Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1913-06-19
THURMONT FREDERICK COUNTY, MD, THURSDAY JUNE

and he's been to Major Green, and
that's all comes of it. l don't see
what | can do further. II | did"
Begging your pardon, Captain, the
men Will be lalling sick soon and dy-
ing. They're weakened by the climate
and being fretted, expecting always
to git off and never going"
but what can do? Oh, speak out,
we're off here alone. Have you any
idea?"
We'll, sir, If you was my captain
In the old -th, you'd say to the
colonel: Colonel, I've demonstrated
and demonstrated Now I'm desperate.
I'm desperate says you. If there
amt something done tomorrow I'm
going to march my company out and
find new camp, and you kin court.
martial me # you please I'd rather
stand court-martial than see my
men die!' He'd talk real pleasant at
first, so as to git in all his facts, and
then he'd blaze away. And ned do it.
too, if they didn't listen"
The captain gave the sergeant a
keen glance. "And that's your notion
Of disciplne?" said he.
There's newspaper fellow asking
for you, Captain, this morning, / see
him acomlng now" was the sergean's
oblique response. But he chuckled,
walking stitfy away: He'll do it; |
bet we won't be here two days long
err" For which glee there was rea-
son, since, inside the hour, the cap
tain was in the colonePs tent, conclud-
ing an eloquent picture of his COM
panys discomforts with Somebody
has to do something. If you are pow.
erless, colonel, I'm not. If they don't
give some assurance Of changing the
camp tomorrow | shall march Com
pany G out and pitch camp myself.
and stand court.martial. l would
rather risk a court-martial than see
my men die-and that's what it has
come to-"
The colonel looked the fiery young
speaker sternly in the eye, and said
something about unsoldierly conduct.
at would be unmanly conduct for
me to let the boys trusted to me die,
because | was afraid to speak out
flung back the captain. "And | know
one thing: If | am court-martialed
tie papers are likely to get the true
story"
"You mean the reporter on the Chi
cago papers who is snooping around?
Let me advise you to give him wide
berth"
Il mean nothing Of the kind, sir.
only mean that the thing will not be
done in a corner"
well, well, keep cool, Captain,
you're too good fellow to fling your
self away. Wait and see if can't get
something definite out of the general
today"
Whereupon the captain departed
with outward decent gloom and in
ward premonitions of rejoicing, for
when he had hit a nail on the head he
had eyes to see. And the colonel be
took himself. hotfoOt, to the pompous
old soldier in charge of the camp. who
happened to be a man of fixed belief
in himself but, If he feared anything,
was afraid of a newspaper reporter
The colonel gave him the. facts spar
ing no squalid detail; indeed, adding
Il few picturesque embellishments
from his own observations. He cut
short the others contemptuous criti
cism of boy soldiers, and his com
parson with the hardships endured
during the Civil war, with a curt 81 :
know they fooled away mems lives
hpt ic
fool them away now. The men are
sickening today-they will be dying
tomorrow: I'm desperate. If that camp
is not changed by tomorrow | shall
march my regiment out myself and
pitch my own camp and you may
court-martial me for it If you like. |
would rather stand a court-martal
than see my men die, because | was
afraid to speak out, The camp we
have now is murder, as the reporters
say! | don't wonder that young fel.
low from Chicago talks hard"
You're excited, colonel you forget
yourself"
81 am excited, general; I'm desper-
ate! viii you walk round the camp
with me?"
The end of the colloquy was that
the captain saw the general and the
colonel and told the first lieutenant,
who told the first sergeant whose
name was Spruce. "Captains kicked
to the colonel, | guess" says Spruce,
"and colonel's kicked to the general.
That's the talk Git ready boys, and
H.,
moved the very next day.
81 guess captain will make an Off
Ger if he lives and don't git the big
head" Spruce moralized ITS mighty
prevalent in the volunteers"
The captain wrote the whole ac.
count home to one single confidant-
his father-and him he swore to Sc
crecy. The captains father was the
man who had committed Company G
TO Spruce's good offices. He sent a
check to the company and special
box of cigars to Spruce. And Spruce,
knowing nothing Of the intermediary,
felt more brilliant pride in his adopt
ed town, and Dragged of it's virtues
more vehemently than ever The
camp was not moved soon enough.
Pneumonia and typhoid fever ap-
peared. One by one the boys of the
regiment sickened. Presently one by
one they began to die.
Then Spruce suggested to the cap
tain: 81 guess I'd be more good In
the hospital than l am here. Cap
tain" And the captain (who was
scared poor lad, and had visions Of
the boys mothers demanding the
wasted lives of their sons at his