Comrades! the path is fringed with death!
Who rides with me to-day?”—Edmundus Scotus.
Every one knows how hopefully the campaign of the Spring of 1864 opened. In almost every engagement the Union arms triumphed.
Colonel Rosenthal’s regiment performed their parts of duty, suffered their share of casualties and received their meed of glory.
But the glory of war is inseparable from the gloom of death. The regiment was decimated. And it had to be filled up with raw recruits. And Adjutant Wing, for “gallant and meritorious conduct,” was promoted to the rank of Captain and placed at the head of Company K. in a position rendered vacant by the casualties of war.
At this time the regiment was stationed at the town of C.
On the afternoon of the day when Wing received his captain’s commission, he entered the quarters of his colonel, and saluting him respectfully, said in a tone rather of reproach than of gratitude, for he was by no means elated at the change:
“I presume that I have to thank you for this promotion, sir?”
“Not so, adjutant. I confess that I am selfish enough to desire always to retain you at headquarters. No—I had nothing to do with the affair beyond speaking of you as you deserved in my report. With a soldier, to hear is to obey, Wing. And whether I like to lose my adjutant or not, and whether you like to leave the office or not, you must assume command of your company before the dress-parade at sunset,” said Colonel Rosenthal.
Wing bowed and left his colonel’s presence.