Woman's enterprise. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1921-19??, 1922-04-07

author of Peck's Bad Boy and sub
sequently editor of Peck's Sun, wa,
a soldier Of a Federal Cavalry regi
ment stationed in this CITY from
which raids were made from time
to time to the sections north and cas-
OF this place. On one raid the regi
ment went as far east as Brookhaven
OF which little town they made a bon
hre, destroying every house, store
and cabin and Clubhouse This wa:
In 1864. Years after, while publishing
the Sun, Peck wrote the following:
On Tuesday we read in a city paper
that a gentlemtn from Brookhaven
Miss, was married to a Milwaukee
lady, and for an hour we trembled fo1
fear the marriage was an excuse tc
allow fiery southerner to come up
here and get even with us for burn
ing the town Of Brookhaven, in 1864
We handled our revolvers carelessly
and aimed at the door several times,
just to see if we could hit the Brook
haven man, if he should come in on
a jump and gallop over US. But the
hours passed and he did not come, and
finally we concluded, if he was mar
ried to a Milwaukee girl he was prob
ably in a COMPOUNDED sight better
business than whipping an old bald
headed union veteran, who wasn't per-
sonally to blame about burning the
town, anyway. May be this man was
not born then, or he may have been
one of the kids that we saw on that
raid, but conscience makes towards
of US all, and we couldn't help think
ing that the southern bridegroom
would be justified in kicking any men,
Der of the regiment that went a hun
dred miles on gallop to build
bonfire, when there was just as good
material where the regiment was To-
Gated. And if the man had come for
revenge, and we had told him of the
horrible sufferings of that ride, he
would probably have relented and in
vited US to the wedding. The way of
it was this: The Fourth Wisconsin
Cavalry was stationed at Baton
Rouge, La, with other regiments, and
one evening the men were ordered to
take four days rations and mount.
There was no time to be sick and at
tend surgeons call, or get out Of it
in any way, and in less than half an
hour the regiment had mounted, the
colonel gave the command "fours
right" and we all tours righted, and
in ten minutes were outside the pic
ket lines, on the Clinton road. The
command "gallop" was given, and we
galloped. Well, you wouldn't believe
it, at this late day, but if we let up
on the gallop for a minute all night,
you can take it out Of our wages.
There was a good deal Of dissatisfac-
ton about it. The regiment had been
petted there in Louisiana so long that
a night of galloping on sharp backed
horses caused the men to murmer dis
approval But the colonel didn't care
a continental. He just kept on gal
Looping. The colonel is now railroad
agent at Quincy, ILL.,, and if we ever
see him we will give him piece Of
our mind in regard to that galloping
match, if he courtmartials US =. and
stops our pay. At daylight the COM
mand entered the town of Clinton,
forty miles away, leaving a blue
streak of profanity all the way back
to Baton Rouge. Well, we got break
fast, and there were few men that
would speak to the colonel. There
was GOODNESS between officers and
men that was noticeable. However,
they all felt that he had done the
deed to show authority, and they felt
that if he would let them stay at
Clinton week to recuperate, and
then let them ride back to Baton
Rouge in ambulances, he would do
much to cement the friendship that
had been so rudely broken. When
they were talking over the outrage Of
causing a pet regiment to ride forty
miles in the night the bugle sounded
SADDLE up," and the regiment started
towards Liberty, Miss, thirty miles
away. There was one thing to the
colonel's credit. He did let them walk
their horses foar or five miles that
day. They arrived at Liberty that
evening, and a sicker lot Of cavalry
never was seen. The men said that
was the last hair that broke the cam
els back. It was we'll enough to
make a raid forty miles from home