words to give it a soldierl,
and proper emphasis. To tell the honest
truth know | swore. No one took the