The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1905-04-20
G6e ARMY KICKER

II Hdu Uecu huOWu Ill Tue OCNculu III
! fantry for months that Captain Harper
Of Company D and Captain White Of
Company q were bitter enemies The
bitterness between them dated back
for years-way back to the days when
| as young men both loved the same
| girl
One day the two companies were de-
tailed 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
ed powders together for a breastwork.
and the men in blue stationed behind it.
A corporal and two men We're sent up
the gap hundred yards to take posi-
ton as vedettes, and as they sat down
on rock one of the privates said:
Look here. Corp. 1t seems to me
that thera is a sight Of foolin' around
in this old army Of ours. What are
| they expcctin' us to do here?"
Flight. mebbe." replied the corporal
as he lighted his pipe
SVoc that's i,,cf lilo Coporo1 Cror%
Here we are. about ninety strong. and
he expecrs us to hold this gap agin TO-
GOO Johnny fighters. I'm no hand to
kick. but
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 a COW shed when
it's. rainin' outdoors, but mebbe l can
drive an idea into your skull. Here
we are. amt we!'
I'VE 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 Wen have a thousand on us be
fore that old brass watch of yours says
it's u o'clock noon. Can less'n hun
dred 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
! 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. Well
do our own Sighting 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,
"Waal, he might do Il heap wuss," re-
piled the private as he opened his
haversack to get bite to eat. You
jest mind. however, what said about
Captain Harper. l can fight and kick
too. and you needn't be afraid Of my
runnin' away, but when the sun goes
down tonight there won't be no more
of Company D."
Half an hour passed away, and then
the three vedettes caught sight of a
dozen Confederates making their way
down the gap. There was every rea.
son to believe that large force was
behind them.
Il told you they'd be comm down
this gap. growled the kicker as he
made ready with his musket There's
a whole regiment behind them fellers
and We'll be chawed up in ten minits
Il sort O. think we'd better fall back.
answered the corporal. 'They are com
ing down the gap sure enough, ant
they'll be right on top of us next thing
Come on
/ The Confederates marching down thu
gap numbered full regiment. and fiv,
minutes after the retreat of the We
dettes Company G was fighting for it.
life. Captain White saw at once tina
he was vastly outnumbered and tina
he must be REINFORCED. and. though i
went against the grain to do it, he sen
off messenger to Captain HArper
Tell him l have no men to spare ant
that he must hold his position to til,
last man." was the word that cam,
back.
The men Of Company G were told o
the message. and after a moment o
cursing they swung their hats ant
cheered. They could not hope to holt
the position quarter Of an hour long
or, but they would obey orders ant
die there. The Confederates had doz
ems of men killed as they charged tn
rocky breastwork. but they came agail
and again and always reaped an ad
vantage.
They finally brought up fieldpiece
and the men who had been fighting
} with faint glimmer Of hope nov
groaned out in despair. Three or fou
: solid shot tore the breastwork Il
pieces. and the remnant of the surviv
ors could only hug the ground ant
continue to fire. There were calls 70
surrender. but no orders to retreat. B,
and by the Confederates formed ul
again and made another dash, and thi
time they carried the gap.
ut was purity fightin'," explained tn
: wounded kicker to his comrades /,