Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-07-08
OAAAAAAAAAAAAA
! Teb Smiths
Fighting Mare
: BY FREDERIC
VAN RENSSELAER, DEY
Copyright, 1907, by F. Y. 3. Dew
~HIS Is the story of mare that
made her reputation during
the weeks Of almost incessant
fighting before Petersburg and

the weeks Of almost inceSsant
fighting before Petersburg and
Bermuda Hundred. She lost her life
in q scrimmage in which she was near
ly the whole thing, for she had way
of taking matters into her own control
and carrying her rider into the thick
est of the fight, whether he liked 1t or
not She was such a warrior herself
that when she got worked up to the
proper pitch she paid no attention to
bugle calls or orders and always start
ed in to thrash the enemy single hand
ed. That was one reason why she was
called Helen Blazes, but there was an-
ether r--Lcr temper. The name was not
spelled just that way by the boys OF
the Third New York cavalry, but Jeb
Smith, the man who rode her and the
only man who ever could ride her. was
a minister before the war broke out.
so he changed the original three words
of her name into two. thus quieting
his conscience and satisfying the boys
at the same time.
She was picked up one night on a
scouting expedition. Wink Tompkins
brought her into camp the next morn
Ing, and he was sight. Blazes had
struck him half dozen times with her
fore feet. and his uniform was In tat
ters. She had kicked and bitten the
horse he rode until it was fit only to be
mustered out of service for repairs. and
she had utterly destroyed what little
temper Wink possessed. The boys
could hear him swearing mt BlaZes
when they were half a mile away, and
between his shouts and the laughter of
his companions and the plunging and
kicking, biting and striking of the
mare as they approached 1t made a
pretty sight for tired cavalrymen. BY
the time they rode up we were all out
waiting for them. and we had the
greatest circus of the whole war right
then and there.
"There. by thunder" said Wink
"I've landed her here cos | said |
would. The fellow that can ride her
can have her. for all care" And he
pitched the lead rope to me. RlaZeS
was beauty. there was no denying
that, and old Mcnamara. our captain.
had his eye on her from the moment
he saw her Wink saw that old Mac
coveted her the minute he dismounted.
and he s;iluted and said:
l,nrnhf Npn'n
sure's yer born. If she amt Helen
Blazes. don't know what she is"
Well. there's no use in describing all
that happened then. 1t took six Of us
to get Il saddle and bride on her. and
three out of the six were laid up unfit
for duty for week after 1t. and after
that she threw. one after another. pref
ty near the whole company. Nobody
could ride her until Jeb Smith came
along He had just been relieved from
guard and was tired. but when his
ewes lighted on the mare he frightened
up.
"That's beauty. boys" he said. for
he was q great lover Of hOrsetieSh II
he was Il parson. The mare was stand
ing idle ut that moment. as docile as a
kitten. and nobody in the world would
have guessed what devil there was in
her The fellows looked at one another
and winked knowingly. while Tomp'
kins drawled out:
Get on her back. parson. and try
her" Mind you. there was not one In
the crowd who had not tried her and
who could not show substantial
bruise for his temerity. but the parson
never caught on at all. and We all stood