The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-06
THE EVENING STORY
a DisgruntIed Veteran.

- 0ASSEuAkA1E4 veteran
In the spring of 1851 marched away
Win the boys in blue. No one who has
been born since those stormy days can
realize the enthusiasm. the patriotism
the war spirit, that pervaded all classes.
When a regiment departed for the front
the streets were lined with people, the
WINDOWS were filled with women waving
du4euS and huzzas rolled on with the
tIanplng men like ocean pillows follow
ing a ship.
Nevertheless these acclamations had
little effect to rouse me from a certain
melancholy. I realized that when got
into camp at the front they would be
replaced by the wind and rain, the bull
let, shot and shell and, worse than all
these, disease. Besides I was parting
from Ruth Halliwell, whom had long
unsuccessfully courted, but who, see
ing me an embryo soldier, had given
way to the enthusiasm Of the moment
and promised that when I returned a
nero she would bestoW her hand on me.
Well, found the condition at the
front as had expected. We were not
even near the first great battlefield
Bull Run. At the time it was fought
we were lying in camp, becoming very
tired of our occupation. Then we en-
gagged in number Of petty slSirmishes,
! in some Of which a very large proper
ton of the force engaged were killed,
| but they made no stir among our
friends at the north, for they were not
/ battles. 1 got sick and spent weeks in
! hospital. I recovered and was shot
while on picket and nursed my wound
/ Tor three months in hospital. Indeed,
during the whole war I escaped every
one of the great battles, fighting con-
stantly in small affairs, in many Of
which there was less chance of my es-
Gaping alive than in a battle. I was
/ wounded seven times, had every fever
known in the south, including the
dreaded yellow fever, and at last was
discharged because the government did
not think it would pay to try to get me
wei enough to fight again. But this
was only a few months before the close
of the war.
I expected to be received in the
north with the same enthusiasm as
when had left Instead I found thai
discharged soldiers had been coming
an old story Indeed bounty jumping
had become SO common that some per-
sons looked at me askance, wondering
If I were not in that line.
When I got near enough to my
home to meet friends they began al
once to ask me to tell my experiences
or, rather, to ask me what great bat
/ ties I had participated In. I was
obliged to reply, None" The looA
of disappointment on their faces
pierced me like bayonet.
What In no battle at ALP was
the universal exclamation.
mot a battle, but I was in hun
dreds of big fights and skirmishes, was
often wounded. had innumerable dis
eases and after one campaign came
very near dying from the exposure
had suffered"
This enumeration of hardships pro.
duced no effect whatever. For any
credit I got for it I might as well have
stayed at home. When I reached
! home I walked UP the street, mentally
/ 1iPfHTinp the 7 had VE-ffr nCcnd q
my departure. Now every one was
busy with the ordinary affairs of life
I would not have known the country
was at war. When I met friends
ties were you in % was obliged tC
make the negative reply, always call
I ing forth an expression which seemed
/ to say, You're no soldier; you We
doubtless been all the while with the
/ provost guard at Washington. Their
they would turn to discuss horse race
or a baseball game with great gusto
But the cruelest blow was to FIND
| that the girl I left behind me- haC
given herself to another. She had
been more patriotic than the most OF
them and had chosen a soldier. She
! had waited in vain to hear Of my dis.
| tinguishing myself in some great battle
and had at last given me up as a very
| common place soldier. Then came {
man who had entered the army il
January, 1852, been in the reserves a
Shiloh and had resigned to go hons
and run for the legislature. This ris
ing young man had supplanteds me
and the wedding had taken place {
few weeks prior to my return.
It is now 40 years since that return
, and I have lived those 40 years with
out exciting the slightest enthusiasm
as q soldier. I have answered thou
sands of questions as to what battles
/ fought in and on my reply have re
/ ceived the same expression of disap
| pointment. But have been someWha
1 Modified as to my own case Tor
| though my best friend died in the wa
of camp fever, I find that even he L
not considered to have been OF an.
| especial service to his country or a
least to have done anything heroic.
/ More than this. in these later days
have discovered that no man can nav
/ been one of the heroes Of the war t.
the mass OF unWarlike people who Ia
not participated in the one battle tina
is now considered the decisive engage
! ment of the War-GettySburg NJ
| one on learning that I am veteran
i now asks me what battle partici
/ pated in but whether 1 was at the bat
4 lie of Gettysburg. I once replied tina
Il I was not, but, to try the effect, said
was at all the other great battles o
the war. The result was the same
/ There was the inevitable disappoint
ment. Not to have been at Gettys
burg was not to have been in the ciVi
/ If there is already no remembered
4 battle of that war save Gettysburg
i will not the day come when there vii
be only one hero-Grant?
/ AUSTIN A. KINGSLEY.
POINTED PARAGRAPHS.