The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-26
PICARD'S DARING.
Tells How He Fin
ished Skaters
Breakfast.
GENERAL TOO QUIET FOR HIM.
His First Battle With a
Square Meal in two
Months.
GENERAL TOO QUIET FOR HIM.

O.. j. Picard, dispenser of pig iron, and
representative of a western iron mag
nate, is in this city.
During the Cuban war, Picard had
the prefix of sergeant and was in charge
OF Gen. Skaters orderlies. AS chief or
derby he had an opportunity of witness
ing and participating in several affairs
which have not yet been devoured by
newspaper correspondents and sWal-
lowed again by the public.
Picard is a native of Texas and en-
listed in the Eighth United States reg
ular infantry from Galveston. At
Tampa he was detailed as orderly, and
later was appointed chief orderly. a
Mauser bullet embedded in his leg just
above the ankle was the recollection of
the war that will be in his memory
longest. The bullet was dug out at the
Montauk Point hospital.
Picard received an order from Gen
shafter at Ell Caney to carry message
to Gen. Wheeler. Sergt. Picard arrived
back at the generals tent at O'Clock
one morning in July. Gen. Shafter was
eating breakfast. Picard heard the clat-
ter of dishes and became desperate. He
knew that the general had a southern
cook, and that if he entered during the
progress of the breakfast there would
be rumpuS.
After waiting outside for few min
utes, his soldierly instinct forced him
to enter. He had made up his mind to
keep his eyes off the breakfast table,
but the gentle aroma of good, healthy
coffee was too much for him. The gen
eral had a repast of flannel cakes stuff
fed with slices of banana. After deliv-
ering the message. Sergt. Picard salut-
ed and had made a few steps towards
the tent lapel when he spied the Han
mel cakes in a huge dish near the edge
of the table. Picard looked toward Gen.
Shafter, who appeared deeply interested
in the message. Sergt Picard got
boarding house handful of the fluffy
cakes with their filing of banana.
The general grunted, and Picard,
thinking he had been discovered, made
a desperate attempt to stuff the JUICY
cakes into the pockets of his Khaki
trousers. which had not been washed
for weeks His hands had not been up
against water for several days, but
that didn't matter. When he had
crossed the threshold of the tent, he
dove his hand into his pocket ana
pulled out a handful of the cakes,
which had assumed the form of plum
pudding. He got one mouthful and was
licking the leavings on his hand when
Gen. Shafter called "Sergt, Picard
The dialogue between the face-be-
smeared orderly and Gen. Shafter was
as follows:
Sergeant, do you know you could be
shot for that?"
I suppose I could, but l was too
hungry to realize the penalty
We'll, ! am not very hungry this
morning, you may finish the break
fast"
Sergt. Picard got outside the dishful
of flannel cakes in a few minutes and
thanked the general.
mo need of it," beloved Gen, Shat
ter. Go to your tent and sleep
Picard told The Spy man yesterday
that he was unable to unroll his blanket
for two days, and was sicker than
sea-sick man because of his first battle
with a square meal in two months
AT Santiago. Sergt. Picard witnessed
an incident which inspired the follow
ing anecdote yesterday:
Troop L of the Ninth cavalry,
said Picard, was made up of colored
men and white officers. The names of
the privates ranged from George
Washington and Andrew Jackson to
Abraham Lincoln and Andrew johnson.
white officer was drilling the troop
and ordered Right dress" The men
We're slow in lining up, and the officer
bawled out, Dress up there, you bunch
Of presidential celebrities"
Il did not view the war wholly from
humorous standpoint" continued
Picard, for when I was in Montauk
hospital 1 got all the gloom | wanted.
A boy who had served with the Rough
Riders was in the next cot to the one
occupied. President Mckinley was
making a tour Of the hospital when he
spied the youthful face, paled by suf-
fering President Mckinley asked the
boy what the matter was. The lad,
Alec Hennessey, lifted the bed cloth
ing, and both limbs had been shot off
above the knee. How did you get into
the ware" asked the president Il am
H., replied the boy but 1 lied about
my age"
Picard said it was the kind of pluck
the boy exhibited that explains why
The war was won by the United States
troops.