The National tribune., 1909-10-07
A STUNNING COSTUME.
AWounded Comrade PromenadeS
Pennsylvania Avenue in Garb
That Attracts Attention.

Editor National Tribune: A long line
of ambulances drove up to the barracks
of Carver Hospital at Washington early
on Sept. 6, 1862, after long night ride
from the battlefield of Bull Run. The
writer, tho seriously wounded, was OBJ
liged to take a corner seat in an omni-
bus or be left behind, which, consider
ing the circumstances, wasn't to be
thought of. Eight days on that field
was quite enough to satisfy any soldier
and, / am free to assert, it was any
thing but picnic. A soldier under
stands the meaning of the word vermin.
The most. of us had been tormented
with them for several months, making
our lives miserable day and night. The
nurses made q bonfire out of our under
clothes and trousers, thus putting an
end to our discomfort, but it was tough
on the little pests, who should have
known that the day of reckoning would
eventually come. In about two weeks
] was able to hoDble around on a
cruth, minus the pants. In another
week, finding the weather delightful
for stroll, l inquired of the nurse
what the prospects were for getting
into pair of trousers. He answered
that it was difficult to say when we
could be fitted cut, but that we must
have patience. 1t is great to have the
virtue ol patience, Dul IL SteIlltu " US
that the limit to it was being stretched
TO its full capacity, and, as far as was
concerned, it was me for the city stroll
In the glorious sunshine, pants or no
pants.
l arose next morning, and drew on a
nice, clean bleached pair of drawers,
Zouave style, and tied them over the
top of a pair of white socks, showed my
feet into a pair of heavy carpet Slip
pcrs without heels, and shook myself
into spick-and-span clean flannel
shirt with wide collar attached, thru
which / placed wide and fiowery silk
necktie TO add grace and color to the
whole outfit. / drew on my old bullet
ridden sack coat, placed on my head
the old brown soft hat, after which l
grabbed up the big cane and jauntily |
hobbled out of the ward and over to |
the gate. / asked the guard if he would |
please let me take turn up and down |
the fence outside just for little eXer-
pise Why, certainly; go ahead" and |
he seemed to look with admiration at
my stylish pair of white pants. 1 took
several turns along the high board
Fence enjoying the sense of freedom it
brought me after many months of hard
campaigning. Noticing a bus on the
upper corner waiting for passengers to
the city, 1 made a plunge, and, taking
a seat, asked the driver if he couldn't
urlSe on WITHOUT waiting longer IoT
fares. He willingly aSSented, but being
afraid that the guard at the gate would
see me as We were driving past the en-
trance caused me to duck down and
fhus escape his eye.
We stopped at the Willard Hotel,
where / got out, feeling about as happy
as a school boy on his vacation. Now
for a real hunting expedition; now for
day of sightseeing and W1ndup in
Grst-class hash house. First on the list
was the Capitol Building, and so 1
Rmbled along that celebrated thorofare,
Pennsylvania avenue, toward that mag
nificent structure. Passersby were look-
Ing at me in my peculiar garb and 9TH
ers smiled, but ] ignored it all. Some
thing. had attracted my attention down
q cross street; the nature of ii. tho, has
past my recollection, but i must go see
what il was all about ] heard COM
mand to halt. Feeling and knowing to
"a certainty that it was the patrol guard,
] pretended not to hear and walked on.
Another command to halt smote on my
ear, and, thinking that L would save
myself a lot of trouble by obeying this
last peremptory command, halted. Up
marched a Sergeant with his file of
guards. The Sergeant inquired of me
in grabbed tone why / hadn't obeyed
the first command. AS soldier seldom
ST ever INDUCES IN telling an untruth,
answered that I did not hear his first
order, and I'm thinking he didn't be-
lieve me, altho i looked as innocent as
a lamb. or at least tried to. He wanted
TO see my pass. OF course, had none
He wanted to know about the absence
of trousers, and he looked very stern,
but the guards were cycling my baggy
drawers very curiously. The Sergeant
ordered me to step in between the file
and go to the guard house. And so all
my lovely plans for a day of pleasure
had gone glimmering, and the thought
of it sickened me. And then 1 won
dered If it would be my portion to Ian
guish for days in a grated cell amongst
buns and drunks Thinking oyer the
possible outcome staring me in the face
as i neared the bastile took all the
jauntiness out of me. The guard led
me up the hall to the desk of the COM
manding officer, who looked at me and
then down at my white Zouave pants.
but / felt reassured when he forced a
smile. To his question as to why J. was
so foolish as to wander over the. city
painless, briefly gave. him the reason.
He said ii was not his, habit of confin-.
ing a wounded man unless he was in
toxicated, and followed that, up by
handing me pass, giving me four
hours to get back to the hospital. oh,
Joy! That much spare time gave. me
an opportunity 20 spend two hours in
the Smithsonian Institute, after which
] could gorge myself on a square meal
in a swell hash house. There was GER
sainIy a big rift in the clouds, and tho
missed the pleasure of taking in the
most interesting sights. as i had so
earnestly crayed for. 1 was thankful
over being spared the misery of con-
finement in a guard house. / returned
10 the hospital in good season, prepared
TO suffer the penalty for skipping away
without a pass. The nurse, tho feeling
ft his duty to punish insubordination,
proceeded to give me lovely tongue
flashing, which didn't bother me even a
little bit. The old pass, tho somewhat
yellow, is hid away between the leaves
of the old family Bible as a reminder
of the time when I was tripped up in
seeing the Cap'tal.-F. E. Dennis, Co.
J.. Sth n. J., 1924 Flournoy street. Chi
CagO.