Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1903-04-16

his store one day and fitted them
selves to his hand-me-downs, told him
to charge the bill to Lincoln, and
rode away.
"He enlisted in the home guard for
the union a few days after, and not
long after was elected captain. The
commander of the post at the time
was a Maj. Josephs.
"About once a week Maj. Josephs
lined up his battalicA in front of the
leading tavern of the town, and had
sort of dress parade. After the
band played, and Maj. Josephs put
the guard through as many evolu-
tions as he knew, he strapped pair
of field glasses to his back, and. Civ
ing the order: Column forward led
his men through the principal streets
of the town-the guard was mounted
headed by trumpeter. He was off
on a guerrilla hunt.
''The little captain, Of whom I
spoke, was one of the gayest of the
troopers in his get up. On one occa-
sion, when Maj. Josephs was de-
tanned, the command on one of the
guerrilla hunts devolved upon the little
captain.
= ''The command rode away, as usual,
behind the blare Of the trumpeter,
and disappeared. The little captain,
on that occasion, carried Maj. Jo-
seph's field glasses. They looked like
- SD;r 81 81 no,
ing down his back.
Somewhere in the foray the little
captain rode ahead of his men alone
to reconnoiter. He came to a small
creek and rode his steed to the mid
die of it and threw down the rein to
let the animal quench its thirst. He
lighted his pipe and was in a sort Of
reverie when he saw rifle pointed
toward him from a brush thicket on
the bank ahead.
"'Vell,' said the little captain, 'vot
id is dot you vant?'
"A voice from the thicket replied:
'Skedaddle.'
"'Atl rightd,' said the captain, and
taking up the reins he turned his
steed. AS he did so sharp Halt
rang out from thicket on the bank
for which he was headed, and q mo-
ment later rifle barrel appeared.
"'Vell,' said the little captain, 'vot
id is you want mid me?'
'Skedaddle,' was the reply.
''The little captain turned his face
to the other shore and the rifle
which first challenged him was still
in evidence.
"'Say, look here, dot aind rightd in
you fellers. I can't skiddadle, as you
call it, venN vos covered pehint and
pefore. Vot you want me to do,
slump in der vater?
"Yes,' called out one, get in the
creek and come ashore. Send your
horse back
"The little captain was in the act
of obeying orders, when one of the
guerrillas told him to ride out, which
he did. He was taken to 'headquar-
ters,' which was brush heap, and
kept several days, and then released,
but he returned to Maj. Josephs
without the majors field glasses.
"Some years after the. war, in which
the captain became major in the vol
unteer army and Won his spurs, he was
swapping "reminiscences with one of
the, men. who captured him in mid
stream in the early days. He said to his
captor:
81 never understood W you fellers
diddeu keep NE ven you het me dot
time
"'Well, MAJOR" said the old guer-
:illa, after we had. kept you two or
three days we concluded it would be
cheaper to fight you than feed you, SO
we turned you loose
"'Vell,' said the major, I vos purity
hungry dot time ven I vos captured,
but You vos purity hungry ven der war
vos ofer. is dot not SOP
"Then they had the most genuine re-
union that ever saw"