CAMP-FIRE II.

HOW A BALKY HORSE DID NOT SURRENDER-THE EXECUTION OF DESERTERS-A PENSION FOR A PIN-SCRATCH.

HEN the veterans convened on the following evening, some one soberly alluded to the discourtesy of the previous meeting in withdrawing from the camp-fire so unceremoniously. With great humiliation the guilty each made a low bow, and assured the others that nothing but the best intention-which has excused far greater crimes-had possessed them; that they had quietly withdrawn that they might leave their weary comrades to the full enjoyment of unbroken slumber. This explanation being accepted, Mr. Joseph Dewey, of the 7th Iowa Cavalry, Company C, said:

"Let me relate the glorious tradition of how a balky horse saved the life of Captain Bartlett. It was just before the capture of Memphis, and our boys were returning from a three-days' raid. We had come in sight of what we thought were two regiments of Federal infantry, and wheeled about to join them. But when we were within a few rods of the supposed Federals, we suddenly discovered that they were about two thousand Johnnies' in blue coats.

He was a

This horse

"Captain Bartlett had a very remarkable horse. dark bay, bob-tail, straight neck, and short ears. always held his head about twenty-nine degrees higher than the heads of his fellows, probably from his sense of pride. But with all his imperfections he was not blind. I have never known of a blind horse that was balky. Jehu-that was his

name-had two good I's, one for intelligence, the other for indolence. However, he rarely used both at the same time. He would glance backward with the eye of intelligence to see what was going on in the rear, and then, all of a sudden, he could see nothing more except through the indolence eye. Yet withal, this noble animal was trustworthy-you could always trust him to eat a peck of oats and call for more; and he was equally reliable for standing still when there was too much weight on his back.

"Upon discovering the true character of the blue-coated infantry, the cavalry wheeled again, and were off. Jehu stopped. He had become tired of horse society. He desired solitude. The captain whipped and spurred, all to no purpose. Then the Confederates opened fire, and it began to be uncomfortable for Jehu, though no damage was done. Then another volley came, and Jehu at once concluded to join the enemy. To carry out this determination, he turned his head to the left, stiffened his neck, and darted off in a 2:40 gait, side-wise, to the right. This brought him into the midst of the enemy, who yelled to the captain: • Surrender! surrender! You Yankee s—0— b-!"

[This military term may need some explanation. It originated with the Confederates early in the war, and was an appellation given to all soldiers of the Union Army, from whatever point they hailed. In civil life it became shortened to "Yankee sob," but here it is used in its strictest hostile sense.]

"But no surrender for Jehu. The enemy's ranks parted and let him through, but the firing continued, and still was heard: "Surrender! surrender! you Yankee so- b—!'

"How in thunder can I surrender,' answered the captain, still borne through the ranks on the back of the horse. 'I will if you'll stop my horse.' Several shots were fired, but strange to say, Jehu made good his escape without a scratch to himself or the captain, amidst great applause."

Mr. H. P. Thompson, Orderly Sergeant of Company H, 49th New York, and later in charge of the provost guard, then asked if the S. P. U. H. would like to hear concerning the execution of two deserters.

"Yes," said their representative; "give us a description of how deserters were executed."

"Well, I remember what I am going to tell as well as if it happened only yesterday. The prominent part I bore in the sad affair fixed it indelibly on my mind.

"It was near Brandy Station, Va., on the 3d of December, 1863. Desertions were becoming too frequent, and something had to be done to stop the disloyalty. Seventeen deserters had been tried and sentenced at this time; but fifteen were pardoned by the general proclamation of President Lincoln, pardoning all deserters who would return and take their places in the ranks. The two who were not pardoned were George Blowers, of Company A, 2d Vermont, and John Tague, Company A, 5th Vermont. There were a great many trials for desertion during the war, but deserters were seldom executed; they usually received a lighter sentence. The most general sentence was that the deserter should return to the army and serve out all of his original time of enlistment which had not been served, without pay or allowance. For instance, if a soldier who had enlisted for four years had deserted at the end of six months, he would be brought back when caught, and be compelled to serve three years and six months more. This was the penalty, except in flagrant

cases.

"Some were sent to Dry Tortugas, which was almost equivalent to banishment. Dry Tortugas is a group of islands belonging to the United States, at the entrance of the Gulf of Mexico, 120 miles west southwest of Cape Sable, the southern extremity of Florida. The islands are very low and swampy, partly covered with mangrove