Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-01-24
WAR TIME TALES.
How the Guard Was Turned Out FOR
General Lee-SentrV Knew
His Orders.

Ills UTutTS,
The ssveteransn were telling stories
of their experience in the Spanish war,
and one was relating the experience OF
tough recruit, regular Bowery boy,
who could not get away from his
dialect. 1t seemed impossible, says the
New Orleans Picayune, to the man to
understand that there was any good
reason for change in his vernacular.
To him the Colonel was ''his nibs, =
and the other officers were dubbed
some other equally expressive and
quite as slangy names. Well, one
night he was included in the guard
detail. He was On post No. THAT
is, he was stationed within few feet
of the guarGhouse. In those days the
main duty that fell to MS WIS to look
out for officers and see that they were
paid the proper donors. BY partl
cular stroke of bad luck, General Lee,
who was commanding our corps at
that time, took it into his head to visit
our camp this evening. The tough
recruit saw him coming, knew his
duty. but forgot the proper manner In
which be should pass the word to the
guard in order to have it turn out and
salute. The more be thought the more
ratified be became. Finally, in des-
peration, he fell back on his native
idiom and cried in agony:
For de Lords sake, turn out de
whole push. quick! Here comes the
main guy!"
"Haw,' said another talkative mem
Der of the party, Il don't think that's
such a funny incident. I'll tell you
something that happened to an officer
of our regiment. He had at that time
not yet learned to get back to camp at
a reasonable hour of the night, and one
evening, when making his way from
town, missed the road, wandered afar
over the fields and brought up in the
of camp of negro sol
diers. You know the faculty which
the negro has for getting things mixed.
The instructions usually given to a
sentinel are to halt a stranger three
times. and if he is not obeyed to fire
after the third challenge. Doubtless
this was the orders delivered to the
sentinels at this particular camp. But
that these sable braves were not exempt
from the general failing of their race
was evident as soon as our officer ap
preached one of their sentinels.
"'Halt, dar! Who's dat p
"The answer was, of cOurs, Officer
If the camp
"Again the sentry sang out, Halt,
lah Who's dat?'
"'Officer of the camp was the some
what testy response. Don't you
know what to do now? Are eyou going
to keep me repeating officer of the
camp all night long 2?
1.-The only response was repetition
of the challenge and the accompanying
demand, who's dat p
"'What in Sam Hill is the matter
with your cried the officer. Don't
you know your orders p
81 does know ma orders,' said the
guard sharply.
"'W ell, what are they?'
"'De Sergeant done tole me to halt
you three times and den shoot you.
And with that he cooked his rifle.
'You should have seen that officer
sprint for a tree. From there be used
the only argument of any avail with
coon. He cursed him so hard that
the negro forgot all about shooting him.
Half an hour later the officer was able
to come out from his hiding place and
explain to the Sergeant of the Guard
why he had resorted to such an un-
dignifed position. And when he
finally got to our camp the Colonel read
him lecture for missing reveille and
gave him three days. confinement to
quarters"