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Virtue in WarII
Now Gates had a singular adventure on the second morning after his arrival at Atlanta to take his post as a major in the 307th.
He was in his tent, writing, when suddenly the flap was flung away and a tall young private stepped inside.
"Well, Maje," said the newcomer, genially, "how goes it?"
The major`s head flashed up, but he spoke without heat.
"Come to attention and salute."
"Huh!" said the private.
"Come to attention and salute."
The private looked at him in resentful amazement, and then inquired:
"Ye ain`t mad, are ye? Ain`t nothin` to get huffy about, is there?"
"I ---- Come to attention and salute."
"Well," drawled the private, as he stared, "seein` as ye are so darn particular, I don`t care if I do -- if it`ll make yer meals set on yer stomick any better."
Drawing a long breath and grinning ironically, he lazily pulled his heels together and saluted with a flourish.
"There," he said, with a return to his earlier genial manner. "How`s that suit ye, Maje?"
There was a silence which to an impartial observer would have seemed pregnant with dynamite and bloody death. Then the major cleared his throat and coldly said:
"And now, what is your business?"
"Who -- me?" asked the private. "Oh, I just sorter dropped in." With a deeper meaning he added: "Sorter dropped in in a friendly way, thinkin` ye was mebbe a different kind of a feller from what ye be."
The inference was clearly marked.
It was now Gates`s turn to stare, and stare he unfeignedly did.
"Go back to your quarters," he said at length.
The volunteer became very angry.
"Oh, ye needn`t tee so up-in-th`-air, need ye? Don`t know`s I`m dead anxious to inflict my company on yer since I`ve had a good look at ye. There may be men in this here battalion what`s had just as much edjewcation as you have, and I`m damned if they ain`t got better manners. Good-mornin`," he said, with dignity; and, passing out of the tent, he flung the flap back in place with an air of slamming it as if it had been a door. He made his way back to his company street, striding high. He was furious. He met a large crowd of his comrades.
"What`s the matter, Lige?" asked one, who noted his temper.
"Oh, nothin`," answered Lige, with terrible feeling. "Nothin`. I jest been lookin` over the new major -- that`s all."
"What`s he like?" asked another.
"Like?" cried Lige. "He`s like nothin`. He ain`t out`n the same kittle as us. No. Gawd made him all by himself -- sep rate. He`s a speshul produc`, he is, an` he won`t have no truck with jest common -- men, like you be."
He made a venomous gesture which included them all.
"Did he set on ye?" asked a soldier.
"Set on me? No," replied Lige, with contempt. "I set on him. I sized `im up in a minute. `Oh, I don`t know,` I says, as I was comint out; `guess you ain`t the only man in the world,` I says."
For a time Lige Wigram was quite a hero. He endlessly repeated the tale of his adventure, and men admired him for so soon taking the conceit out of the new officer. Lige was proud to think of himself as a plain and simple patriot who had refused to endure any high soaring nonsense.
But he came to believe that he had not disturbed the singular composure of the major, and this concreted his hatred. He hated Gates, not as a soldier sometimes hates an officer, a hatred half of fear. Lige hated as man to man. And he was enraged to see that so far from gaining any hatred in return, he seemed incapable of making Gates have any thought of him save as a unit in a body of three hundred men. Lige might just as well have gone and grimaced at the obelisk in Central Park.
When the battalion became the best in the regiment he had no part in the pride of the companies. He was sorry when men began to speak well of Gates. He was really a very consistent hater.
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