The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-05-26
CHAPTER I.
JACKET AND SPUR.

A few years ago. when war was the
the supply OF men and material was new
er equal 10 the demand. my friend, Char
ley Brainard, and /. with lot OF other
Summerton boys. Joined a militia regi-
ment which had been hastily called to
the front. Not one OF us was killed. and
at the end of our three months term of
service the stupidest OF us knew more
about military life and duty than any OF
our officers when we first took the field,
so several OF us thought II our duty 10
re-enter the army and help save the ma
ton.
We knew exactly how 10 do IL: we knew
almost everything I'm those DAYS. for the
youngest OF us was fully Is years of age,
and one was almost 20. on being muster
ed out OF the militia service we were 10
enlist In the Thirty-eighth cavalry,
regiment then being formed about a vet
eran battalion OF troopers near whom we
had camped and whom we greatly ad-
mired. No more tramping for,us. with "A
musket on one shoulder and knapsack
on both, while the nation was willing 10
provide horses for such of It's defenders
as knew how 10 ride
60 10 recruiting. The government was
begging for men and, with state and local
authorities, was Offering large cash boun-
ties by way OF persuasion. We would do
all we could 10 help the government to
Increase the army; we would also do all
we could for ourselves while recruiting.
for at that time and during the remainder
of the civil war the only way TO become
a commissioned officer in a new regiment
w IN 10 a
then see carefully 10 Il that they were
mustered into the service. Although there
was no law defining this method. there
was general understanding which was
fairly lived up 10 by the authorities. A
man who could raise" 80 recruits might
feel assured OF a captains commission, 30
would secure a first lleutenancy and 20 a
second lieutenancy. Any one who could
persuade half a dozen men 10 enlist could
become a sergeant. a position not to be
despised I'm fighting regiment could the
sergeant himself succeed I'm not being
shot for after a regiment got TO fighting
the ofsicers who were killed or otherwise
disposed OF were replaced by deserving
non commissioned officers.
was so sure of becoming lieutenant
that / had myself measured for an offi-
GERS uniform before l ceased to be n pr-
'vate In the Ninety-ninth militia. Had not
"a members of our company promised TO
enlist under me II 1 would enter the
ThiVy-eighth cavalry? They did IT with
theif eyes open, for all OF them had seen
what there was OF the Thirty-eighth and
they admired IL as much as i. Their will
ingness to serve under me did not imply
that they regarded me as a military ge-
MUS or a born leader OF men. 1t meant
only that my fathers little farm. at the
edge of our town, contained the largest
assortment OF fruit trees In all Summer
ton, that i had never said mo" TO any
acquaintance 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 a commission My special friend.
Charley BraInard was willing to be SER
geant, or even corporal. under me. but
there was Phil Hamilton. n First regi-
ment (militia) man, who had left his old
regiment only because he had to study
I'm Europe for two years, and he Joined
the Summerton company OF the Ninety
ninth militia merely because his old regi-
ment had not chanced to be called out.
and he wanted to see something of field
service. Phil was much the richest young
man In town. lie was also the handsom-
est, which really is "A great deal TO say TO
any one who chances TO know Summer
ton His mustache was large enough for
a major general He owned at least 20
walking sticks and twice as many. scarf
pins. and all the girls were said to be dy-
ing for him.
Then there was Cloyne, confidential
clerk OF the lumber company. He, too,
was a handsome fellow, and he had been
| a cavalry soldier i'm the British army. He
wanted to raise recruits and get COM
mission. Indeed, both he and Hamilton
had seen the prospective colonel of the
Thirty-eighth and had so greatly i'm
pressed that gentleman as TO elicit the
statement that he would be greatfy dts
appointed II they did not become officers
| of his and perhaps succeed him should
the fortunes of war carry him out of the
| service.
So we three formed an amcable part
nership to raise a company, OF which
| Hamilton was TO be captain, Cloyne first
lieutenant and L the second lieutenant.
rTo show the other boys that we are
dead i'm earnest said Hamilton, there
being a lot of trickery and underhand
work in the recruiting business, let us
all enlist as private soldiers in the 3Sth
before we begin business, so our men
NAV feel sure that we are I'm the service
TO stay. There is quite lot OF money
offered I'm the form or bouhtles TO re-
cruits Ii amounts TO several hundred
dollars per man. Instead OF pocketing IL,
let us divide Il among the men who en-
list with us that ought TO give US
some advantage over other recruiting OF
| ficers."
We agreed to follow Pills advice.
! Brainard offered to use his bounty In the
same way, although he did not expect TO
| be an officer He wanted 10 become a
minister after the war ended. and he
said he didn't wish 10 expose himself
TO any temptation that might ALLEVIATE
him from his purpose.
! We four enlisted together at the regi-
rnents recruiting headquarters I'm New
York. but Brainard. who hurried back
home 10 see his sick mother. did not
reach the medical examiner as soon as
we. After Hamilton. Cloyne and i had
been accepted and sworn into service
we spent a pleasant hour or two AT the
regiments recruiting headquarters chat
ding with tho officer I'm charge, who was
20 no ma for of one Of the regiments two