The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-31
Men. the Enemy are in Front of Us

81 am sorry to say that our gallant
dash was misconstrued in certain
quarters. The brigadier, for instance,
said he couldn't make out why we
try after an enemy who was close at
hand. repeated the words of my
fervid address to him, but it was no
go. I told him of our wish to die for
our country but ne only smiled. AT
length, sab, at length, when he be-
came sarcastic, I remarked that he
was my superior officer and outside of
any challenge from me, but if we both
lived to the end of the wah he would
be forced to meet me on the field OF
honah. For my words I was put un-
der arrest for two weeks.
Colonel Johnson, of my own bril-
gade, was another who did not under
stand the situation 1t was just at the
time blackberries were ripe, and would
you believe, sab. that he had the inn
pudence to ask me if I had taken my
regiment on a little trip to gather the
succulent fruit I had him chal-
ing to the field selected 1 fell over
stone and injured my back SO that I
was laid up for a month. At the end
of that time Colonel Johnson was
did not meet again until all was over.
Then he came up to me one day with
outstretched hand and said:
Colonel Bunker, have had al
that thing over, and 1 have come to
the conclusion that blackberries had
nothing to do with it. l think you
were inspired altogether by heroism,
he would have been slain to the last
man. Forget the words spoken years
ago, sah-forget them
II had to forget them, sab. You can't
force a man to fight you after he has
apologized. 1t was only a few weeks
later when met the brigadier. The
war as over and he had gone to keep
ing a grocery 1 walked in on him one
day, but before could make remark
he came busting forward to say:
Colonel Bunker, 1 am glad to see
you. sah-nnighty glad. When you
wanted to die for your country at sec
ond Manassas and made dash of three
miles in hopes to find some one to kill
you, I did not exactly appreciate the
sentiment nor the situation. 1 have
given them much thought since. and I
have come to the conclusion that you
were right-rno' than right. Accept my
hand, sah and let us bury the Ratchet
''Those were his words, sab, while his
demeanor was in consonance with them
And what could do but shake his hand
and order twenty pounds of sugar sent
to my house as elincher?
Another of my critics was Majah
Hoke. The Majah insisted that my
wish to die for my country had nothing
to do with it. That had been ordered
to hold a certain position, and that it
was my duty to do it. That it looked
more like leading a regiment out to
play a game of baseball than to fight
and other remarks that cut deep I
could not challenge him, he being my
inferior, but tweaked his nose for him.
and stated that if he would challenge
me 1 would waive the difference in
rank.
The Majah was all ginger, sab He
had the challenge ready in ten minutes,
and all was arranged to meet next nav
ming Each was fully determined to
kill the other, but we were not to meet.
That night while he was going the
rounds of the pickets he was so badly
kicked by an army mule that he was
sent to the hospital A few days later
he was gobbled up by the enemy and
held prisoner to the end of the wah /
met him on the streets of this town a
year later. 1 was about to glare at him
and pass him by when he held up his
hand for me to halt, and said:
= Colonel Bunker, have come to the
conclusion that my words of years ago
were urcalled for. You were put in a
certain place 10 exercise your best judg-
ment, and whatever. you did was right
wish 70 recall those words sab, and I
wish you to accompany me around the
corner and take a nip in honoh of the
renewal of our friendship.
at was a time when all men were
burying their animosities, and the