The herald., 1913-01-09
He Made His
Mark, but Wrote
A Fine Hand
b. PAUL WOODRUFF

r teer infantry Z COUntryman came into
camp and told ptiful 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 it there, even after
the state of Virginia had seeded.
Just before our occupation of the re.
gion a mob had burned the house
the flag tlUttering amid the flames
and murdered his wife and children.
He happened to be away at the time.
and when he returned he found his
family dead and his home a heap Of
charred ruins. He asked to be per
mitted to enlist, and | 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
l put Private Saunders in charge of
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 well nigh impossible 10 teach
| him anything and suggested that it
might be better to make a mule driver
| of him. told him that considering
the rapidty with which our men were
being killed Off we needed food for
powder more than men to be kicked
TO death and told him to keep at the
Job till he made Saunders fit to be shot
The next heard OF Saunders he was
Snnt from bnaHnnn rta nn1or
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 II we were not going |
right on he thought he would Just go |
ahead alone. for he couldn't stand II |
to be waiting in camp while the muir
derers of his wife and children were
UNPUBLISHED.
1 could scarcely repress q smile as
I explained to him that he had en-
listed for three years and would not
be permitted to fight on his own hook
WhereupOn he said he reckoned he
would go without permission. l in
formed him that If he did so and we
could get our hands on him he would
be shot for a deserter. This seemed
to astonish him still more.
kept my eyes on him and was as
tonished at the rapidity with which he
improved. In a week when seeing him
marching out on picket duty 1 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. | wondered what he could be
wanted for there. but soldiers are not
supposed to ask questions of their
superiors and refrained. Besides at
that time our regiment was the top
of the left wing of the army and no
where near the general in chiefs head
quarters.
Not long after this the regimental
quartermaster happened to mention
having just come from army head
quarters and ! asked him If he had
seen anything there of a red headed
recruit from ours" 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 it couldn't
be Saunders. for the man couldn't
write his own name.
| 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 I
BY the colonel with a message, '
taught sight Of Saunders. The gen. O
,ral and his staff were In the field a
md moving. so that no clerical work [
vas being done. Saunders pretended '
lot to see me and moved away t
'apidly. | pointed him out to an Of b
icer Of the staff as he was passing out 1
II sight who told me that he was a Il
Jerk in the adjutant generals de- t
'artment and had been detailed for n
hat duty because he wrote a splendid
land-
l was 80 puzzled at this fool who O
ouldn't sign his name writing a fine n
land that 1t took some time for the r
ftuation to get through my own stupid {,
rain. By the time 1t had effected a d
odgment there Saunders had disap- Il
'eared l hurriedly told the officer h
Who told me about Saunders being a D
Jerk the story Of the latter's enlist 3,
nent, and added that l believed the g,
elbow was spy. We both went to r,
he general with my suspicious and 81
n orderly was at once sent out for .,
he clerk. -
1t was too late. Saunders was not .,
ound. He was accounted for as hav- ~
1g deserted A year later was A
AIKEN prisoner and met him at the y
eadquarters Of prominent confeder- .,
tie general. He was an officer on the
taft. He was very kind to me and 9.
'ok great pleasure in telling me how h,
had got himself detailed as a clerk .,
the assistant adjutant generals Of