The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-02-22
A Deserter
BY EDWARD B TAPPAN
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911

cap. when you uns goln' to fight
the Yankees?
The officer was passing on when the
man in butternut called to him.
SAY, capt want to enlist"
"Who are you. and where do you
come from?" asked the officer, molli-
fed at the prospect of recruit.
I'm Ben Riggs. and hail from
Tennessee"
Tennessee? This regiment is from
Tennessee"
"Waal, thar's whar hail from. Some
Union men driv me out. come over the
mountings fo to jine this yere army
Riggs was enlisted and turned over
TO a drillmaster. After three days
hard drilling the sergeant went to the
captain and reported that it was sim
ply impossible 10 teach the Tennessee
an the manual of arms When he had
taught him movement the recruit
would forget It while he was teaching
a second one. He seemed TO be anxious
TO become soldier, but had no ca
pacity to learn anything. The sergeant
was told to do the best he could with
him and turn him into the ranks for
service.
The first night Riggs was sent out on
picket he fred his gun and came run
ming IN full tilt, alarming the whole
picket line. Surprising him to be
coward as well as stupid, at the next
brush he was put In the front rank,
but he stood up well. proving conclu-
sively that he was simply stupid
Riggs stupidity was Of the kind to
cause trouble. He went one day TO the
brigade commander and asked him II
he had any tobacco The general sent
him with q note to his captain, order
ing the officer in future to keep TINS
fool away from these headquarters
This mortified the captain. and he put
Riggs in the guardhouse. The colonel.
hearing of the episode. directed the
captain to release Riggs, since there
could be no criminality attached to
the act of blamed fool"
After this the captain spent most OF
his time thinking how he could get rid
of Riggs He tried surrepitiously to
have him transferred to another com
pany, but the plot was discovered and
failed. No other company would have
him. Then one day Riggs met the di
vision commander and told him he
thought be would like position on his
staff. He was sent back with repri-
mand for his captain for not better
fnstructing his men in the proper rela.
ton of a soldier to his commander,
The captain now vowed he would
get rid Of Riggs IL he had to shoot
him. Whenever there was fight he
put Riggs right I'm the middle of it,
but somehow the stupid fellow es-
capped, while the best men were being
shot down After a weeks exposure
of Riggs the fighting suddenly ceased.
Then no sooner had Riggs got him
self furnished up than there was TO
be a grand review, at which he placed
his captain again In trouble. Passing
the reviewing officer, he swung his
gun in the air and sang out:
''Three cheers for General or
Riggs captain was desperate. He
formed a malicious resolve. he would
put the fool in the position Of de-
serter and get him shot. He told Riggs
one morning that the Yankees were
offering bounties as high as a thousand
dollars to any one who would enlist
1t might be good move for Riggs to
desert, 20 over to the Yankees. enlist
and bring back the bounty.
"By ling" exclaimed the Ounce, that
'ud be good idee! could set the
hull company up with that"
The captain offered to connive at his
desertton. He took Riggs out on the
picket line and told him to run for it.
The captain had arranged that the de-
serter must pass through narrow de-
file between two low hills. at the far
th, md OF which we're posted two
IN mo had been instructed to arrest
Riggs and bring him back TO camp.
His trial and execution would speedily
follow.
Riggs triangulated his long legs so
rapidly that when he met the men who
were to arrest him somehow he couldn't !
stop. They attempted to head him of,
but be had got by them before they
reached his path. They fred at him,
whereupon he turned shot one with
his musket and the other with his re-
volver and sped on If he was stupid
he was certainly quick. but quick for
the first time In his life.
''Well." said his captain. I'm rid Of
him. though | fear he's really fool !
enough to come back However, II he
does he'll be shot for desertion"
But Riggs never returned On reach /
ing the Federal pickets he asked to be /
taken at once to the headquarters of
certain general
"Helo, Baker, exclaimed the gen.
eral. "You backI thought you'd
got yourself hanged by this time
Hope you've got lot OF information.
~ have. general | enlisted In the /
rebel army as a Tennesseean--I didn't |
say from east Tennessee-snd proved
so stupid that they wouldn't keen me"
well. what are they doing over
there2" asked the general
"StonewaIl Jackson has been with
drawn from the Shenandoah valley |
and is marching toward Richmond. /
What he will do there couldn't find
out. but all Nhe scattered forces are /
ordered to ioin Lee. and II looks as II 1
there was 10 be a concentrated attack 4
on Mcclellan"