Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-01-31

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the best part of the world has warm
side, If not love, for horse? Here Is
horse story told to me by James b.
Lyon, Of the First Cavalry, who had
no superior in valor and will carry to
the grave a limp and a quarter of
pound of lead. He said: I'VE had in
our company young German named
Schultz. His horse was his especial
pride. Sometimes Schultz went to
sleep without rations, but his horse
never. No matter how scarce or how
hard 1t was to get forage, the young
Germans horse always had an even
ing feed, a thorough rubbing down, a
loving pat and a goodnight, Frank,
in two languages broken English and
German. Many q time have l seen
Schultz skirmlsh for a lunch for his
horse when we halted to make coffee
instead Of preparing his own lunch
While the rest of us stayed in our
tents and read or played cards Schultz
would keep Franks company for hours,
sometimes talking German to him and
sometimes English. Some Of our horses
showed lack Of care; Franks showed
overcare; was always in good order;
in camp he glistened like new plug
hat and seemed as fond Of his master
as his master Of him. When the At
lanta campaign opened, in May, 1864,
there was not a prouder soldier or
prettier horse than Schultz and Frank
in the First.
"Our first night of note in that cam
paign was at Varnell's Station, May 8.
Somebody-never mind Who-made a
mess Of it. Our little brigade, the
Second of the First Cavalry division,
consisting Of the Second and Fourth
Indiana and the First Wisconsin, com
manded by Colonel o. H. La Grange,
was thrown against General Joe Wheel
er's entire command, and we fought it
all day. We started to charge, but
| were halted in a piece Of woods and
were ordered to fight on foot We were
already under fire and in considerable
confusion, and only a portion Of the
command heard the order, so it hap
pened that some of us fought as cav
airy and some as infantry. Schultz re
manned mounted and did heroic SER
vice. Early in the fight his pet was
shot. AS the animal made but little
fuss over it and steadied down quickly
his rider thought it was only a slight
wound and remained in the battle all
day, having Travelled many miles in the
performance Of important and danger
Gus tasks, the wounded animal seem
ing to enter into the spirit Of the work
as completely as his master. That
night, at 8 o'clock. the brigade camped.
The moment Frank was unsaddled he
lay down. Schultz thought it was be-
cause the horse, like himself, was tired,
and, after patting him and telling him
in both languages what a splendid fell
low he had been that day, and thanked
him for carrying him safely through
one Of the hottest battles, he busted
himself with supper-getting. In the
forage bag were several extra ears of
corn. After his own repast of black
coffee, crackers and uncoOked white
has been more thankful for than he
was for the feast of last Thanksgiving,
Schultz shelled the corn and took it to
Frank. The horse did not welcome
him as usual; did not rest his head
on the masters shoulder and look, if
he did not speak. thanks for such
master. He didn't hear Schultz an
nounce In German that he was coming
with double ration. Frank was dead
and stiffening, showing that soon after
lying down life had departed.
when Schultz realized that his pet
was dead he threw the corn down,
dropped by the side of the animal, ten
derby laid one hand on his neck, and
with the other gently rubbed his head,
as he had done many times before, and
sobbed like a child. In talking about
his loss the next day he said: My poor
Frank couldn't tell me he was badly
hurt and ask to go to hospital as I
would have done had l been shot. He
carried me all day as if he thought it
was his duty. and that things would
go wrong if he didn't, and when the
battle was over and 1 was getting sup
per he lay down and died. That horse
was q better soldier than l am-than
any man in the regiment. Not one of
us would have fought all day with
such a hurt as that No one would
have expected it of us. yet l expected
it of Frank and he did not fail me. l
shall never think as much of anything
again as long as l live With this
outburst the poor fellow broke down
again. and none Of his comrades made
light Of the young Germans sorrow
they knew it was sincere"
That was a story about good horse
and a good soldier. Now let me tell
about one of the trials of a good sol
der with a bad horse. The late Gen
eral John A. Kellogg who fought his
way from lieutenant of q company to
commander of a brigade, bought a mag
nifcent roam a few days before Gen
eral Grant began the closing campaign.