Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-05-20

wife concluded that she had not bsaN
legally married, and she found am
other life companion. This impressed
Colonel Keigw1n that marriage as q
military necessity, had It's disadvan-
tages, although he always did think
that the union would have 'tstuck" had
1t 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" man in the
first file Of ''fours' in Company 4 was
under the impression that regiment
went into fight "endways," and as
the front files fell the others closed up
till all were killed or wounded, or the
enemy was driven off 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
t'other end" and so he got back there
in order to be in at the death The
excuse was so novel that it was ac-
cepted.
When the regiment was in rendez-
vous at Jeffersonville the recruits were
advised to report in their CASTOR
clothing, so that when they drew uni
forms they would not. feel impelled to
send the casf-off raiment home. Many
Of the recruits accepted this admont-
tion almost literally. and when they
reported in camp they discounted q
Falstaff crew in motley array, The
young women Of Jacksonville WED
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
ton included himself and command,
and he marched his entire company,
clothed as they were in rag-tag gar
ments, to this reception, and before
they left not a crumb Of refreshments
remained
Gambling Became Epidemic.
While the regiment was participant
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-a-luck" and kindred games
ran riot. The situation became SO bad
that Col Tom Bennett Of the Sixty
ninth Indiana infantry, and Col. Ketg-
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
Ke1gwin were walking together, they
observed number of soldiers under
the shade Of a tree, deeply interested
in something or other, and the officers
drew near to ascertain If tfs 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 a new game not cover
ed by the order"
What is it?" asked Keigwin.
I'VE are running grayback races"
That's a new one on me-" quickly
rejoined Bennett. 81 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 circular piece of
white paper, about ten inches in dia-
meter, fastened by pin in the center.
Each man placed "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
ego" was heard. The first grayback off
the paper won the pool.
Had Him 1n Training.
Keigwin and Bennett were so taken
with the novelty Of the game that
Bennett accepted Keigwin's challenge
to pit Forty-ninth grayback against
a Sixty-ninth, and he ordered one OF
his soldiers to get out thorough
bred" However, the SiXty-nfnth gray
back won and Bennett pocketed the So
wager. A week after the race the 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 Sixty-ninth, and I'm going
to win back the money that you lost
to Bennett
While Colonel Keigwin's recollec
+iopc of tha Forty-ninth do NOT give