Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-03-01

| was a pushing youth, and I drop.
ped in" beside a sergeant and three or
four men who seemed to me TO be strag-
Cling at the rear.
What regiment is this?" | asked.
''Twenty-tirst Illinois,
What said /, startled, for | had
seen that regiment a few weeks be-
fore, when it wasn't thought safe to
be within some miles of 1.-THE most
turbulent, disorderly, insubordinate lot
of rowdies ever collected in Illinois.
Twenty first Illinois," repeated the
sergeant impatiently But he never
took his eyes from the line of march in
advance of him. A fly couldn't strag-
gled from it without his knowledge.
Whats the matter?" asked Have
you all been sickT'
No answer.
ventured again: Whats become
of Colonel Blank?' mentioning the
man who, | knew, had undertaken to
command.
Resigned, and then enlisted to carry
musket'
Who's that on the horse at the
head?'
THE colonel
What's his nameT'
Grant"
"Grant-what?'
Grant nothin'-but business. See
here, sonny" said the sergeant with
sudden glance, you better git back on
the fence. l would if l had your
chance
The new regiment in the hands of
green colonel, good fellow. but no
soldier, had developed riot and violence
that made it the terror of the people for
twenty miles around its camp. The
colonel resigned in despair and went
into the ranks. Governor Yates APP
pointed Grant to command. There was
no flourish, but the iron hand of dis
cipline began to be felt at once. AL
most Immediately the regiment was
ordered to Missouri, a hundred and
twenty miles or more away, and
though railways were at hand Grant
set out to march. He was only fifty or
sixty miles on the way when | saw
him, but the work was already prac-
tically done. The first conquest he
made in the war was that of his own
regiment, one quiet, determined man
who knew his business" against a
thousand who had not yet learned that
there was any business" in soldier
ing.
Time slipped along for several
months and | became a paymaster's
| clerk. / had an indulgent chief, and
one day when we were stranded in
| Cairo for time / found that some
thing was in TIE wind" There was an
| expedition to go somewhere, and there
was vague promise of fight | don't
mean to prose about my adventures.
| It's enough to say that l was a kind
| of "stowaway" on a steamboat, and n
| little later among those to whom war
was new, who displayed most deplora-
| BILE curiosity about what was to be
| found in the conquered rebel camp near
| Belmont in Missouri. / was also of
those who had a sharp and most I'M
pleasant run" for that's about the
| size of it," to get back to the steamers
, before the Johnnies could "gobble" us.
| | had no business to be there, and |
realized the fact fully when was hus-
| tied off "stage plank" into shallow
WAFER and very deep mud by some fell
| lows who were in such hurry to re-
| visit Cairo that they overlooked me al
! together. Before could get out on
| shore the stage plank was drawn in
board and the boat displayed much
alacrity in getting away. There was
nothing for me to do but to make a
| short circuit through the woods and
| try for another boat short distance
| away.
| Bullets were flying both ways, and /
| ducked as low as possible to make the
| run. Half way there caught my foot
| In something didn't stop to inquire
| what--and went "end over end" start
ling a horse whose rider sat calmly
| lighting a cigar
| He flashed a glance over me as |
| rose. and shouted--I suppose he shout
ed. for, though there was a tremendous
noise, | heard every word:
where's your gum
"Never had any said /.
what are You doing here?'
Trying to get away"
"What are you?' / was so wet and
muddy he probably couldn't tell wheth-
| or was in uniform or not.
| "Maior IS clerk | answered.
"Humphr' he said, apparently with
out any surprise. go aboard and
| he pointed toward the boat, which,
close as it was, was not visible.
/ scrambled through the thicket
| tumbled down the Iank-darted up
| the stage plank and shrunk into the
| excited crowd on the forecastle. Two
or three minutes later the horseman,
| whose calm resolute face | now recog
| nized. rode to the verge of the bank,
paused. glanced swiftly to left and
| right. seemed TO listen for breath or
! two, then his horse half slipped, half
leaped down the bank and, guided by
| a rein rigid and steady as a steel cable,
| climbed the trembling plank, and the
rider, still holding the cigar firmly in
| his teeth, dismounted and passed to
| the upper deck as coolly rs IL he were in
| the habit of embarking on boats in
| such circumstances regularly three
| times a day.-G. NJ. Mcconnell, in Chi
| cago Times Herald.
Little Men We're Handy.
II H. n IL