Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-05-13

AA''4NNoiS hSNSSoAINf hdu lLS ulSduNdu-
tages, although he always did think
that the union would have stuck" had
it been appealed to the courts
Novel Excuse Accepted.
The Forty-ninth infantry served all
| through the central southern states.
participating in many campaigns and
in number of hard-fought battles and
Col. Keigwin recalls that at the time
of the first long roll a man in the
first file of "fours' in Company A was
under the impression that regiment
went into a fight "endways," and as
the front files fell the others closed up
TIL all were killed or wounded, or the
enemy was driven of the field. At
this particular time this particular sol
der turned up missing, but he was
found at the rear of the last company,
where he explained that he was afraid
that the enemy might tackle us at
| tother end" and so he got back there
| in order to be In at the death The
excuse was so novel that ii was ac-
| copied
| When the regiment was in rendez,
| yous at Jacksonville the recruits were
| advised to report in their cast-off
| clothing, so that when they drew uni
forms they would not feel impelled to
| send the cast-off ra1ment home Many
| of the recruits accepted this admoni-
ton almost literally, and when they
| reported in camp they discounted 4
| Falstaff crew in motley array. rhe
| young women of Ieffersonville We'd
! with each other in pleasant attentions
| to the officers of the regiment, and one
| of the famous debutantes of the city
| invited them to what nowadays Is call
ed function The captain of one
| of the companies thought the invita-
ton included himself and command,
| and he marched his entire company.
clothed as they were in rag tag gar
| ments, 10 this reception, and before
they left not a crumb of refreshments
| remained
Gambling Became Epidemic.
While the regiment was participate
ing in the western Louisiana cam
paign, 1t remained for several weeks
| along the Bayou Tesch with nothing to
do. Gambling became epidemic, off,
GERS and men were alike affected, and
horse racing, cock fighting, card play
ing. "chuck-aluck" and kindred games
ran riot. The situation became so bad
that Col Tom Bennett Of the Sixty
ninth Indiana infantry, and Col Keig-
| win called on General Ord, command.
ing the corps, and suggested that an
| order should be issued discountenanc.
ing all forms of gambling. The order
was issued and apparently obeyed A
few days afterward, while Bennett and
Keigwin were walking together, they
observed a number OF soldiers cnder
the shade OF tree. deeply interested
in something or other, and the officers
drew near TO ascertain If tn~ order
against gambling was being violated
Are you boys playing chuck?" quer'
led Bennett
One of them replied You stopped
the only amusement we had but now
we have found new game not cover.
ed by the order"
What is it," asked Keigwin,
We are running grayback races
That's new one on me- quickly
rejoined Bennett Il want to know
something about IT,"
Then a way was opened for Bennett
and Keigwin to step inside the ring,
where they found a cracker box on
end, on which was a circular piece OF
white paper, about ten inches in dia-
meter. fastened by a pin in the center.
Each man placed a "shinplaster" In
the pool. after which the boys hunted
inside their shirts for the gamest gray
back that could be found, holding the
same over the pin in the center and
letting the insect fall when the word
go" was heard. The first grayback off
the paper won the pool
Had Him in Training.
Keigwin and Bennett were so taken
with the novelty of the game that
Bennett accepted Keigwins challenge
to pit Forty-ninth grayback against
a Sixty-ninth, and he ordered one of
his soldiers to get out a thorough
bred" However, the Slxty.ninth gray.
back won and Bennett pocketed the 81
| " hbti. - WEth dAAtt INC idtt inc SOL
der who furnished Keigwin with the
grayback which lost the race reported
at headquarters for special duty, and
while the colonel was talking with
him he discovered a large grayback
on the soldiers coat collar He imme
diately took him to task for his care,
lessness In not keeping himself clean,
but the soldier very carefully caught
the grayback and placed it back on
his person. remarking I've had that
grayback in training for the last week
to beat the Sixtyninlh, and I'm going
to win back the money that you lost
TO Bennett"
While Colonel Keigwin's recollec.
tions Of the Forty-ninth do not give
the history Of the regiment in detail
It IS an exceedingly interesting review
Of what was accomplished during It's
long years OF service, which began in
Kentucky and ended in Texas. Scores