Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1905-01-28
Some Enlisted Men.

some EniiSteo men.
81 remember" said the major "sev-
eral men with histories who enlisted
in the first three months of the war
TO carry muskets. There were a full
hundred men in my company in the
three months service, but l didn't
know the antecedents of more than
twenty of them. All were well APP
pearing men, and a few seemed to me
rollicking dare-devils looking for trou-
BILE adventure. 1 noticed in the
first weeks drill in the mud of camp
one man who was disregardful of in
jury to a very fine pair of trousers,
which he wore every day. These
would be crusted with mud half way
to the knees some days and yet the
wearer was never disturbed.
Every garment that he wore was
of fine material, and he started in
every morning clean as to person and
apparel. However, he trotted around
with the most awkward of men, max
ing no remarks, until some visitors
identified him one day as the son of
an old army officer who had run away
from school and enlisted. For years
l watched with interest his steady
promotion in the regular army. An
other man puzzled me not little He
was fair skinned, pink checked,
slender young fellow, very choice in
his speech, and gracious in manner.
One day there was scrap in his
mess and he handled himself SO well
that 1 asked, Where did you learn to
use your fists?' Taken off his guard,
he said, AT Elton, sir and in a few
weeks l learned that he was young
Englishman who, travelling in this
L
listed. He served a year and was
sent home by the British minister.
In one of the early drills 1 noticed
a man who seemed to regard the drill
officer with smiling wonder. but who
was stupidity or perversely awkward
in executing commands. One day 1
ordered him to the front and said
good humoredly, The awkward squad
will give an exhibition drill for the
benefit of officers and men Without
more ado 1 put him through the
French zouave drill, and, much to the
amazement of the men, he executed
every movement with marvellous dis
patch and precision. 1 then put him
through our own manual, and he did
as well as in the zouave drill. He had
been having lots of fun, but the next
day took up without protest the work
of drill master for several companies.
In a few days he complained of a
'darned Dutchman' in one of the COM
panies, given, he thought, to deriding
his methods. | sent for the quiet
German and asked him what he had
to say for himself He said at once,
That Frenchman is not a man to drill
others for practical work. He is too
much inclined to frills and snowy
@al,
ing him, and he has no character
whatever, but l never meant to make
any complaint, because all this is
none of my business A few ques-
tions brought out the fact that 1 had
in the company half a dozen men who
had received military training in Eu-
rope, and most of them were service
able in a larger field later in the war;
Chicago Inter Ocean.
Army Nurse for Three Years.
Mrs Margaret Hamilton, whose ex-
perience as an army nurse is one of
the most interesting, is secretary of
the Massachusetts, State association.
She was born in Rochester, N. Y.
Her family were Roman Catholics,
and, being religiously inclined, she
desired to become sister of charity.
Her wishes met with great opposi-
ton from her father, but finally, in
1850 she was allowed to enter an or
phan asylum of the order as an as
pirant-
After three months probation she
was sent to the mother house at
Emmitshurg. Md. where she was six
months under instruction AS soon
as she was qualified. she was given
the habit of the order. and was sent
to the orphan asylum at Albany to
teach This was during the autumn
of 1861.
The wa- having broken out, Mrs.
Hamilton w:lo of course, was not
then married. began to regret that
she was unable TO so as nurse. But
in the early spring of 1862, an order
came from the mother house for
three sisters and herself to go to the
Satte;lee l.. S. military hospital
West Philadelphia.
Arriving there. she found a few
other sisters. among them being
niece OF Cen Bcauregard who had