The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1911-03-23
A Deserter
By EDWARD B TAPPAN
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

officer he met:
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 fromi" asked the officer, molll.
fled at the prospect of n recruit.
I'm Ben Riggs, and | hail from
Tennessee"
"Tcnnesscc? This regiment is from
Tennessee"
"Waal. thar's whar | hail FROM. Some
Union men drlv' me out come over the
momtlngs TO- 10 line this yere army"
Riggs was enlisted and turned over
90 drllmaster. After three days
hard drilling the sergeant went to the
captain and reported that It was sim
ply impossible TO teach the Tennessee
nm the manual of arms. When he had
taught him n movement the recruit
would forget 1t while he was teaching
a second one. lie seemed to be anxious
to become n 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 we'll as stupid, at the next
brush he was put in the front rank,
but he stood up well, proving conclu-
slvely that he was simply stupid.
Riggs stupidity was of the kind to
cause trouble. lie went one day To the
brigade commander and asked him II
he had any tobacco. The general sent
him with a note to his captain, order
ing the officer in future to keep this
fool away from these headquarters"
This mortified the captain, and he put
Riggs In the guurdhouse. The colonel.
hearing of the episode, directed the
captain to release Riggs, since there
could be no crimnality 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 surreptitiously 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 he would like position on his
staff. He was sent back with reprl.
mand for his captain for not better
instructing his men I'm the proper rela
lion of soldier to his commander.
The captain now vowed he would
get rid of Riggs II he had to shoot
him. Whenever there was fight he
put Riggs right In the middle OF it,
but somehow the stupid fellow es-
capped, while the best men were being
shot down. After weeks exposure
of Riggs the fighting suddenly ceased
Then no sooner had Riggs got him
self furnished up than there was to
be 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 c."
Riggs captain was desperate. lie
formed a malicious resolve. He would
put the fool in the position Of a de
one morning that the Yankees were
offering bounties as high as thousand
dollars TO any one who would enlist
IL might be n good move for Riggs t.
desert, go over TO the Yankees, enlis
and bring back the bounty
"By jlng," exclaimed the Ounce, tina
'ud be good idee! could set thu
hull company up with that"
The captain offered to connive at hi
desertion. He took Riggs out on thu
picket line and told him to run for II
The captain had arranged that the de
serter must pass through narrow de
file between two low hills Mt the far
Their end OF which were posted tw'
men who had been instructed to arrcs
Riggs and bring him back to camp
His trial and execution would speedll.
follow.
Riggs triangulated his long legs $,
rapidly that when he met the men VIII,
were to arrest him somehow he cOuldn'
stop. They attempted TO head him on
but he had got by them before the!
reached his path, They fired at him
whereupon he turned shot one witt
fhis musket and the other with his re
rvolver and sped on If he was stupiC
he was certainly quick, but quick 70
the first time in his life
well" said his captain, I'm rid o
him, though ] fear he's really foo
enough to come back. However II h
does he'll be shot for desertlon."
But Riggs never returned. On reach
ing the Federal plckets he asked 10 b
taken at once to the headquarters OF
certain general
Hello, Bakerr exclaimed the ger
erai. ''You backl I thought you
got yourself hanged by this tim'
Hope you've got lot Of Information.
81 have, general. | enlisted in tn
rebel army as Tenuesseean-I didn
say from east Tennessee-and prove
so stupid that they wouldn't Keep me
-.