The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-10-22
Served in u. S. and British
Armies at Same Time, He Did
William Stevens Tells of Forced Enlistment When He Went to
England on Furlough Apologized and
Sent Medals for Bravery.

Member OF two armies at the same
time. and recipient of an honorable dis
charge. medal Of honor for bravery in
action, and q .iarge hunk Of back pay
from the one while on active duty with
the other. and the colonel said II couldn't
be done.
II you should happen to want a cigar.
q newspaper or a periodical OF some kind
just about the time TO transfer from the
Georgetown to the Wisconsin avenue car
at p street. you very probably will
saunter into the cigar and periodical
stand at the corner to I'LL your needs.
Drops His Haitches.
And you'll be served by a wise-faced
but kindly and decidedly conversational
proprietor who drops his MATCHES" and
multiplies his highs with cockney reg
ularity but who claims ireland for the
land OF his birth and the United States
for the land OF his adoption.
II you've got q few minutes TO put
in profitably. light smoke and inquire
casually of hlm-William Stevens. sir. at
your service-if he was ever in the army.
and what he thinks about the British
chances in the present wsr.
Yes SIR" he may commence. that !
wss-in two armies at the same time.
You see, HI was serving IN, first en-
listment in the old Third cavalry. rondy
'Youed at st. Louis Me and my bunkie.
81. Clair. got six months f1rlough, with
permission to go beyond the seas and
to apply FOR hextension OF leave. We
started for the old country and landed
at Liverpool and-you know how IL is
with young men-when We woke hup the
-
backs and was in barracks
sneaked in Liquor.
We'll. the OFFICERS cud see We wasn't
rockies. so they put US right in the ranks,
the first day. st. Clair was on guard.
and knew he was feelin' pretty sick. so
] sneaked in a bottle Of liquor for him
and we both got caught and carried belly
down to the guardhouse.
I'VE was shipped to a military prison
In Dublin for a six months bit, and just
after We got up there the blacks in
Zululand went on a tare and cut I'D a
French prince or some one and an ex-
petition was fitted out from Hingland
to put 'em down. Volunteers was called
for and, O. course. the military prisoners
was given the first chanel to volunteer.
Well. ! says to st. Clair. We're in ERE
for six months an no chanel to get back,
All hdpPly lOl u we stay
ere. why not go with this bunch and
maybe take our look at Capetown and
work our way back to the States in time
to report?'
Started Into the Brush.
tn rest o. them. We didn't 60 no chanel
at Capetown. after We 'ad rounded the
Cape o. Good 'ope. And We started out
with the hexpedition into tn brush to
where the blacks had roundyvoued.
Bout three IN the morning we was
formed In a 'ollow square. ready for the
blacks. and the general-God 'elp I'm life
ever got before my gun in a night! e
called US a lot of lousy -- when we
got back to Capetown. The general e
climbed on a commissary wagon in the
middle Of the square. with us facing i'm.
an made US a talk.
Now looky ere, you men,, says e.
Him old soldier. and a lot o you are
blood raw-most o. you amt 'ad more'n
six months training. Now I'll tell you
fair. you're got to do wat you're told to-
day. II you do what you're told you may
get back to Capetown: ef you don't, you
won't. that's all.
Now when you about face. the front
ranks will lie down. the second ranks
will kneel. and the last two ra1ks'n
stand. Old your fire til them Zulus get
to 200 yards. then take good hahn and
make every shot 'it-an' be careful YOU
don't shoot beach other. You'll ave
plenty Wv ammunition. use IL strai~h:'
We'll sir, pretty soon We cud see the
grass ahead just moved down-you
known how Ugh grass is in that coun-
try-we seed the grass just moved down
ahead. an then the blacks came. Well.
sir, on all sides-it warnt z bit o use
to try to count emit looked like a great
black clouded "ad suddenly it the hearth
and was sweepin' along the ground to-
ward US.
THE blacks didn't ave no lead. but
they 'ad them assegais. a sort o short
spear what they throw as true as bull
let for a 'undred yards. We 'ad three
regiments o. infantry. two o cavalry an
four batteries O. light field artillery. but
some O. them blacks was found as close
as ten yards from the sides o the square.
Dutchman Favored Them.
We'll. in the ole hexpedition we didn't
lose more nor twenty-five men. efore We
got back to Capetown an took ship for
ONE. We came back by way OF Now
Scotia and ST. Clair and me swum ashort ,
one night. told our story to a Dutch mcr-
York an squared us with a recruiting
officer for a hextension OF week to get
US back to St. Louis-we was then just
three days shy of our six months leave.
When We got hack to st. Louis, ST.
Clair was sent TO join is troop. an the