The National tribune., 1901-03-07

haversack and canteen over his shoulder,
followed them with his blanket-roll,
picked up his gun, and took his long-va-
cant place as file-cioser on the left of Co.
q. I'm just sick of rampaging about
the country. on my own hook; or no hook
at all, and I'm glad to get back to quiet,
steady life, where | belong. Fall in,
promptly, boys"
That's what 1 say" echoed Shorty
''Fellers that like special details may have
'e,n. Hereafter my house number and
street address will be 260th Injianny Ave
nue., four blocks west Of the colors; Office
hours, from reyeille till taps"
In reality, it was a day and an exercise
that any healthy man might enjoy. The
bright November weather was perfect for
marching; the light soil had been packed
hard enough by the rains to prevent any
dust, and yet make no mud; the streams
were running good stage of clear water,
and the march was through fairly-good
farming country. with the rugged noun
tains back of Atlanta rapidly sinking into
billowy hills, which were in turn fading
into the broad plains of Eastern Georgia.
The march was just brisk enough to be
healthful exercise and develop an appetite
for their rations. The days course was
so well-ordered that there were no annoy
ing waits or delays, but each regiment
and brigade pressed rapidly forward in
its assigned place, and in the afternoon all
came together upon their designated
camping-grOunds, as if pulled into place
by cords held in one controlling hand
Occasionally there would be brief, fitful
firing in the distance, between the cavalry
and small bands of accommodating rebels,
but there was never enough of it to more
than make the men cast glance of slight
inquiry in that direction, as they plodded
onward.
ST and Shorty had for the first time an
sN,-~
get acquainted with the changes made in
it since they Were captured on that dis
astrous day at Kenesaw. The old Cap
tain of Co. q was now Colonel; the Cap
tain Of Co. A was Lieutenant Colonel: /:
Lieut. Bowersox. of their company, was
Major, and the Captains and Lieutenants
were boys who were Sergeants when the
now commanded by George Buxton, a
Young divinity student, with coal-black
hair, and great, womanly eyes, who was
Orderly Sergeant of Co. B when the regi-
ment crossed the Ohio River. He was a
gool soldier and pleasant. though re-
served comrade. 81 and Shorty liked
him, and gave him willingly all the re-
snect and obedience his position required.
though down in their souls they never
could get reconciled to anybody but Col
NcGillicuddy commanding Co. q. To him
they always instinctiveiy turned as their
Captain. and on his part he could not es-
cape the feeling that he was more the
Captain of Co. q than the Colonel of the
regiment. This made him most liable, at
critical moments, to turn to Co. Q and
lead it forward. to clear a wood or gain
some information, to the neglect of the
rightful privileges of other companies and
their Captains for that service.
Il declare. there's that engineer that
brought us up from Andersonville-Tom
Radbone," said 81, noticing Il man in the
next file ahead. Il say, Tom, I haven't
had an opportunity before to ask you how
YOU came out with that train that we
were going out with you to capture?"
Got it." said Tom. who was as laconic
and as vindictive as ever.
What did you do with it?'
"Shot that overbearing Lieut.. Turley,
who was always gassing about the greasy
mudsills, through the leg, so that it had
to be taken off. | didn't want TO kill him
outright. Wanted him to live, and re-
member every day that he hobbled around
on crutches and mourned for his lost leg.
that he had deserved to lose ii for his
meanness to Yankees, and to mechanics.
and to every one OF whom was more of q
man in a minute, without half trying |
than he could be in year, do his best"
Get anybody else?"
Got n raft of poor white conScripts |
who were as glad to be spared rs if their |
whites knew more they might know how
mean and worthless they really are. and |
then they'd thank somebody to kill them.
One feller got down on his knees and
begged me for his life. / told him
wouldn't kill him, out OF regard for the
hnzzards-didn't want to poison them
The only decent man on the train was my
PARTNER, here Indicating man marching
OH his lefn. He was the engineer. and
one of my main objects in going out was
to bring him through the lines, as well as
get even with that brute of n Lieutenant.
Him and me both shot the Lieutenant.
and we wouldn't let nobody else lay a
finger on him. We went up to him and
told him who we We're after and we dropt
him, and reminded him of how much he
deserved all that he'd got"
..What'd you do with the locomotive
and trainr"
Toms partner exploded with a laugh
at the recollection, and Tom answered
with a chuckle:
30, that was fun that you'd given one
Of your teeth TO have seen. Where we
stopped the train was a field which had
been cleared a few years before. and was
filed with pine stumps that'd rotted awayi