The Washington herald., 1921-06-12

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hero. He simply spent most of his
time on his knees begging our cap
tain to send him on forlorn hopes
and dangerous scouting expeditions.
In every fight he was the first man
to mix it at close quarters with the
Don Alfonsos. He got three or four
bullets planted in various parts of
his anatomy. Once he went off with
a detail of eight men and captured
a whole company Of spanish. He
kept Capt. Floyd busy writing
out recommendations of his bravery
to send into headquarters; and he
began to accumulate medals for all
kinds of things-heroism and tager-
shooting and valor and tactics and
uninsubordination.a and all the little
accomplishments that look good to
the Third Assistant Secretaries of
the War Department.
Finally Cap Floyd got promoted
to be a major general. or a knight
commander of the main herd, or
something like that. He pounded
around on a white horse, all desc
Grated up with a gold-leaf and hen
feathers and a Good Templar's hat.
and wasn't allowed by the regula-
tions to speak 10 US. And Willie
was made captain of our company.
And maybe he didn't go after the
wreath of fame then! AS far as 1
could see it was him that ended the
war. He got eighteen of US boys
friends of his, too-killed in battles
that he stirred up himself and that
didn't seem to be necessary at all.
One night he took twelve of US and
waded through a little rill about
100 yards wide, and climbed couple
of mountains. and sneaked through
a mile of neglected shrubbery and
couple of rock-quarries and into a
rye-straw village. and captured a
Spanish general named, as they said.
Benny Veedus. Benny seemed
to me hardly worth the trouble,
being a blackish man without shoes
or cuffs, and anxious to surrender
and throw himself on the commits
sary of his foe.
But that job gave Willie the big
boost he wanted. The San Augus-
tine News and the Galveston. st.
Louis. New York and Kansas City
papers printed his picture and col
umns of stuff about him. Old San
Augustine simply went crazy over
its gallant son. The News had an
editorial tearfully begging the gov
ernment to call of the regular army
and the National Guard and let Will
lie carry on the rest of the war sin
gle-handed. 1t said that a refusal
to do so would be regarded as a
proof that the Northern jealousy of
the South was still as rampant as
ever.
III the war hadn't ended pretty
soon, l don't know to what heights
of gold braid and enconiums Willie
would have climbed; but 1t did.
There was a secession of hostilities
just three days after he was ap-
pointed a colonel, and got in three
more medals by registered mail and
shot two Spaniards while they were
drinking lemonade in an ambuscade.
Our company went back to San
Augustine when the war was over.
There wasn't anywhere else for 1t to
go. And what do you think7 The
old town notified US in print, by
wire cable. special delivery, and
niger named Saul sent on a gray
mule to San Antoine. that they was
going to give US the biggest blow
out. complimentary, alimentary and
kildees on sand-hats outside Of the
immediate contiguity of the city.
Il say we but it was all meant
for former Private, Captain de fac
tor or Colonel-elect Willie Robbins
The town was crazy about him.
They notified us that the reception
they were going to put up would
make the Mardi Gras in New Or
leans look like an afternoon tea
in Bury st. Edmunds with a curate's
aunt.
We'll. the San Augustine Rifles
got back home on schedule time.
Everybody was at the depot giving
forth Roosevelt Democrat 4 they
used to be called Rebel-yefls
There were two brass-bands, and
the mayor. and schoolgirls in white
frightening the street-car horses by
throwing Cherokee roses in the
streets. and-well, maybe you've
seen a celebration by a town that
was inland and out of water.
They wanted to Brevet- Colonel
Willie to get into a carriage and be
drawn by prominent citizens and
some of the city aldermen to the
armory but he stuck to his company
and marched at the head of 1t up
Sam Houston avenue. The buildings
on both sides was covered with flags
and audiences. and everybody hol-
Tered Robbinsv or Hello, Willier as
we marched up in files of fours.
never saw a looking
human in my life than willie was
He had at least seven or eight med
ais and diplomas and decorations on
the breast of his khaki coat: he was
sunburnt the color of a saddle. and
he certainly done himself proud.
They told US at the depot that
the courthouse was to be illuminate
ed at half-past seven. and there