The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-01-18
DIE ARMY KICKER

| xantry for months that Captain Harper
ef Company d and Captain White of
Company g were bitter enemies. The
bitterness between them dated back
Tor years-way back to the days when
% young men both loved the same
girl
One day the two companies were de-
eailed to reach and hold two gaps in
the mountains FIVE miles away. Com
pany B was sent on to cover the
mouth Of Green Cove gap, which was
really the post Of danger. At Smokers
gap, taken by the other company, the
trail was so narrow and rough that no
body of troops could be sent through it.
At the cove there was a road over
which divisions had marched, and their
guns and wagons had followed.
Company G reached its position, roll
Cd powders together for a breastwork,
and the men in blue stationed behind it.
A corporal and two men were sent up
the gap hundred yards to take posi-
don as vedettes, and as they sat down
on rock one Of the privates said:
"Look here, Corp. 1t seems ia me
that there is sight of foolin' around
tn this old army Of ours. What are
they eXpectin' us to do here?"
Eight, mebbe," replied the corporal
O. he lighted his pipe.
Eyes, that's just like General Grant.
Here we are, about ninety strong, and
he expects us to hold this gap agin 49,
coo Johnny fighters. I'm no hand to
kick, butt.
"Then what you kicking for?'' de-
manded the corporal. you are the
worst old growler in the company.
You'd kick if they offered you your
discharge tomorrow"
"Look here, corporal, you don't know
enough to walk under COW shed when
it's rainin' outdoors, but mebbe l can
drive an idea into your skull. Here
we are, amt WEI"
1--WE amt anywhere else"
"Then that's settled. Down there is
Company d, two miles away We are
to hold one gap-they the other. They
won't see cussed Johnny down there,
while We'll have thousand on us be-
fore that old brass watch of yours says
It's u O'clock noon. Can less'n hun
bred men lick 100000"
1--WE heard of such things" placidly
replied the corporal.
"Oh, you have! We can lick no TO-.
600, nor yet 500, but the pint want to
make is that Company D won't move
q foot to back us. That Internal Cap
tain Harper will see us all wiped out
before he'll give an order.''
Nobody wants him to back us. Wen
do our own fighting and get the glory
Of it. Say, Bill, General Grant give
me little p'inter for you the other
day. He said If you'd cut your hair,
wash your feet and stop kicking he'd
make brigadier of you right off,
WAL, he might do heap wuss,' re-
Piled the private as he opened his
haversacz to get bite to eat. "You
Jest mind, however, what said about
Captain Harper. 1 can fight and kick,
too. and you needn't be afraid of my
runnin' away, but when the sun goes
dow tonight there won't be no more
OF { 9any d.
h. an hour passed away, and then
the three vedettes caught sight Of
dozen Confederates making their way
down the gap. There was every rea-
son to believe that large force was
behind them.
II told you they'd be comm down
this gap" growled the kicker as he
made ready with his musket. There's
q whole regiment behind them fellers,
and We'll be chawed up in ten minits."
II sort O. think we'd better fall back"
answered the corporal. "They are com.
ing down the gap sure enough, and
they'll be right on top of us next thing.
Come on"
The Confederates marching down the
gap numbered full regiment, and five
minutes after the retreat of the We
dettes Company G was fighting for its
life. Captain White saw at once that
he was vastly outnumbered and that
he must be REINFORCED, and, though it
went against the grain to do 1t, he sent
81 messenger to Captain Harper.
Tell him have no men to spare and
that he must hold his position to the
hast man." was the word that came
back.
The men Of Company G were told of
The message, and after a moment of
cursing they swung their hats and
cheered. They could not hope to hold
the position quarter of an hour long
q, but they would obey orders and
die there. The Confederates had doz-
ems Of men killed as they charged the
rocky breastwork, but they came again
and again and always reaped an ad.
vantage.
They finally brought up fleldpiece,
and the men who had been fighting
with faint glimmer Of hope now
Groaned out in despair. Three or four
solid shot tore the breastwork to
pieces, and the remnant of the surviv.
ors could only hug the ground and
continue to fire. There were calls for
surrender, but no orders to retreat. By
and by the Confederates formed up
again and made another dash, and this