Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1920-12-29
''HOSS" TALK WON
When Brave Men Forgot Bitter
ness OF Civil War.
"Yank" Lived to Shake Hands
at Close Of the Strife.

Capt. w. S. Tough was one of the
outstanding might almost say ro-
mantic-characters of those stirring
times, since the story of his life would
make fiction tame, writes Frank s.
Hastings In the Breeders Gazette. He
stood over six feet, built in proportion,
a born horseman and dead shot He
was in the secret service of the gov
eminent during the Civil war and
United States marshal Immediately
following, when the reaction from war
and the great flow westward brought
him into action with outlaws and bad
men generally. He became one of the
famous peace officers of the border
through his cool. picturesque courage.
| saw much Of him as a boy on his
breeding farm near to my fathers, and
later lin 1SS0) in Denver, where he
owned horse sale barn, making a
speciality of single and team roadsters.
much in demand at that time. | was
lonely, and he invited me to spend my
spare time exercising his horses ON the
Denver speedway, under instructions
not to let anything pass me. He had
genius for mating teams with striking
effects, producing matched, mismatch-
ed, snowy gaits and nobby turnouts.
All his drivers dressed the part. When
he drove himself-and he often drove
1t was worth going to see. He was
the best driver / have ever known.
Often when we spent the evening in
his Office he would grow reminiscent.
| recall one of his stories.
In the war he was on secret service
on some important mission In Missouri.
near Bee Greek. He was captured by
a band of guerriilas. II was nearly
dusk when they reached camp. He
was turned over TO a drumhead court
martial. The trial lasted few min
utes; the verdict was, Spy; penalty.
death Turning to him, the leader
said: Yank, would you rather be shot
before or after support" to which the
captain replied, 81 always did think a
lot Of my belly" adding. Say, 'Reb,'
that dun boss of yours is the best /
ever saw. Suppose you make 1t sun
rise; I'd like to die looking at him"
All right" said the "Reb"; come
and eat" At supper the talk drIfted
onto horses, and the quality of the
Missouri horse, then, as now. their
pride. "Reb," said the captain, "if
you ever miss than dun loss you can
Just figure my spirit has got astride
and gone with him."
They tied the captain to a log.
with the ''Reb" on guard the fire
burned down to the faint gllmmer
of Goals through ashes, and he fell
asleep, awakening to find his hands
and feet free and the sentry nodding
over the smoldering fire. He crawled
behind a bush, took off his shoes, car
his getaway. Ten minutes later
shot rang out in the woods, followed
shortly by more shots. When morn
ing came he hid for that day. The
next morning found him at the Mis-
souri, river, which he swan TO the
Kansas side After the war the cap
tain hunted up the "Reb." gave him
a mighty good horse, and a big boot.
for the dun. "Yank." said "Reb."
that boss talk of yours did the work
| thought II was a shame 10 shoot a
lad who loved a boss like you did,
and after all, you was only doing your
duty" AS he ended his story, the
captain said, "They call me 'nutty'
about horse, but every time look
at my wife and babies I think, after
all. boss gave them to me, and, next
To them hnss comes first