Willmar tribune., 1909-06-02
The Case Of Major Ig|ehart

NUOdS0OI MdjW IgI6lldl
Copyright. 1903. by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
1t was queer case, that of Major
1glehart. He was neglectful of duty,
slovenly in appearance and drank hard.
His uniform hung on him Imply, his
coat turned green, his boots were mud
dy, and his hair protruded through a
hole in his hat.
Charges for conduct unbecoming an
officer and drunkenness
were preferred against the major.
They were about to come up for trial
when suddenly the enemy came down
on us. The colonel led the retreat, the
lieutenant colonel following in close
order. OF the field officers the major
alone was at the 'front.' But he was
not the officer we had known. He
was TRANSPORTED. He sat erect on his
horse, his eye lighted with the fire of
battle, and his orders rang out In a
clear, ringing tone. 1t seemed that he
had returned to the being he had been
before some great sin or some great
grief had blighted him.
He found the men in confusion, some
flying, some gathering their weapons
and accouterments, some making an
effort at formation. The moment he
appeared, out of the struggling mass
a line developed, and those running to
the rear came back and REINFORCED it.
Selling standard, he called upon us
to follow and, charging, saved the day.
After it was over all reverted to it's
former status. The colonel and lieu
tenant colonel resumed command, and
the major got drunk. But the charges
were quietly withdrawn. Though the
major greatly lowered the moral and
social tone of the regiment, he must
be endured. Everybody felt that way
the field officers because he could
lead the men in battle and they could
not, the line officers and the men be-
cause they must have some one to lead
them when there was fighting to do.
No one thought Of advancing the major
to the position Of colonel Such colo
mel would ruin the regiment with the
army. For while we tried to treat
him with consideration, but he was so
shabby, so unsoldierly, in every way
so degraded. that we soon gave it up
and realized that our handsome colo
mel was still our commander.
And so it continued. When the colo
mel spoke to us, as he often did, in
a pleasing and dignified manner, call
ing us ''my boys" we cheered, but the
first thing we knew we were following
the major over breastworks or stand
ing in line with teeth set, taking pun
ishment. Every time there was fight
ing to be done he loomed up at the
front, and when it was over he sank
back into his habitual stupor.
Under our colonel the regiment ac-
quired an excellent reputation for dis
cipline and soldierly bearing. Under
the majors leadership in battle we be-
came known as one of the most gal
liant bodies in the army. OF course the
regiment must be honored in some
ones name, and it was impossible to
honor us through the major There
fore the colonel got no end of men,
tion for gallantry and eventually was
made brigadier general. That let
the lieutenant colonel in for the bal
ance of the glory, all of which ema-
mated from the major.
The major never made any CON-
plant at the fact that all these honors
passed over his head. He didn't seem
to care. Nor did any one in the regi-
ment object We all felt that our
services should have recognition and
considered that honors conferred upon
him would be no recognition at all.
At the last fight the major fought
the army was held in check by a hill
on which the enemy had planted artil-
lery, and everything was at dead
lock. The general rode up to our reg
iment and asked for the colonel and
lieutenant colonel in quick succession.
Nobody could tell him where they
were. He asked for the next in COM
mand. Some one told him that Major
Igleheart was asleep on a fence rail
near by. At that moment the major
appeared. The general looked at him
in despair. Nevertheless he gave him
an order to take the hill.
The way the major walked us up
that hill was sight to behold. The
general beheld it from below and
when the hill was ours rode up and
asked for the major We showed him
the officer lying on the ground with a
bullet hole in his forehead. The gen.
eral turned away sadly with the re.
mark, IF he had lived he should have
had division"
We all knew more about that than
the general. The major in command
Of division! Absurd! Yet there was
something about the clay he had left
behind-his former self-that made US
forget his second self and think Of
him as a major general. With that
look on his face we buried him, fired
volley over him and forgot him till
the next fight, when, having no one to
lead us, we covered ourselves with
disgrace and after several such epi.
sodes were mustered out of the serv-
ice with dishonor.
But to finish about the major. The
day after he was killed letter came
for him addressed in woman's hand.
Not knowing what to do with it, the
adjutant concluded to consider it a
1off o11 80