Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-10-14
|D Ally SHORT STORY
The Departure of ST.


ed as if he had been cut out OF swamp
log with a wabbly saw. l tried to get
rid of him, but couldn't, and he be-
came a soldier.
Then began the struggle between 81
Jackson and the United States of
America. The United States demand
ed obedience ON the part of 81, and 81
demanded that he be allowed to paddle
his own canoe as he thought best. He
was reprimanded, sent to the guard
house, bucked and gagged and pun
ished in various other ways, but he
called the bluff every time. They were
ready to court martial him when we
marched away to fight the first battle
of Bull Run, but he escaped from ar
rest and Joined us on the field and
was the only man in the regiment to
reap any honor. Single handed and
alone he captured the only Confeder-
ate prisoner taken in that fight and
marched him back to the Potomac.
Our captain tried to make 81 believe
that he had done his whole duty and
could go home with flying colors, but
81 wasn't on the go. On the contrary.
be was in the guardhouse again the
day after turning his prisoner over.
1t has always been n mystery to
the thousand men of the Fourth infan-
try how 81 Jackson defied the United
States and held his own. In the two
years he was with us he put in nine
tenths of his time in the guardhOuse.
-Four different courts martial sat on
him and sentenced him to prison, but
for some reason the findings were al
ways revoked. \ hundred different
times he was threatened with being
drummed out, but the threat was new
er carried into execution. He was eX-
amined by the surgeons and his dis
charge recommended, but he beat them
at the game. He was sent into the en-
emy's country with the hope that he
would be captured. but he always
sQueaked through. He was sent with
the transfers with the hope that the
mules would end his career with their
hoofs, but not n foot ever reached him.
He'd fight, and fight well. but he would
not obey orders. During those two
years he never drilled n single time or
had a spade in his hand. He never
stood sentry for an hour, and if he re-
manned on picket it was because he
preferred to.
When 81 had been defying the Unit
ed States for two long years, he be-
came discouraged. The load was be-
coming too heavy for him. There were
also rumors to the effect that the next
court martial would land him ut the
Dry Tortugas to drag ball and chain
behind him. Obstinate and mulish as
he was, he realized that one man
couldn't hope to beat military disci-
pline forever. He hadn't been worsted
yet, but it might be a good thing to
quit while honors were even. ST Jack
sons first decision was to quit and his
second to leave the service in blaze
of glory not soon to be forgotten.
Those of US who were watching him
noticed that he had something on his
mind, but were far from suspecting
what a programme he was mapping
out. To the west of our camp of 5000
men was a corral holding 5000 mules
and horses. The 6,OO0 men were Occu-
plying about $500 tents. The guards
about the corrals afterward remem-
bered seeing 81 hanging about for two
or three days, but his plans were not
suspected. At the western side of the
Enclosure were hundreds of bales of
hay and bags of oats and corn'for use
of the animals, and the hot sun had
dried the bushes until they were like
finder.
One night 81 was ready for his fare
we'll 1t was q moonlesS night, with
the wind blowing strong from the west
and signs of n storm at hand. He had
no goodbys to exchange and very little
to pack up. 1t isn't at all likely that
kind word at the last would have
altered his plans in the least, but no
kind word greeted his ear. On the
contrary, the captain, who happened
to run across him, squared off and said:
"See here, 81. I've got mighty tired
of all this, and I'll give you the
straight tip that If 1 can't get you out
of my company I'll throw up my COM
mission"
81 only grunted in reply, and half an
hour later he was preparing his sur
prise party. He lodged the guards of
the western side of the corral and
brought up among the hay, and five
minutes later a big flame was rising
from the bales. 1t needed but the smell
and sight of fire to stir up a panic
among the horses and mules. In three
or four minutes they were circling
around the Enclosure in a mad mob,
with shouts of alarm from all the
guards Twice the mob tore around
the big field, squealing, kicking and
neighing and then it headed for spot
on the eastern side. and the fence went
down with a crash that could be heard
mile away. The fire caught the
bushes and followed the horses, and
tho horses dashed STRAIGHT unOn the
camp. A thousand tents were knocked
down and a thousand men injured,
while two or three hundred OF the ami
mails came to grief. This was only
half of Sis plan. however. The fire
swept up to the corral fence, and the
flying sparks set the first tents on fire.
1t was like touching fire to powder.
In ten minutes the 5000 men were