United States or Suriname ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Two of the other boys became captains in the Sixth Michigan cavalry; the other went out as sergeant-major of the Twenty-first Michigan infantry and arose in good time to be a captain in his regiment. The government, during the earlier period of the war, was slow to recognize the importance of the cavalry arm of the service.
Heimert felt the sergeant-major looking at him, as he thought, with a sneering, incredulous sort of expression. He was embarrassed, and began describing figures on the table with a little beer that had been spilt. "Well, well," he began at last, "women are always like that. She draws the long bow, of course as to her origin and so forth." "Yes," answered Heppner; "girls love doing that."
I hastily got my men together; for I must tell you that I had won the rank of sergeant. We soon received orders to bear to the left and occupy a hillock above the plain. As we were about to move, the sergeant-major came running along and shouting: "A letter for Sergeant Gourdon!"
He says two others, one named Hill and the other Little, want to get down to the hangars. Be a good chap and ask the major about it." Parks did. The major was very busy at the time, and said, "I guess so," and let the matter go at that. Parks passed that laconic permission on to the sergeant-major, and the two boys reported to Parks forthwith.
So the Company Sergeant-Major was called in to make arrangements, and at eight o'clock that evening we wandered into the Orchestra Stalls. The concert hall was a large barn with a double door in the middle which had been opened wide to allow the admittance of a cart, which was placed in the entrance to act as a stage.
He was somewhat upset and said, "I feel terrible, I ought to shoot myself." and the sergeant-major enquired, "Then why don't you Sir?" The suggestion was not taken however and a search party later led the group back to base. Attempts were made to keep us occupied and clubs were formed.
The height, he reminded us, was greater than the tallest ship's mast, the rope entirely free; and he as good as defied the boldest and strongest to succeed. We were relieved from this deadlock by our sergeant-major of dragoons. "Comrades," said he, "I believe I rank before you all; and for that reason, if you really wish it, I will be the first myself.
Then the colonel sent for the sergeant-major and told, him to detail all the company cooks and officer's servants, to attend the funeral with me, and he said I could divide them off into reliefs, letting a few be mourners at a time. In the meantime, he said, I could move my procession off down by the horse-doctor's quarter's, as he did not want it in front of his tent.
The sergeant-major accompanied the young officer on his rounds, in the course of which the cook-house was inspected. Pointing to a large copper of water just commencing to boil, the officer said: "Why does that water only boil round the edges of the copper and not in the centre?"
How quaintly the tyrant's jaw had dropped in sheer astonishment, and how his face had purpled with rage when he realized that his eyes had not deceived him and that the worm had literally turned without orders. Indian, African, and Egyptian service, disappointment, and a bad wife had left Rough-Riding Sergeant-Major Blount with a dangerous temper. Poor silly Muggins.
Word Of The Day