Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-02-14
A Bold nInn.

boys kad dieted on that familiar cpl
curean army dish, bean swagen,"
and large amount of rations had ac-
cumulated, which the officers OF the
regiment were anxious to see safely
housed
The regimental quartermaster of the
Fifteenth Maine was worthlngton s.
Locke; his assistant was the redoubt-
able down-east embryo warrior, invet-
crate wag and incarnation Of Yankee
assurance and shrewdness, Lieut. Sam
uel D. Leavltt, later General Leavltt.
Locke and Leavitt were prancing
about on the wharf, the latter shout
ing to the adjutant on the deck of the
vessel TO send him fatigue party TO
unload his rations.
sam was no red-tape man; indeed,
he was so Independent OF any circum-
locutlon Office that he went TO the other
extreme and gave off his orders as If
he were the commandan; of the post
AS might have been expected. the
omnipresent Butler was suddenly on
hand, and the assumption of authority
by this Eastport disciple of Mars WELL
nigh dazed him. lie watched tue per-
Torrance while, then, stepping up to
TIE offender. and focusing his peculiar
eye upon him, gruftiy demanded
who are you, STRIP
Mr.. I.eavitt coolly looked Butler
squarely In the face, and, as uncon-
cerned as though the terrible Gear was
merely company orderly, drawled
out, In his peculiar tones.
who am II I'm Lieut.. Leavitt."
And who the deuce is Lieut. Leav-
ltt?" quoth the irate commander.
TIE pseudo commandant of Ship
Island Strengthened up to his full pro
portions, and, in deliberate, well-meas-
ured, grandiloquent language, drawled ;
Lieut.. Samuel D. Leavitt, OF East
port, Washington County, State OF
Maine, and present assistant commits
sary of subsistence. Fifteenth Maine
Volunteers"
And who, sir. made you assistant
commlssary Of subsistencef" earnestly
and excitedly, his voice fairly trem-
bling with rage.
This was a poser.
Leayltt, green as he was In military
knowledge, well knew that no such
rank was recognized In volunteer regi-
ments; the title was reminiscent
fash from his scEoolboy reading OF
the earlier American war which had
come to him with Buffers first inter.
rogatory.
But he was ever fertile in expedi
ents and after moments hesitation
lie audaciously replied:
Gen Taylor"
''And who the deuce Is this Genera
Taylor you so profoundly quote 2
haughtily demanded the general
But Sam Leavitt paled not,
The crisis had come, but he wat
equal to the occasion.
With mock heroic bow, Chester
tieldian suavity and quiet impudence
he coolly responded.
"Ah! excuse me, general I forge
| yon were a volunteer officer, and no
familiar with tEe names of our regula,
army officers; but | beg leave to In
form you, sir, that Gen Taylor ha,
been eommissary general Of the Unitet
States army for the last twenty
years."
The climax was reached and ON tn,
countenances Of Leayitt's comrades II
arms blank dismay was depicted
| Major Shorey remarked: "Thcy ex
pectcd that he would be marched of
| by a squad Of men and summarily
! slot"
But Leavltt's impudence saved his
| head. Butler threatened him with dir,
vengeance, but the more he thought
| over it the more II tickled bis sense OF
| the ridiculous and the humor Of sun
slime soon pierced the clouds Of execu
tive wrath Sam was let off with a
fatherly admonitIon to go and sin no
more; and ever after Sam y. Leavitt
| late assistant commissary Of subslst-
ence,' was the recipient of fayors Al
Buffers headquarters when other OFF.
GERS were eurtly refused Boston
Globe
A Hero of the CfvfI War.
49,.