Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-03-16
"A DISPUTED
WAR POINT
toriginai.l


el ous of Murfreesboro, Tenn, In the
Summer OF '63?' asked one. Dargan by
name.
Perfectly" replied his comrade. En-
field.
II was then lieutenant In the -th in
fantry and on staff duty"
And | a captain In the -th cavalry,
commanding the generals escort
Il was with Thomas corps on the
right. We moved a 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 a point In
front and south of you. My general
sent me up to Murfreesboro with dis
patches for the army commander. 1t
was a murky night. and l was obliged
to ride ten or fifteen miles, though |
had been In the saddle since o'clock
in the morning. | reached Rosecrans'
headquarters-in 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 big room chatting and laugh
ing and singing. They would not have
sung so loud IL they could have been
ahead 49, Chickamauga and being pent
UP in Chattanooga. | waited till was
sent for to go into the private room.
where found plenty more In attend
ance on the commander in chief, while
officers We're coming and going 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 a
soldier he said You'll do. Go ahead
Il couldn't very well understand
what he meant. but as he told me to
go | made no inquiries. Why, no one
would take me for a soldier
well, now, this is very singular"
Enfield interrupted. ''The general said
that to me-"
"You?"
Eyes"
"what had you to do with it?''
II have told you | 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 l went out he looked at me and
said: No one would ever take you
for soldier You'll do. Go ahead l
confess never understood why he
didn't think l looked soldierly."
why, Enfield, you're crazy. l 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 themT'
Il don't know. Perhaps he meant
that though 1 didn't look soldierly l
looked reliable
Nonsense"
'Supposing he was speaking to YOU
what's your explanation"
"Why-he meant-just what you
think he meant in speaking to YOU
Enfield, you're a fool
"And you're a conceited ass"
''If it We're not for the wound in my
shoulder and that I've been rheumatic
ever since that miserable campaign
I'd punch your head"
'If 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 comradesT
inquired man who, seeing the alter
cation, came up to the table where the
''vets" were sitting
"I'li 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
| soldier. You'll do. Go ahead
bargains statement is correct" said
Enfield, except in one respect; the gen.
| erai said that TO me. / commanded his
| escort and was to take dispatches
| through to Sheridan. Those We're the
| last words General Rosecrans said &c
me before | 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 TO
| Dargan here, whom he had probably
never seen beforeT"
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 REFRESHING his
mirth, 'he spoke the words to me-"
Your exclaimed both the others.
Yes. | can explain the whole mat
ter. Listen. That evening my captain
called for volunteers to go out and dc
| spy work. l volunteered and was &C
cepted. My captain sent me up to Gen
eral Rosecrans' headquarters all rugged
out in 'butternut.' General Rosecrans
told me that | was to work my way
down 10 the southwest and find out