New-York tribune., 1901-03-17
"OLD HORSE OF COMPANY c."
AN AMUSING CHARACTER OF THE CIVIL
WAR.
From The Chicago Inter Ocean

day, said the major. He came to the
pany in April. 1861 from a farm in Central
| Ohio. a robust six-footer with the indepen-
dence. self-reliance and quantness of the old
Scctch-irish settlers, mellowed 10y the back
woods Americanism Of his father and grand
father. He had little education but full meas
ure of common sense and rocking good nature,
ana. as he himself declared. took to soldering
/ Ike a duck TO water He has been the central
ngure in a good many army stories simply
exceptional character.
| He was responsible for his own nickname
| OF Old Horse In our first sk!rmish the boys
We're greatly excited. but they blundered 10y
squads into pretty square fight. In relating
their experience afterward every in
cllned to take n favorable or al least charitable
| view OF his own conduct cAceut George. He
! said hluntly: This old horse was scared. Why.
! boys. had no more sense than Tom LofiIands
bun. That bail you know. broke leg trying t.
Jump a Staked and double ridered fence when
IheIe was a gate oiel. not three yards away.
w hen the rehS began to shoot. by Gui}E. I
was as crazy as a wagon horse that had walked
INTO a hurhle bees nest. didn't care what
broke. 50 l got away. Rut- after n whirl on
two around an old tree pulled straigh; in tin
brccchins. by gum, and came down work with
a tight rein on myself. That's the way this old
! horse is going to drive after this, you know.
After that hc called old Horse. and while
he was not a wag he was maker of sport
AMI good cheer. He never lost his druli cqua-
niliity or his capacity put n thing ch"trlullv
and picturesquely. He the same Old Horse
On the long marches in exciting skrmisAes in
In 1861 and 1SC2 We used the large Sibiey
tents, and when old Horse came in from guard
Z
fcet. ana IN answer % the swearing and com
planning. would shout out good humoredly:
Strike a light. strike light. men: There's bug;
in the haby's ear He always being scolded
for touching the tent and making il leak an
he often complained that he could not move an
arm foot scratch his head or take eff
his hat but what somebody shouted Don't touch
the tent, His way Of getting even was. wh"n
We were marching along in dpwnpoUr Of rain,
to elevate his voice and shout in the greatest
good humor, Who in Sam Hill touched the
Tent
Old Horse Was With that part of the company
carried away by i stampede through our lines
Of another division chased by the rebels. When
the other part of the company which had stop
fast in spite Of the stampede. came uD with the
flag. Old Horse said ne was like thief cdugut
in = s,nokphoUse with / ham under his arm. lie
had no remarks to make: =" haG no excuses t.
/ offer. He said when the stampede struck him
he Thought tn" world had come 10 end. ana
h. like steer He had lots of company
and the longer h ran the more ~ felt like
ming. BUT, he said. he had all the running he
wanted for that day. ana n ready 10 his
! share of the fighting. And he did
The third day If the battle old Horse wan
dered over TO a division IN our left to find boy
/ who mad lived On the farm next to his at nome
When he came back his eyes were large with
/ excitement, and h sat down to explain ;he
! men waiting IN linz. that when tho division on
/ the left broke rld Pap Thomas rode cut in
front Of the men coming back. ordered them -
stop. ana when they did not drew his revolver
and shot q down. This did not create a
much Cf sensation as Old IiOrSe expect 4.
and when enc Of th. fnys =. marked that r IA,
shoot him Old Horse answered good humoredIy.
That's all night; hut didn't think the old cusS
/ could hit him. But | want all you fellows TO
! understand that after TINS when Pap Thomas
! is around this Old Horse is going to be very
quiet
/ Almost at the close of the fierce battle Of
! that day. and when our brigade in hot puT-
suit If the retreatlug rebels came up sud
! denly . battery that pounded US ViCI0uS!y
with shot and shell at short raiEe We dropped
down in the muddy cornfed, knowing thar in
the dusk gathering darkness the rebel gun
ners getting our range by the Groans Of
! the wounded. 1t was d time II try men
/ severely, and mCSt # Us were greatly excited.
'O!d Horse however, seemed to be tiy
! interested in the shooting. He called attention
10 the fact that he SunnerS were throwing fuse
shells 50 a have them drop gnt into our
! ranks and he said that NJ man who said yoa
| couldn't see a cannon ball in the air liza +.
Just then a shell with short fuse down
/ between my shoulder and th"t If old Horse.
! On the instant Old Horse caught up a handful
! Of mud. ella pped il the sputtering fuse and
| said quietly TO the other tOys, Ten to ona she
dent bust And she didn't
! IF this had occurred in the British army or
Shipboard George would have been a hero.
but il hc was simply Old Horse. joking
and cheerful in the face of death. While we
were penned UP in Chattanooga old Horse was
rcsourcefui in eking out his half rations, and
was cheerful when others We're depressed. One
day while he was loading crackers into a wagon
to be sent to the front quiet officer in undrt SIS
uniform spoke to him and told him to be more
careful. This was resented on the spot, and the
big six footer turned toward the officer with a
roar starting in with No DANCED quarter
| masters clerk give me There ne
| StoDDed He recognized the officer General