Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-06
CHAPTER Ky

CHAPTER Xxx.
The summer had come and gone The
state regiments were summoned home
for muster out, and thrice their num-
Der in regulars and national volunteers
were gone or going to Manila. Only in
small bodies and rather as banditti or
guerrillas We're the enemy encountered.
The lightning dashes of the cavalry
north and south in Luzon and the tire
less scouts and marches of the infantry
had scattered the insurgents in every
direction. The war had dwind,ed to
campaign of detachments. like old
Arizona days." as the troopers put it,
and, full of honors and the conscious
ness of duty faithfully done, with thin
ned ranks and in many instances thin,
gaunt faces. the soldiery Of the wide
west was sailing back across the seas
and being welcomed with tumultuous
acclaim at San Francisco. The Column
bias mourned the loss of many a gal
liant lad left buried in the Philippines,
but parted without perceptible emotion
with their original lieutenant colonel.
Nathan resigned the silver leaves long
months before they fought their last
fight, preferring brief garrison duty
with his battery. So many colonies
and majors seemed to get picked off by
the rebel rifles that it became positive
ly unsafe to take the field, said a satur-
nine staff officer of the commanding
general, and that might have infuenc-
ed Nathan's action. But promotions in
the artillery arm speedily gave him I'M
der the law the grade of major, and it
was better to be live major of regu-
lars at q comfortable station in tie
United States than lieutenant colonel
of volunteers in the mud and rain and
discomfort of Luzon. The volunteers
were coming back with every trans
port and being camped on the reserva-
ton pending their muster out. The
Columbus arrived, and Nathan arrang-
ed q big dinner for the officers and rode
about among the men. who somehow
couldn't seem to see him, and many
wouldn't even salute.
Only a mpager dozen of the junior
officers attended that feast. 1t flatten-
cd dolefilly despite the lavish flow Of
wine Every fie!d officer regretted"
and certain OF the captains possibly IN
schooled in the ways of society never
even acknowledged the courtesy. Ma
jor Train. who had been promoted lieu
tenant colonel en- Nathan's resignation.
would not even notice him. The colo
nel's greeting was grave and distant.
Some of the men laughed aloud when
| Nathan rode over to camp. and the sit
uation was the talk of the great assem-
blage of returning volunteers when in
came the transport with the warworn
| Washoes. Eric Langdon at their head.
tumultuously greeted by the throng the
| day they disembarked And Nathan
asked fer leave of absence. In civilian
dress and accompanied by his wife and
/ a single servant. he drove to the ferry
unuoticed of tie cheering crowds that
rent the air with shouts fer Langdcz
and his devoted mell.
1t tool. full q fortnight to complete
the examina tons and al the prelimina.
ny papers before the final muster out oi
| tue lIiSc Dtiiiu VI UlClAGlS lllcy Lsit
/ become. There were returning regi
ment3 in whose membership there liv
4 ed the rankings of discord and jeal
/ ousy, but the Washes had but ont
| creed and no recriminationS. The,
believed in God, they loved they coun
try, and they swore by Eric Langdon
| The governor and his staff came b,
/ special train from the northeast t
meet them on their return. and Cress
well, too, was there, and both their sen
ators and many men with the bees o
possible Offices buz1ing in their Dor
nets, and all Of these had much to sa
in public and in ali their many speecl
es to the listening warriors in praise o
their heroic colonel, the one thing sur
to evoke tumultuous applause, an
much to say in private to that siler
soldier himself. The burden Of thei
united song was a source of keen an
whimsical delight to Langdcn and
Melville, who, with his household. wa
waiting orders Of the war departmer
, ! at the Colonial. 1t would be SO yer
! much better for Langdon, said all thes
statesmen, to accept the high commits
sion they proposed obtaining for him
! the regular service than to think of ell
! tering political life, which they coul
r truthfully assure him was SO sadly Ill
, certain and full of disappointments.
: Langdon listened with the same qui
Zical smile, but said very little. Il
] knew perfectly well that all Washt
couldn't change the laws and that not
ing short of special act Of congre.
:, could place him in the army with ar
:, rank he cared to accept. He had bee
d rendered the colonelcy of one of Il
new regiments, but the surgeons shoe
:, their heads. Cresswell clamored Fl
r. his return to the Office The Wash,
r Zephyr, that was at odds with the go
ernor, swung out its banner to Il
IS breeze with "For Governor, Gener
d Eric Langdon, the Hero of Manila"
y respective of the fact that there hi
ID been hundred or more equally hero
st and as little versed in politics. : It w