The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-01-16

lCopJElBuhl tevff W - ~ 1,A1tlhSnIi
SAY. captain" said the recruiting
sergeant as be entered the room where
bis superior was seated In building
on South street, New York. 1--WE got a
Jim dandy OF recruit. He's sweIl''
"He isn't the sort we want
But he says he's bound to enlist
either in the army or navy"
Bring him In"
The captain had seen Thomas Dali
toms kind before. 1t always began
with false name--the first name that
came into their heads-and it almost
always ended In desertion or tragedy.
He sized the young man up as he
stood at the desk, and he made mental
memoranda as follows:
Hasn't got through college vet. Got
into some scrape. Old man has given
him a dressing down. Young fellow Is
proud and won't stand It, Hasn't the
money to 80 abroad or take tour out
west and Is going to enlist In spite Of
the governor. Old man will buy him
out OF the service In six months. The
mothers tears will make him do 1t.
He's bound to take the army or navy.
Six months of discipline will take
some OF the frolic out Of him, and Ill
give him show to settle down.
The usual questions were asked and
answered, the young man was sent to
the surgeon, and before shutdown he
belonged to Uncle Sam. The sergeant,
being now his superior officer, started
out to patronize the fresh fish,"
1t didn't work. He wanted to talk
con6dentially. The recruit was mum.
Nothing further was learned about
him, and after three or four days he
was sent off to Jefferson Barracks to
go west to Fort Thomas. They want
ed recruits out there. The Sioux were
threatening to go on the warpath again.
There are men among army officers
who should never have been commits
stoned Their temperaments unfit them
to preserve discipline and rule as they
should. Such a man was Captain Cole
man Of Company g. He was quick
tempered, irascible, peevish and O mar
tinet, and Of the ten captains in the
regiment he was oftenest In trouble
with his men and was obliged to re.
port the most assertions. James Dali
ton was assigned to Company G, and
within two days and for no reason that
he or his comrades could argue out the
captain was down on him and showed
it in various ways. 1t wasn't two
weeks before he was in the guard
house for some dereliction that would
have been passed over in another. The
colonel was fatherly man, and In his
desire to be fatherly toward the young
recruit he made matters worse.
Dalton asked for no ones sympathy.
He gave no one his confidence. He
tried his best to obey all regulations
and fit himself for soldier lie would
have had praise from the right sort
Of officer. Indeed, he did have it III
way from the lieutenants Of the com
pany, but there was nothing but
growing and fault finding from the
captain. His conduct almost created a
scandal at the post One day on com
pany drill he was singled out and
needlessly rebnked and sneeringly crit.
icised and ordered off to the guard
house under arrest. There was a NUT.
tering up and down the ranks. but this
only provoked Captain Coleman to add
other charges That night In the
guardhouse a gray haired corporal said
% Dalton through the Stats of the
ioor:
"what it's about dunno, but the
captain isn't giving you square
lealr
"And it win grow worse instead Of
,etter," replied the prisoner
''You can bank on that. He's hound
"a a dozen men out Of the company
ince got these stripes. Itn be court
martial and Eve years for you II he
an bring it about
''And what shall do?"
"Tve got to go out to post No. 3.
hall be gone fifteen minutes. The
eaYy iron poker has got in with you
omehow. If I was inside there, be-
leve l could pry or these stats with
-
Thank you"
When the sergeant returned, Dalton
ras gone; also one OF the muskets and
belt Of fifty cartridges. Over on off.
ers' row a private soldier with a mus
ct in his hands stood for three or four
minutes looking up at certain win
ow as IL thinking to send bullet
ito the opening. Then he lowered the
lusket and turned away and crept
.om the fort between posts Nos. and
1t was a summer evening, with the
ricketts, singing, and the sentinels
rowsed as they walked. Daylight
rought excitement and a hustle. A
lember Of Company G had deserted.
hree mules had been run Off from the
orral. Indian signal smoke had been
zen at daylight, and by sunup set
ers came pouring in with the news
lat Red Bull had broken loose and
as in the hills with 500 warriors.
Dalton had made for the hills. He
ust 20 into hiding and exist some
ay until the hue and cry was over.
e knew that the redskins were
reatening, but he had no choice In
e darkness he crossed the mile wide
ain and then made his way up the
le OF Eagle peak for the same dis
nee, and the coming Of daylight
ind the warriors all about him. All
e long forenoon they could see the
ifs from a score Of Indian rifles.