The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-23
WAS WITH CAPT. ENGLISH.
A Vivid Recollection Of the EGG from
His Lunch Basket.

The following Renaissance OF the trip
from Cuba on the transport Seneca last
summer is from the Boston Transcript of
Saturday, where it appears in the column
of Listener the well-known editorial
contributor: -es
1 noticed with great deal of interest,
the other day, the newspaper account of
the act of Captain William <. English of
Indiana in returning to the War Depart
ment the check which had been sent him in
payment for his services assistant quar-
termaster during the Spanish war. The
circumstances connected with Captain
English's action will, perhaps, warrant the
introduction here of a somewhat personal
matter. He Is the son of the late William
III. English of Indiana, who was candidate
for Vice President on the ticket with Han
cock in 1880. The younger English had
been prominent as gold-standard Demo,
crat in Indiana, and he was appointed
assistant quartermaster with the rank OF
captain in the volunteer army, at the
breaking out of the war in 1885, He was
on General Wheeler's staff. Mr.. English
has always been very generous well
as very patriotic man. Being also
man of wealth, he happened to take to the
Santiago campaign with him two remark
ably fine horses, one of which he rode
with Wheeler, into the battle Of San Juan.
AS they went up On that occasion the horse
that Captain English rode was universally
pressed by old campaigners on account of
the very evident youth, friskiness and high
spirit of the animal. These misgivings
were proved well warranted when the bal
lets and shrapnel began to come down
through the woods and other tumultous
scenes incidental to a battle to take place.
Captain English's young thoroughbred
reared and plunged, and undertook to bolt
through the bushes. In his efforts to con-
rol the animal Captain English threw him,
and himself came down to the ground. He
mounted once more, but the horse was SIM
ply uncomfortable. The captain was reduc-
ed to the humiliating necessity of following
his commander on foot: and as it was i'm
possible to keep up with Joe Wheeler on
foot, Captain English became separated
from the rest of the staff.
After this the captain was taken i'll of
fever and was sent home on the transport
Seneca. There he was altogether popular
on account of the free hand with which he
dispensed what few delicacies he had. At
Fortress Monroe his wife came to meet
him, having learned that this was the des-
tination of the Seneca. But the transport,
which was supposed to have at least seven
cases of yellow fever on board, was rigidly
quarantined and no one permitted either
to go ashore or come aboard. Mrs. English.
however, came out on launch within hail
ing distance and then her husband begged
her to go and bring him basketful Of
something to eat. She did so and was per-
mitted to pass not very large basket
aboard. AS the contents of Ii would have
made no impression whatever amongst the
shipload of sick and wounded the basket
quickly disappeared; but very soon little
articles from it-bananas, oranges, biscuits
and what not-began to reappear furtively
in the fists of hungry and thirsty officers,
correspondents and soldiers. To my share,
as shall always remember with emotion,
there fell banana, and, what was much
more wonderful still, an egg. 1t was a
fresh, clean, rosy egg-the most beautiful
object that the human eye ever rested on.
Captain English had given another news
paper man egg, and he had one left him.
self We procured some hot water out OF
the steamers boiler and made a shift to
cook the eggs in that. The water not
hot enough by the time we had IL In hand
to boil an egg. but Ii cooked IL a little bit
Up 10 that moment i had always taken
eggs hard boiled and thought 1 couldnt
eat them otherwise, but under the influence
of the unparalleled inexpressible, ineffable
deliciousness OF that egg of Captain En-
glish's on that occasion my taste underwent
a complete and permanent change. To my
last day l shall never again eat a boiled
egg otherwise than just heated through;
and / shall never eat one without thinking
of the wonderful egg on the Seneca.
Knowing Captain English's free-hearted-
ness and generous patriotism from personal
experience and observation. 1 am not at all
surprised 10 hear that he has definitely re-
fused TO receive compensation for his sery-
ices during the war.