The daily Alaskan., 1912-12-06
He Made His Mark, but Wrote A Fine Hand
By PAUL WOODRUFF

the Potomac ln Virginia as captain ot B company, --th Pennsylvania volun. teer Infantry a countryman came Into camp and told a pltiful story. He said that he was a Union man and during the secession disputes had nailed a little cotton American flag up over his house and kept 1t there, even after the state of Virginia had seeded Just before our occupation of the re- zion a mob had burned the house the flag futtering amid the flames and murdered his wife and children. He happened to be away at the time, and when he returned be found his family dead and his home a heap of charred ruins. He asked to be per. mitted to enlist. and I took him Into my company. He said he could neither read nor write and made his mark in. stead of signing his name, which was Enoch Saunders,
 I put Private Saunders in charge of a drill sergeant, with orders to teach hIm the manual of arms. A few hours later the sergeant came to me and said that the man was SO stupid that 1t was we'll nigh impossible to teach him anything and suggested that 1t might be better to make a mule driver of him. told him that considering the rapidlty with which our men were being killed or we needed food for powder more than men tO be kicked to death and told him to keep at the fob tlIl he made Saunders fit to be shot
 The next | heard of Saunders he was sent from general headquarters under care of an orderly to me with the In, formation that he had asked the gen eral when he proposed to move against the enemy. He was anxious to know since he was thirsting for revenge. ] hardly knew what to do with the man. He seemed too ingenious, too stupid to punish. so | explained to him that not even the colonel would dare ask the general such a question as he had asked. He seemed much surprised, and said that If we were not going right on he thought he would just go ahead alone. for he couldn't stand it to be waiting In camp while the mur derers of his wife and children were unpunished.
 I could scarcely reDreSs a smile as I explained to him that he had en. listed for three years and would not be permitted to fight on bis own hook. Whereupon he said he reckoned he would 90 without permission l In formed him that if he did so and we could get our hands on him be would be shot for a deserter. This seemed to astonlsh him still more.
 I kept my eyes on him and was as- tonlshed at the rapldlty with which he improved. In a week when seeing him marching out on picket duty l scarcely recognized him for the stupid poor white virginian who had come Into our camp with wOeful tale.
 The next thing that surprised me was hearing that Saunders had been detailed by the adjutant for duty at the headquarters of the general In chief. I wondered what he could be wanted for there, but soldiers are not supposed to ask questions Of their superiors and I refrained Besides at that time our regiment was the top of the left wing Of the army and mo- where near the general In chiefs head quarters.
 Not long after thls the reglmental 0uartermaster happened to mention having just come from army head quarters and I asked him if he had seen anything there of red headed recruit from tours" named Saunders. He said that he had been In the assist ant adjutant generals office and had seen a red headed man writing at a pine desk whose face seemed familiar to him. told him that lt couldn't be Saunders, for the man couldn't write his own name.
 I thought no more Of the matter We moved forward soon after this and with constant fighting our army passed through many changes Having been sent to the headquarters of the army by the colonel with a message, | caught sight of Saunders, The gen eraI and his stan were In the held and movinA, so that no clerical work was being done. Saunders pretended not to see me and moved away rapidly. pointed him out to an of, fcer of the stan as he was passing out of sight who told me that he was a clerk in the adjutant generals de- partment and had been detailed for that duty because he wrote a splendid hand
 l was SO puzzled at this fool who couldn't sign his name writing a fine hand that it took some time for the situation to get through my own stupid brain. By the time it had effected a lodgment there Saunders had dissp' peared. I hurrledly told the officer who told me about Saunders being a clerk the story of the latter's enlist. ment, and added that believed the fellow was a spy, We both went to the general with my suspicious and an orderly was at once sent out for the clerk.
 It was too late. Saunders was not found. He was accounted for as hay ing deserted. year later was