The National tribune., 1900-05-17

before coming to this country, he was
employed as a drill-master, and he was
a master of his profession sure enough.
He would often entertain us with an ex-
hibItion OF his skill in the use OF both saber
and lance.
After the regiment was thoroughly
organized and all Of the officers had as
sumed their proper position, he saw that
there was no place for him; so he decided
to leave US and offer his services to the
Governor Of Kentucky. Some officers
seeing the opportunity to let him down
easy, united in furnishing him with very
flattering letter of introduction to the
Governor. Armed with this document
he hied himself away to Frankfort and
placed his application in the hands of the
did he have long to wait, for soon after this
two of our Ma jors resigned. The Governor,
referring to the aforesaid letter of intcoduc-
tion, very reasonably inferred that, as his
qualifications were so well known by our
officers and he was 50 highly esteemed
by them, that was the very place for him.
So he handed him a Majors commission
and sent him back to us.
When the old foreigner reappeared he
met a very icy reception. He was snubbed
at every opportunity. The privates shared
the sentiments and feelings of the officers
to large extent. and among them all
the old fellow found himself in very un-
comfortable position.
He endured it all, however. meekly and
patiently and bided his time. AS we
became more accustomed to his broken
English, we learned to understand every
word that he said, and then we boys began
to find out that we had mistaken our man;
that beneath the rough exterior of the old
French soldier there beat q kindly heart.
Then the officers began to find out that
they too had judged him wrongly.
Capt John w. Hill, afterwards killed
nf
as he was brave, was the first to break the
ice by apologies and pledges of friendship
and support. This example was followed
by others, and not many months elapsed
before the old Major had won the conf
dence and esteem of the entire regiment.
Delfosse not only made efficient sol
diers OF us but gave evidence continually,
both by word and act, that not only the
welfare but the comfort and happiness
Of his men were always On his heart.
AS evidence of his solicitude for our
welfare will relate one instance.
command which pursued Morgan through
Indiana and Ohio on his memorable raid
in July, 1863. After we had captured
a large portion of Morgan's men about
Burlington Island and Cheshire, Mai.
Delfosse was sent down ON a boat to
Cincinnati in charge of some of the pris-
onerS.
A few days afterwards our regiment
embarked on board a small steamboat
at Gallipolis, o., for Louisville, KY.
Our Colonel, being Regular Army officer.
had but little sympathy or consideration
for the common soldiers. Notwithstanding
the fact that every available inch of space
on the lower deck was occupied by our
horses, ne appropriated the entire ladies'
cabin to his own use, and the gentlemen's s
cabin to the use of the company officers,
placing guard at the door to keep the
soldiers out, and forcing us to take refuge
as best we could: from the burning rays of
a July sun on the outer guard of the cabin
and in the shade Of the pilot house or smoke
stacks, which was continually shifting as
the boat followed the windings of the river.
We had no place to make cup of coffee or
cook the raw rations which had been issued
to us at Gallipolis, and were obliged to
hardtack washed down with warm river
water.
The owners of the boat were not paid by
the Government to feed us, but we would
gladly have paid for our meals had we
not been denied access to the cabin and the
said to their. credit, Were not in sympathy
with the actions of the Colonel, but in his
presence were powerless to aid us.
When the boat arrived at Cincinnati our
Colonel left us on leave of absence, and
Maj. Delfosse came on board and assumed
command. The boys gathered around him
as they would around their own father,
and related their grievances. AS soon as
he could take in the situation he acted.
The first thing he did was to relieve the
guard at the cabin door and tell the boys
that they could go anywhere on the boat
they pleased, and then he inquired:
where the cook? Where the cook?"
Some of the bows piloted him around on
the outer-guard where the cook was sitting
on barrel in the shade reading the morn
ing paper, when the Major addressed him
as follows:
Il want you to lay in provision enough
for the officers and the men, if they pay for
it."
The cook had never seen him before and
did not know who he was, and paid no
attention to him, but kept on reading his
paper. To be treated with such profound
contempt even by such high dignitary as
the cook was a little more than the Major
not his tongue. He said:
"You no know me. be's an old French
man. l trow you overheard"
At this the cook began to get little
interested and looked up from his paper.
The boys here interposed their explanations
and told the cook:
This is our Major. He Is in command
now, and it you don't listen to him he will
throw you overheard sure enough"
The cook then with some show Of respect
asked him to repeat his remarks and when
he learned what was wanted informed him
that the Steward was the proper person
to speak to about such matters. The
Steward was found and the necessary
instructions given him, with the result
that we Jared sumptuously until we reached
our destination. A barrel of ice-water
being included in the bill of fare.
Soon after this we were assigned to
Wolford's Brigade of Cavalry, and went
with Gen. Burnside over the mountains to
East Tennessee, and in a bloody and
disastrous battle at Philadelphia, Tenn,
on Oct. 20, 1863, our brave, noble, kind
hearted old Major was killed while leading
his regiment in a charge upon the enemy's
lines. We were overpowered and COM
PEELED to retire, leaving his body in the hands
Of the foe.
A day or two afterwards a detachment
under a flag of truce was sent to try to
recover the body in order to give it decent
burial: but it was too late, he had already
been buried upon the battlefield, and for
aught know still sleeps near where he
fell in an unmarked, neglected and it may
be an unknown grave.
These two names, Meter and Delfosse,
will ever be associated together in my
memory while life lasts or reason holds its
sway. So very unlike and yet so much