Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-05-30
DAILY STORY
TRANSPoSED WE'D
DING COSTUMES.
LOriEinal.J

tdptllu buliNl0hie uuTluS MS term
of service in the civil war always con-
sidered himself at the foot of Il noun
tain of superior officers
Bullwinkle always thought that if he
could get an independent command.
even of his own company. he could
distinguish himself. When Sherman
marched to Atlanta the captain attain
ed his desire. He was left in the rear
to guard bridge.
There was house near the bridge he
guarded in which lived a family Of
Confederate sympathizers. Bullwinkle
was Informed by Union man that the
place was to be used as q cover for
Confederates to steal upon the bridge
at night and burn it. He sent his see
ond lieutenant. Walter Moore, TO put a
corpora! and four men in the house.
Moore marched his men TO the place
They We're fired on, and Moore ordered
a retreat. When he returned and re-
ported what he had done, or. rather,
had not done Bullwinkle was very an
cry. Moore excused himself on the
ground that he was fired on by women,
and he didn't like that kind Of war
fare. Rullwinkle sent sergeant and
a dozen men, who found no one in tie
house except the family.
Now comes the captains unique dis
tinction. Being independent. far from
a superior. he could do pretty much as
he pleased. He made an example OF
Moore. trying him for cowardice. and
10 q .
to wear women's clothes for sixty days.
Feminine clothing was obtained from
among the citizens. and Moore was
forced to array himself in it, For a
few days the command was much
amused; then Moore's punishment be-
came an old story
One day young cOuntryman with
yellow hair. blue eyes and without the
sign of a beard appeared at headquar-
tiers and asked to he enlisted. He was
accepted, and MoOre'S uniform was
given him temporarily. He was an eff
Terminate little chap. and as the men
were disposed to make Il butt of him
he made friends with Moore. Then
there was sport sure enough. The re
il 1
gether and never appeared in company
without exciting derislve laughter.
The bridge was protected by a block
house. One afternoon several hundred
Confederate troopers cane down t.
drive off the Yanks. Bullwinkle gath
| cred his command, some eighty men
! in the bloCkhOuse. Moore. who OF
course was not acting as lieutenant
| took a musket and fought in the ranks
| The recruit showed himself from the
| first an arrant coward. and both Off
GERS and men looked upon him Will
contempt. Moore. however. excused
the boy on the ground that it was his
| first fight and he would redeem him
self later on.
Finally the COnfederates divided into
two sections. both of which attacked
the blockhouse simultaneously, one ii
front and one in rear The captain di
vided his own force to meet the ad
vancing sections, taking command o.
one section himself and placing thu
| other under his first lieutenant. Moore
was in the lieutenant's section. The
lieutenant was killed. and Moore. un
mindful of his degraded condition ant
feminine dress. sprang at once into tn,
gap and directed the defense will
great GOODNESS and bravery. finally driv
ing his enemies to cover Then he tool
his men to the captains assistance
and the other Confederate section wa
| also driven off Soon after the Con
federates raised the siege and gallOpeI
away.
"You two" said Bullwinkle to Moor
and the recruit when the fight wa
over. change uniforms"
Moore looked much embarrassed, AM
the recruit turned pale.
"Off with that uniform" roared tn
captain to the recruit.
please, captain, mayn't l go off b.
myself to undress:'
Go off by yourself! No, you COW
ard; strip"
Hold on, captain" said Lieutenan
Moore. "We'H hava to make an expla
nation. We're corn red"
IAN explanatio. What eXplans
tion?"
|
when you ordered me to take corpC
: raj and four men to the house up yoI
der l was at a disadvantage. I'd bee
to that house often after taps and ha
been treated very kindly by the famil
living there. One of them, a girl. wa
mighty good to me-"
"A love affair, l suppose" growle
Bullwinkle. That's no excuse in
matter of duty
when we were fired on, | cOuldn
stand to shoot people who had bee
good to me, especially the girl, so
, drew off my men"
"Well. what's that got to do wit
this fellows cowardiceT"
Its kind of hard to explain it, tt
lieutenant labored on, but the fact
the girl heard of my disgrace. INQUIRE
+ on her and her family's account, an
1 wanting to be with me-tO keep me u
you know-she put on a suit of HI