Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-06-09
MIKES GREAT SCHEME.
How BE Planned to Secure Easy Pleas
ure When Freed from Army
Discipline.


when the war was over and they were
at home. They would never. so help
them gracious. march a single mile.
They would let the other fellows do
the walking and they would ride They
swore by the great horn spoon that
they would never wear a uniform Of
any sort, and tney would never take
orders from any man. They would
fight shy of all organization and disci-
pine and would do as they darned
please for all the rest OF their lives
Michael Higgins. OF our company,
went further than this. He knew
what he would do when he got home
He would buy a farm in the rolling
country and build him a fine house
with beds or lounges in every blessed
room. He would sleep whenever he
wanted TO. He would hire a bugler
and a drummer TO come under his
window every morning TO play reveille.
Just as they would get q fair start
he would get out of bed, open the win
dow, and say 10 their faces: To the
divil wild We, ye blatherin' spalpeens
Stop yer noise and get out Of this
quick Then the drummer and the
bugler would sneak away and Mike
would so back to bed and rejoice that
army days were over.
This was Mikes idea OF revenge on
those who had made a business Of
waking him up in the army. He
would take solid comfort in being
walked up that he might order the
bugiers and drummers to get out We
had lieutenant who was almost as
bad as Mike. He declared time and
again that he would buy an island far
out in the Pacific, where he could
never by any chance see a soldier or
gun or hear a shot fired He entered
the regular army in 1866. worked his
way TO the rank OF major, and was
wounded on San Juan hill in 1898.
Even the major general command
ing our division declared that when
peace was declared he would retire to
his old college town. seek the ap-
pointment of president OF some uni.
yersity or college. and eschew poll
tics and military affairs. But he was
elected governor of his state before
he left the army, was appointed a
member of Grants first cabinet, was
later appointed president and receiver
OF great railroad. was elected to con-
grses, and did not become president OF
a law college until many years had
passed.
Most of the men who swore they
never would join any organization be-
came members OF the G. A. II. and
kept alive their old comradship. Many
OF the men who declared they never
would march mile or carry a KNAPP
sack went afoot 10 Iowa, Kansas and
Nebraska with knapsacks on their
backs. In 1865 / met scores OF them
travelling across the country sleeping
out OF doors as they did in the army.
and too often foraging on the country
as they did in war times When
took the stage in Iowa I found four
well-dressed, quiet fellows in the
choice seats They apparently were
unacquainted with each other. and had
little TO say rhey impressed me as
successful business men we'll up in the
ways OF the world
The second night out We learned
that the hotel where we expected to
spend the night had been burned down.
and that the only other hotel in the
small town was more than full. When
we asked for accommodations. the wor-
ried landlord said he had from four
TO eight people in every bedroom. that
he had given up the dining-room 10
four ladies. that his parIor was In
possession of people sleeping on the
floor. and there wasn't place for us.
Thereupon one OF my travelling friends
said: What about the Office floor here?
Has anyone rented that? The land
lord said ii was at our service, il we
could sleep on the bare floor.
First one and then another and an
other of the travellers said as he had
spent four years in the army he could
sleep anywhere. The fourth man said:
The same here. and / fell in with: L
am just out OF the service Then.
much TO the surprise OF the landlord.
the quintet Of soldiers spread news
papers on the floor. took blankets
out OF their packs, and were soon
settled comfortably TOR the night. The
next morning each one declared that
he had sworn that he would never
do such thing as he had done that
night, and that he had cut away from
all army associations and habits. Each
felt that he had had enough of rough
ing il, but in the next two weeks we
did as much roughing II TO the square
inch as we ever did in the army.
"One night an old farmer said wa
might sleep in his barn II we wouldn't
smoke. | said at once that had had
the honor of sleeping in Col. Reedy's
barn down at Reedyville. Tenn, and
the farmer. holding out his hand. said.
by hockey, so did l. but my barn is
better than Reedy's was at that time
because IL is cleaner and has more
hay in 1t. and it won't be necessary TO
sleep on your rides Looking al the
man closely, | saw he was one OF NV
old company. and, overjoyed at the
meeting, the man who had slept in
Reedy's barn made US comfortable In
his own barn. bringing from his little
house arm load after arm load of bed
clothes. The next morning ne reclared
at breakfast that his experiences in
Nebraska had been as fouQh a. 49,.