New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-25

for he went 70 Washing-.- him
SELF interviewed the Congressman, and 20 utter
engagement was ordered up within few uoa .. Ike
examination for q commission IN the regu. Sly
utmost dreams had been merely The nea -..-
but whether my friend the Congrc sman ..l ro, u1-
,tand the limit Of my desires or whether bee dcder
..-el, determined % DO more than had asked. aa.
rate here was scheduled for examination ir WASH
ng.On.
Like al the State volunteers Uacn we had gone
,,, had regarded the regular as sort Of uperin 10
icing the extreme ideaIzation Of skill. pa. 0ie.
knowledge and experience. Constant con'a.. with
small bodies of them during the campaign bal "e-
what duled this impre ion; but On our first enc inter
we in the ranks would not have been at al sl-ro
ind that they had wings AZ any rate, "as 30 peg
yctual condition Of stage fright from the la ur
notification % that ot my examination. Ia O.. cane
time got hold Of every book IN the camp. ar. eng
somewhat trained 10 study. found that The 10. ]
had 10 cover was really but small The soien.. say
il, immense in its possibilities. but the ru- l.s 81
military knowledge are surprisingly simple. my
previous experience and with "a natural training ~
system Of thought covered the enuTe iniaii-' ial
in one afternoon.
The examination itself was another di,app r.men,
of a very agreeable kind. There were -r. many
other candidates before the various boarl .. ring
in Washington. and they were being hurriei - short
order: but l. at least went back 10 my camp py IN
doubt not expecting % hear the result iDr -i nlns
and utterly fearing % do SO. TO my further -onsh-
ucnt. within two or three weeks my new trend the
Congressman walked into camp one day, discovered NE
peeng potatoes in my undershirt and calmly produced
my commission from his pocket.
There were great many officers created IN hardly
more formal way in that year and those which
followed so many, in fact, that the events were
called the crime Of 9S"; but if have been ried
partial cause Of such calamity my friends been
very tactfu about It.
THE few DAYS allowed me at home before join, my
new regiment formed another period Of stage fright
T now had nv commission and the signature % The
President to prove my right; but expected o. M -e-
ccived in my regiment as an intruder 20 be snoo ly
everyone from Colonel 70 cook and 20 lead mi--1 lie
existence until the other officers could forget ue.
half expected that the commanding officer Wou ask
me catch questions out OF the army REGULATE. 20
trip me- and that the odtme Sergeants would .u'e
every order with q sheer behind my back. Ihe may
indeed have done so but never knew It.
The regiment % which ! was ordered was IN camp N
an isolated part of Florida. What in the world Ha'
doing there haven't the slightest idea. don think
they knew themselves. except that, after the sanitary
horrors of the early summer, the War Department ai
been seized with q mania for hcathu locations bad
been ordered to report to the commanding oil.' ao.
later than certain day. and fearing 20 intrulc. bad
made nv calculations 70 arrive at absolutely q s'
POSSIBLE minute To my infinite relief, 40 The 'r non
where we took the branch line met two other ins
men who had lust been appointed and were on t. me
orrand as l. knew from the order containing own