Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-06-18

ME2NSj rial was never equal
1N#Io,LIM to the demand, my
WlENZASS2 friend, Charley Brain
ard. ana l, with lot of
other Summerton boys, joined n militia
regiment which had been hastily called
to the front. Not one of us was killed,
md at the end of our three months
term of service the stupidcst of us
knew more about military life and du-
ty than any of our officers when we
first took the feld, so several of us
thought 1t our duty to re-enter the ar
my and help save the nation.
We knew exactly how to do 1t; we
knew almost everything in those days,
for the. youngest of us was fully IS
years of nge, and one was almost 20.
On being mustered out of the militia
service we were to enlist in the Thirty
eighth cavalry. regiment then being
formed about n veteran battalion of
troopers near whom we had camped
and whom we greatly admired. No
more tramping Tor us. WITT musket
on one shoulder and knapsack on
both, while the nation WINS willing to
provide horses for such of Its defend.
ers rs knew how to ride!
Immediately after enlisting we were
to go to recruiting. The government
was begging for men and, with state
and local authorities, was Offering large
cash bounties by way of persuasion.
We would do all we could to help the
government TO increase the army; we
would also do all we could for our
selves while recruiting, for at that time
and during the remainder of the civil
war the only way to become commits
stoned officer in new regiment was to
persuade some men to enlist and then
see carefully to it that they were mus
tered into the service. Although there
was no law defining this method, there
was general understanding which
was fairly lived up to by the authors
ties. "A man who could raise" so re.
cruits might feel assured of u captains
commission, 80 would secure first
lieutenancy and 20 second lieutenan-
cy. Any one whoocould persuade half
dozen men to enlist could become q
sergeant, n position not to be despised
In a fighting regiment could the SER
geant himself succeed In not being
shot. for after a regiment got to fight
ing the officers who were killed or 9TH
erwise disposed of were replaced By
deserving oncommissioned officers.
was so sure of becoming lleuten-
ant that had myself measured for an
officers uniform before ceased to be
private In the Nlnety-ninth militia.
Had not 81 members of our company
promised to enlist under me II would
: enter the Thlrty-elghth cavalry? They
did 1t with their eyes open. for all of
them had seen what there was Of the
ThIrty-eighth and they admired 1t MS
much as 1. Their willingness to serve
under me did not Imply that they re-
garded me as military genius or n
born leader of men. 1t meant only that
my fathers little farm. at the edge of
our town, contained the largest assort-
ment of fruit trees In all Summerton,
that had never said mo" to any ac-
quaintance who longed for apples,
pears, cherries or plums, and that small
boys have large memories. Besides,
my cousin May, who had always lived
with us, was greatly admired by all
the boys whom ! knew, and 1t had
long been the fashion to be obliging to
me because was the cousin of SO nice
a girl.
was not the only Summerton aspir-
ant to commission. My special friend,
Charley Brainard, was willing to be
sergeant, or even corporal, under me,
but there was Phil Hamilton, a First
regiment tmilitia) man, who had left his
oldreglmentonlyb ecausehe had to study
in Europe for two years, and he Joined
the Summerton company of the Nine
ty-ninth militia merely because his old
regiment had not CHANGED to be called
out, and he wanted to see something
of field service. Phil was much the
richest young man In town. He was
also the handsomest, which really is q
great deal to say to any one who
chances to know Summerton. His mus
tache was large enough for q major
general. He owned at least 20 WALK
Ing sticks and twice Us many scarfpins,
and all the girls were said to be dying
for him.
Then there was Cloyne, confidential
clerk of the lumber company. He, too,
was handsome fellow. and be had
been cavalry soldier In the British
army. He wanted to raise recruits and
get commission. Indeed. both he and
Hamilton had seen the prospective
colonel of the Thirty-eighth and had
so greatly impressed that gentleman
as to elicit the statement that he would
be greatly disappointed II they did not
become officers of his and perhaps sue
coed him should the fortunes Of war
carry him cut of the service.
So we three formed an amlcabls
partnership to raise company, of
which Hamilton was to be captain.
Cloyne first lieutenant and the Sec
ond lieutenant.
ITO show the other boys that we are
dead in earnest" said Hamilton. there
being lot of trlckery and underhnnd
work in the recruiting business, let us
NIL enlist rs private soldiers in the
Thirty-eighth before, we begin business
so our men may feel sure that we are
In the service to stay. There is quite
lot of money offered in the form OF
bounties to recruits. 1t amounts tc
several hundred dollars per man. In
stead Of ppcketing 1t, let us divide II
among the men who enlist with us
That ought to give us some advantage
over other recruiting officers"
We agreed to follow Phils advice