Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-10-26

I
His Oldest brother was the colonel of
a Wisconsin regiment, but no plea
,a,.t the boy could make would get the
coleaei 10 allow Bub to so along with
the commsnd.
Nainly he crossed Lake winnebago
and hung around the camp at 0sE
kosh; he was sternly ordered home
and advised to so TO school and mind
his mother.
Bub disappeared from camp, and
the regiment soon after started south.
They were headed FOR the front, going
by way of Coyington, Ky. Here they
stopped for few days TO drill and get
used TO their uniforms and arms and
one day the colonel, who had been out
riding, as he approached the regi-
mental camp, detected something like
boys form, clothed partly In white,
very evidently trying to hide behind
some trees and bushes along the road
Riding up to the shrinking figure the
colonel recognized Bub
1t was raining gently but persistent
", and Bub was a sorry picture in his
suit of CASTOR clothing which he had
secured from the men OF the regiment,
his neither garment being but part of
much larger mans underclothing
He had on an old drummer's jacket,
however, and this he relied upon to
give him martial appearance, and
even to overcome the effect Of the more
ludicrous part of his dress.
The colonel took Bub under bis wing
and caused him 10 be placed In the fife
and drum corps For few days the
boy was happy. but 1t was not for long
The regiment was hurried TO the fir
ing Tine. and soon found itself in the
thick of the battle of Perryville, and
In the hottest part OF 1t, TOO. The losses
were appalling The colonel was. 1t
was thought. mortally wounded, and
almost every officer was killed or
wounded. From home came men and
women to care for the wounded or to
take the bodies Of the slain north.
With these returning people, some
how. Bub got home In his fifer's uni
form he was the very picture OF bray,
cry and romance to the other children,
and his tales Of battle aud march, Of
camp and drill. were such as We're
never heard, l believe. before or since
for Bub had plenty Of imagination.
When the colonel was brought home,
| an emaciated skeleton. he said of Bub
that II was evident that the boy had
had soldering enough. But 1t proved
to have been only the first taste, Great
ing an appetite for military glory.
A year or two later Bub really en-
listed In a cavalry regiment and went
through the last eighteen months Of
the war with great credit. He grew
to be quite a big lad while he was
away, and later developed into giant
after his warning days were over
But the boy would not go to school,
and soon ran down TO Chicago and
enlisted In the United States heavy
artillery. This took him to Dry Tor
tugas, the island prison in the Gulf Of
Mexico, and there he had enough 81
military routine to last him a lifetime
From the free life OF one Of sher
mans bummers to that Of fort IN
the sea was too great a transition
When yellow fever began to devastate
the command on the island, Bub wilted
He wrote to his brother, the colonel
and begged 70 be released from his
obligation to serve three years, the
time for which he enlisted
Half OF the men are dead" he
wrote, "and next year yellow fever
will come with redoubled fury. If
you'll take me out and get me north
once more | win agree TO be decent
and 60 to college. even, If that is your
wish But I'd rather drive the stage
between Fond du Lac and Chiffon"
The appeal was needed. Bub was
under age, aud his brother succeeded
In getting him ont of the army. and
the boy started life again as free
agent. And that was the end of his
soldering lie brought home from Dry
Tortugas a lot Of shells and n doleful
ballad about "The prison In the sea"
And to the boys and girls of the com
munity he was forever more hero
beyond conpare.--Ada G. Sweet, In
| Chicago Journal.