The National tribune., 1901-05-30

"BULLETS WERE, STRIKING AROUND
HIM, AS HE DASHED THE DEMIJOHN
TO PIECES on THE ROOF
himself. Then he thought of the unlike
lihood of that. 1t could not be from one
higher than the Commander of the Left
Wing-Gcn. Howard. Somehow he dis
missed that thought, too, and began to
imagine that it might be from the Gen
eral commanding the Division, then the
Brigadier-Gcneral, aud finally Col. Me
Gilicuddy. But when he looked care
fully at the bearers. he saw that they
were 1st Oshkosh boys. He opened the
letter carefully, however, and read:
Headquarters 1st Oshkosh Volunteer In
faHtry,
Suttou's Plantation, Ga, Nov. "a, 1864.
Scrg't Josiah KIegg, 20Gth Ind. Vol. In
fantry Vols, Commanding Scouting
Expedition.
Sir: | have waited in vain for re-
Port of your operations, of which | have
heard only by hearSay, through Surgeon
Brooks. This is a grave diScourtesy to
your commanding officer that borders on
positive insubOrdination. | am reluctant
tp report it to headquarters, and prefer
charges. as is perhaps my duty. In order
b avoid this disagrceable necessity you
will at once send back by the bearers
full report of your operations up to date,
with IL plan of your further movements,
with a request for approval and instruc-
tiGns to proceed to execute them. Give
full details of what you have accom-
pished, with lists of killed, wounded, cap
tured. etc, and of the enemy's property
captured or destroyed. Await where you
are for my farther orders.
Very respectfully.
AriStarchus G.. Gilen.
Second Lieutenant, 1st Oshkosh Infantry
Vols, Commanding Post.
"Consarn the skeezicks, said ST. an
lrily. crushing the mandate in his hands.
"peSterine me at this time about reports.
haint no time now to fool around writ
ing reports.
Tell the popinjay to go where it's hot
ter" said Shorty. He haint no business
with us nohow. We don't belong to his
regiment Let him go soak his head.
Il don't know, though" ST considered,
his sense of military Subordination assert
ing itself, but he may have orders TO
take command of us. I'm awfully afraid
we'll lose all chance at that train. fooling
around with Il measly report, but III try
to make one. Come and help.me, Shorty.
Two heads are better than one, if one is
Il sleeps head. Here, we'll take some of
this rebel Coloners paper
81 borrowed pencil from Alf Russell,
wet it between his lips, and the sweat be-
gan to start from the labor of composing
the report.
Suppose I've got to say in pursuance
of your orders How do you spell 'pur-
suance', ShortyT'
See him damned first snorted Shorty
HE didn't give no orders. Wed planned
this job before we'd ever knowed that
there was such a colt as he is foaed.
Pursuance is too big a word for him,
anyhow. Nobody but a Major General
can spell a word like that"
.'NnlI thpn - continued 81 hitinp his
pencil to assist his brains, in obedience
to your orders" Do you spell obedience
with a d or a j, Shorty? | got turned
down in schoo; on that, once. and I've
clean forgot which way it was
Il never spelled the blamed word. It's
ing things that | hate. 1t amt no obed
fence to him, nohow. We amt obeying to
nobody but Col. McGilIicuddy. It's all
/ light from him, but from nobody else.
AS to this fy-up-the-crick -
Well" said ST desperately. "We hain't
got no time for spelling lessons, nor red
tape fOOlishness of any kind. Them rebels
are galloping for that train, and We've
got to get there ahead Of them. Here
goes"
And he scrawled rapidly:
''Prison Stockade, mere Millen,
November the 25th, 1864.
Second LoOtenant A. g. Gillen. First
Oshkosh Volunteers.
Sir: Got here yesterday afternoon. |
Busted wide open about 80 of the prison
guards, who tried to stop us. Don't seem |
to have killed none. They run too fast |
They're probably running yet. Found |
Whole lot of our men. Most all dying |
Will save some. Didn't lose nobody, ep-
cept Bill Grimshaws hoss STEPPED in a |
hole and throwed him over his head. He |
lost lot of wind, but picked it up again,
and is all rite today. Am off now to get |
Il train which is stalled out here. HOap |
you are well.
Very Respectfully,
Josiah Klegg, jr.,
Sergeant, Co. Q, 200th Injianny Vol
unteer Infantry"
Come, boys, strike out lively, now,"
said 81, hastily folding the letter, and
handing it to one of the messengers.
Every minute counts, If we're going to
get that train"
They had gone but two or three miles
when they came up to Kankakee and
mounted on two very fair
horses, and armed with shot-guns.
mighty good hosses you have there"
81, eyeing them with instructive
judgment. ''Where'd you get themT
Found some tracks that looked prcmis