Hattiesburg daily news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-01
Private Herman Moisner


hurrying to the frontier. One morning |
before the days march began young
recruit was brought before the colonel
Of the Eighty-seventh regiment Of the
line in arrest.
This il Private Herman Meisner,"
said his captain. Last night he vol
nntarily relieved one Of the guard and
connived at the escape Of prisoner
under charge Of sleeping on post. He I
admits this, but says that the man he
released, Carl Meisner, Is his cousin"
| 1t happened that the colonel was a
kindly man, one who would naturally |
be touched by such friendly devotion.
/ The culprit was mere boy, with Sax
| on hair and blue eyes.
"How long have you been in the |
| army?" asked the commander.
.Two weeks"
s"Captain, this young fellow Is doubt
less ignorant Of the enormity Of his
| offense, and we need every man at
his post Of duty. You may release
him. Has the escaped prisoner been
rearrestedY'
\
The march was resumed. In the
evening as the colonel was refreshing
himself with smoke the captain re-
turned with Private Herman Meisner
again in arrest. g
Colonel" he said, "when the pt on
ers were inspected after the dAy's
march Private. Carl Meisner was miss
ing, and this man, Private Herman
Meisner, was in his place.
The colonel knit his brows.
.'What did you do that for" he asked
/ Of the boy, latter my leniency to you
this morning?"
"They told me my cousin would like
ly be shot for sleeping on post"
s'That is his affair, not yours. Do
you want to get yourself shot in his
placer
II would rather, colonel"
sThat's very, very ridic--very noble
; Of you, but it's unjust to yourself. 1t
. seems to me, captain, that this boy
has the true elements Of soldier In
) him, but he needs instruction. You
may return him to duty. Has the real
prisoner been rearrested !"
Eyes, colonel"
The next morning Private Meisner
was again brought before the colonel
. for having made third attempt to
j free his cousin. This time he had fail
ed to even get the prisoner away from
the guard. The colonel sent the in
corrigible Herman back to take his
place with the other prisoners, to stand
trial at the proper time for mutiny.
"You are little fool" said the COM
# mander. "Your cousin will be shot for
& sleeping on post, and you win be shot
IS for mutiny."
!. Herman smiled.
Are you sure he's sane, captainT'
asked the colonel.
Perfectly sane"
"Well take him away"
The next day there was a roar OF
artillery at the front. AS the colonel
It was mounting his horse the captain
appeared and, saluting, said:
"The prisoners desire permission tc
coming battle."
!, Grant 1t for any in whom you have
u confidence. suppose those two cous
er ms are among the applicants"
n "Carl Meisner has applied. His cous
is in who tried to effect his escape hal
le not"
,d "That's strange" said the colonel
of and, putting spurs to his horse, b.
! rode away.
:, That day was fought the battle o
- Gravelotte. When 1t was over the cap
lr tain appeared before his colonel, thi
4 time with both the Meisner cousins.
IS colonel he said. Il have to repor
that / decided to put all the prisoner
In the ranks for battle. Carl MeisneI
q. | who was in arrest for sleeping on posi-
, distinguished himself by conspicuou
gallantry. His cousin Herman raj
and hid himself behind log"
~ The colonel looked at the prisoner i
perplexity.
and you." he said to Herman, ear
\ the man who wished to get yoursel
shot to save your cousinr'
The colonel expected him to han
his head in shame. He did no sue
thing. He simply smiled, smiled wit
his beautiful blue eyes, his delicatel
curved lips, every feature in his boyis
face.
II WISH" said the colonel to the car
tain, s'they would stop robbing th
cradle to procure material for th
army" Then to Herman, How Of
are you, boyT'
Twenty"
& The colonel sat thinking. Present.
he said to the captain:
"See that the charges against Ca
Meisner are Withdrawn and make hi
corporal. As for this coward-wht
the dickens he meant by trying to g
himself shot in place Of his cousin
m don't know. but we can't be incun
- bered with him on campaign -ser
him back under charges Of both M
III tiny and cowardice."