Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-02-24
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Disputed War Point.
IOrigin2l.1

tOrlgln2l.l
Two war veterans were sitting over
bottle talking about their campaigns.
do you remember the day we NOV
ed out of Murfreesboro. Tenn, in the
summer of '63:'' asked one. Dargan by
name.
Perfectly" replied his comrade. En-
field
Il was then lieutenant in the til in
fantry and on staff duty"
And | captain in the til cavalry,
commanding the generals escort
II was with Thomas corps on the
right. We moved day ahead of you
fellows in the center and left you
know. and swung across your front to
the eastward Well. the night before
you moved we had got TO II point in
front and south of you. My general
sent me up to Murfreesboro with dis
patches for the army commander. 1t
was murky night. and l was obliged
to ride ten or fifteen miles. though l
had been in the saddle since ) o'clock
i'll the morning. | reached Rosecrans
headquarters-in a hOuse-at midnight
Orders had been issued for the center
left to move in the morning, and the
members OF the staff and other officers
were in a big room chatting and laugh
ing and singing. They would not have
sung so loud if they could have been
ahead - Chickamauga and being pent
up in Chattanooga. | waited till L was
sent for 10 go into the private room.
where 1 found plenty more in attend
ance on the commander in chief, while
Of6narS yuara aon1infr and sTninp every
minute / was handed an envelope con-
tanning reply to my generals queries
and was about to depart when | caught
the commanders eye
"'NO one would ever take you for 4
soldier he said You'll do. Go ahead
Il couldn't very well understand
what he meant, but as he told me to
go l made no inquiries. Why, no one
would take me for soldier
We'll. now, this is very singular"
Enfield interrupted The general said
that to me-"
YOU
Yes"
What had you to do with it!'
Il have told you l commanded the
generals escort. He had just ordered
me to take ten men and carry an order
through to Sheridan, whose division
was somewhere down in the front, and
as | went out he looked at me and
said: No one would ever take you
for a soldier You'll do. Go ahead 1
confess | never understood why he
didn't think l looked soldierly"
"Why, Enfield. you're crazy. 1 was
looking the general straight in the
eye when he spoke, and he cOuldn't
have said the words to any one else"
Now. Dargan. if he spoke them to
you what's your explanation of them :"
Il don't know. Perhaps he meant
looked reliable"
Nonsense"
"Supposins lie was speaking to you,
what's your cXplanatiOn:'
'Why-he meant-just what you
think he meant in speaking to you
Enfield. you're Il fool
And you're conceited ass
IF it were not for the wound in my
shoulder and that I've been rheumatic
ever since that miserable campaign
I'd punch your head"
IF l were not past sixty instead of
twenty-One, as l was then. with stiff
leg from the bullet l got in my knee
at Mission Ridge I'd kick you out of
this room
What's all this noise. comrades?"
cation, came up to the table where the
vets" were sitting.
I'll tell You. Jernegan." said Oar
gan. The night before the Army of the
Cumberland moved out of Murfrees-
boro | was at Rosecrans' headquarters.
and when l went away the general said
to me: No one would ever take you for
a soldier. You'll do. Go ahead
bargains statement is correct said
Enfield. except in one respect; the gen
eral said that 10 me. | commanded his
escort and was TO take dispatches
through TO Sheridan. Those were the
last words General Rosecrans said to
me before l went. Now, Jernegan.
don't you think it more likely that he
spoke to me. commander of his escort,
whom he had sent out on duty, than 20
Dargan here. whom he had probably
never seen before?"
Before the statement was finished
JerneGan began TO laugh. He laughed
so loud and so long without speaking
that the Contestants anger was turned
from each other to him.
What are you giving us?'' asked
Dargan sharply.
Stop your horseplay and tell us what
you're laughing at" said Enfield.
Why said Jernegan, depressing his
mirth. The spoke the words 10 me-
Your" exclaimed both the others
Yes 1 can explain the whole mat
ter. Listen. That evening my captain