The Indianapolis journal., 1903-10-11
CAMP YOUNG NOTES.


Capt. William G. Comfy, of indianapolis.
commanding Company d, of the Second
Regiment, and one OF the finest young
soldiers in the guard, was as near death
Friday night as a man can be and live
After the grand review Captain Comfy,
with Maj. Fred Charlton. Of the brigade
hospital corps. took a long ride south
among the hills. When night fell the two
officers were galloping rapidly along the
side OF an elevation 400 feet above sea level,
the road being little more than cow path
To the left the hillside rose precipitous ana
rocky. To the right was nothing but air,
Captain Comlys horse started and bolted
with him. The saddle turned before he
knew where he was. The captain grabbed
for his horses name, but found himsen
under the frightened beast twisted around
by the saddle. That he was not kicked 10
death is a miracle. The horse jumped over
the momentum of the fall that Captain
Comfy rolled down the steep hillside. finally
bringing up with a crash against a wire
fence 200 feet below the roadway. He was
badly scratched and bruised. Major Charl-
ton caught the captains horse and the two
officers returned 10 camp, thanking their
lucky stars for the fortunate result of the
accident.
The tale of how the Third Regiment lost
its colors to the Second Cavalry in the
sharp engagement Thurday will always be
told around armories and camps, despite
protests of Third Regiment men. Toward
the close of the fight that afternoon the
standard-bearers and their escort found
themselves out of position and unprotected.
They had lost their regiment. Peering
through the woods on the left the Third
Regiment boys saw half a dozen Brown
cavalrymen trotting rapidly down a wood
ed lane. Flight was the only salvation OF
the sacred cOlOrS they knew, and tney look
to their heels, not without being observed
by the keen-eyed regulars. The Indiana
guardsmen stumbled on TO little farm
house. woman smoking a cob pipe
placidly in the front yard told them they
could hide upstairs in the garret IL they
wanted 10. The boys took advantage OF the
situation, and TO further insure the safety
of the colorS and standard craWled under
a bed in the room. few minutes later
the cavalrymen clattered up and demanded
if anyone had entered there. The old
woman lied loyalty, saying "she hadn't
seen nothin'' The detachment trotted on.
Pretty soon the man of the house. long,
lean, lantern jawed, bilious Hardin county
farmer, ambled up. He and cob pipe chat
ted awhile in grunts. Down the leafy road
came a dozen Brown cavalry lads. These
stopped at the gate and wanted TO know
If the Blue army had been sighted. Before
the old woman could stop him the man
blurted out: Some fellows jist went up
stairs with lot of flags. My old woman
says they are hidin under the bed. Well,
it was all off. The regular army lads, with
whOops of glee, climbed the stairs and
pulled the luckless Hoosiers from conceal
ment, capturing the precious colors and
standard. They were restored that evening
when the troop returned TO camp. The story
soon spread over 1ndfana's camp, and Lieu
tenant Colonel Bowman and his men were
numerically guyed. 1t was one OF the un-
preventable accidents of war, and aside
from sentimental feelings cast no dtScredit
on the Third Regiment
Soldiers are human, despite some opinions
to the contrary, and have a human love
for some things not included in ration lists.
1t fell, therefore, that chickens turned up
missing in farms around Camp Young;
sucking pigs were butchered TO make
company feast, and orchards were looted
for their juicy apples. Dozens of these
| complaints came to division headquarters
every day, the offense usually magnified by
the avarice of Hardin county granger,
who figured he could pull Uncle Sans leg
for some easy money. Kentucky boys were
the worst thieves, and farmers around the
big camp sat up nights cursing their de-
| tenders. Michigan sinned previously and
Ohio and Wisconsin were hght-hngered
and loose-moraled at times. Few COM
plants were made about Indiana boys.
Whittier they were more honest than their
neighbOrs in camp or whittier they were
restrained by better discipline is hard to
tell, probably the latter is the true reason
for their good reputation at the camp.
One old farmer hobbled in Wednesday,
though with bitter tale of woe. He
charged that dozen Indianians had
| broken into his cellar and had stolen all
| his wifes store Of preserves and jelies,
carefully laid up for the winter. He
| wanted s53 to cover the damages. The
matter has not yet been adjusted.
One Of the pleasant incidents of In
| diana's camp was little Dutch lunch and
| talk fest given by Captain VIII Comfy,
| Captain Charles Garrard and several
brother officers of their battalion to some
of the staff and Second Regiment officers.
| In front of Captain Comly's tent big
black log was blazing. Colonel Smith,
Lieutenant Colonel Thayer-"the mildest-
hammered man that ever scuttled ship or
cut throat'-Majors Conde, Kershner.
Bragg, Franklin, Jericho, Harvey, Power,
McClain and Mahan, and Lieutenants
made UP the happiest little bunch that ever
| fought battle over. Between the officers
| of the Second the most perfect harmony
and cordiality exists; ii is one for all, all
for one This is not the least of the rea-
| sons why the Second is crack organiza-
| ton.
The remarkably fine letter of commenda-
| ton which Brigadier General Tasker II.
Bliss, u. s. A., wrote to Second Lieutenant
Mark Dawson. OF Company d. Second
| Regiment, has not only done a lot for the
| fine young soldier, but it has helped in
crease the prestige and reputation of the
| Second and the entire brigade. Although
Lieutenant Dawson had sat horse but
twice before, he followed General Bliss as
an aid from in the morning until at
night riding at hard trot or a gallop
over rough roads most of the time. The
warmth of the praise which General Bliss
| gave young Dawson is all the more signifi-
| cant for that reason. Mark Dawson is the
son of Charles Dawson. formerly police
| Captain. He is fine figure of young man.
hood, straight as an arrow and consider
| ably over six feet. Lieutenant Dawson's
| ambition is to get in the regular army
| and the mark he made in Camp Young will
| be big help to him.