Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1900-09-13

ed with the alOoineSS and reserve
which is the usual manner of officers
iowa. lis their Interiors in rank. On
the contrary, Col. Bryan endeavored to
establish R close relationship between
himself and his men, thus laying him
self open to much criticism on the
score Of uumltary conduct. 1t was
his ambition to know personally BY
name every member of the regiment
and this he practically realized duringI
,ne short time he was in command. Tn
able to understand ny a colonel should
not take an interest in the welfare OF
those under him as men as well as ma
chimes Col. Bryan utterly disregarded
all military tradition and etiquette in
this regard. treating his privatss cord
tally and as ii on an equal sootiug
This interest took him regularly
among the hospitals, especially to the
division hospital, where all serious
cases were taken. Here he paid almost
daily visits hunting out each patient
from his regiment, which was always
we'll represented in the fever wards
His well known magnetism was Of the
greatest service at such times for he
never failed to cheer the men who hao
set the time for their own deaths. BY
his personal sympathy and his insDir-
ing buoyancy, which he seemed to i'm
part so easily, he practically won ever
several cases of malignant typhoid
which had been given up because OF the
hopelessness of the sufferers them
selves so the emaciated fever patients
learned to watch for his kindly greet
ing and his invigorating presence, and
they loved him for the attention he
gave them.
Col Bryans absolute consistency
was nowhere more marked than in the
persistence with which he sought dis
charges for his men, Almost before
his regiment had pitched its first camp
the war ended in Cuba. and from then
on Col. Byran was convinced that his
command should be out of the service,
Failing to accomplish its muster out
as a whole. he determined that he
would at least secure release for
every individual possible Tie investi-
gated personally the merit of each APP
pication for discharge, and hurried all
papers through, chatting considerably
at the long delays in Washington. In
this connection Col. Bryan greatly in
creased the respect in which he was
held by his careful choosing Of the de
serving ones from the long lists of
those asking for discharges When
the special order arrived allowing the
reduction of each company roll from
II to 81 names it was no sn Ill prob
lem to select the twenty who were most
worthy of dismissal Col. Bryan knew
! nothing of proper military procedure
in such matters, but he adopted his
own measures with results that were
seldom far in error One instance will
illustrate at once the uniqueness of his
methods and their efficiency, Nineteen
of the twenty discharges allowed had
already been granted in company II.
or the large number of remaining APP
plicants three seemed equally desery-
ing Each told of a mother at home
depending on him for support Mr..
Bryan was compelled to decide which
one of the three should go, and he used
the following test of merit; Inter
viewing each man alone, he asked how
much money he had sent home to his
mother since his enlistment. One man
had sent S25, another 81 and the third
none at all. The first man received the
discharge, Mr.. Bryan telling the others
that it was very unlikely that they
would be of much assistance to their
mothers at home when they aided them
so little while drawing pay in the
army.
1T was charged that Col. Bryan par
celed out the discharges on political
basis, granting them where the favor
would add strength to him in his com
ing struggle, but this accusation is best
disproved by the opinion of the men
left behind Aside from partisan back
biting there was a surprising lack OF
grumbling on this score, the general
sentiment being that the right men had
gone
When Col. Bryan took final leave OF
his regiment at Savannah there was a
somewhat general expression among
the men at first to the effect that he
brought US here and he ought TO have
stayed with us, but they all knew why
he was going, and very little blame was
really attached to him for his action.
He did not lose the love nor the respect
Of single man in his regiment by
leaving it for a more important mis-
sion, for these sentiments were found
ed on the just and generous acts and
untiring efforts of six months past on
behalf of the soldiers to whom he had
given his whole thought during that
period"
T. 10 TNtNSINTIsNr-T