Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1904-12-22

wartime Tales.
The veterans were telling stories
OF their experiences in the Spanish
War. and one was relating the ex-
perience Of o tough recruit. q regu.
lar Bowery boy, who could not get
away from his dialect. Il seemed
impossible, says the New Orleans
Pscdyue, 70 get the man 20 uuder-
stand that there was any good rea-
son for q change In his vernacular.
To him the Colonel was 'his nibs,"
and the other officers were du obed
some equally expressive and quite
as slangy names. Well, one night
he was included In the guard detail.
He was on post No. l-tha, In, he
was stationed within O few feet OF
the guardhouse. In those days the
main duty that fell 70 Us was to look
out for officers aud see that hey
were paid the proper honors. BY
a particular stroke Of bad luck. Gen.
Lee, who was commanding our corps
at that time, took Il into his bead 20
visit our camp that evening. The
tough recruit saw him coming. kuew
his duty, but forgot the proper man.
ner in which he should pass the
word to the guard in order 70 have
It turn out and salute. The more
he thought the more ratified he be.
came. Finally, In desperation, he
fell back on his native idiom and
cried In agony;
For dc Lord s sake, turn out do
whole push, quick Here comes do
main guy!"
"Haw," said another talkative
member Of the party, II don't think
that's such q funny incident. III
tell you something that happened to
an officer OF our regiment. He had
at that time not yet learned TO get
back TO camp at q reasonable hour
Of the night, and one evening, while
making his way from town, missed
his road, wandered afar over the
fields and brought up in the neigh
oorhood OF camp Of negro soldiers.
You know the faculty which the ne.
gro has for getting things mixed.
The instructions usually given q
sentinel are TO halt stranger three
times, and II he Is not obeyed 70 fire
after the third challenge. Doubt
less this was the orders delivered
TO the sentinels ut this particular
camp. But that these sable braves
were not exempt from the general
falling OF their race was evident as
soon as our officer approached one
OF their sentinels.
Halt, dari Who's dat 2"
The answer was, of course, on
Ger the camp"
Again the sentry sang out, Halt,
dab Who's dat"
"Oficer OF the camp" was the
somewhat testy response. "Dout
you know what TO do now? Are
you going to keep me repeati' q of
ficer OF the camp all night long7"
The only response was the repeti-
tim Of the challenge and the accom-
panying demand, Who's dat?
What in Sam Hill is the matter
with you ?"cried the officer. "Don't
you know your orders ?"
Il do know me orders" said the
guard sharply.
We'll, what are they ?"
DE Sargint done tole me TO halt
you three times and den shoot you"
And with that be cocker his rife.
You should nave seen that Off or
sprint for a tree. From there ne
used the only argument Of any s...il
with a coon. He cussed him so ia d
that the negro forgot all about she, t.
ing him. Half an hour later the of-
6cer was able 10 come out from his
hiding place and explain 70 the SIr-
geant Of the guard why be had ~.
sorted to 81 uch = n un ii. nided position.
And when be finally got toour can D
the Colonel read him a lecture for
missing reveille and gave him three
days confinement TO quarters.