ted by Captain Swift to cook for the men. He was
given the pay and rank of artificer of engineers. The men looked upon
him more as a servant of theirs than as a fellow soldier. He was well
satisfied with his position, prided himself on his special duties,
rather looked down upon "soldiers"--and was impudent by nature.

All went well enough with the "cook" until he was required to take his
place in the ranks, at regular bi-monthly "muster, and inspection" for
pay. His performance on that occasion was so grotesquely awkward that I
directed he should be put through the "squad-drill" by one of the
sergeants, who was a thoroughly competent, but rather severe,
drill-master.

The "cook" felt that his rights were invaded, in requiring him to submit
to be drilled. The sergeant made no progress in teaching him. After
three days' trial, he reported to me that he was mortified, and ashamed,
to have to admit he could do nothing with "that cook"; and he asked to
be relieved from the duty of drilling him. In reply to my question:
"Can't you make him obey you?" He replied: "No--the only thing I can do
is to kill him"; and added: "When that kind of thing has to be done, in
this company, my understanding is, the lieutenant in command is the only
one who has the right to kill".

I relieved the sergeant, and told him I would take the "cook" in hand at
the next drill. On the following day, I marched him off into the dense
chaparral, on the bottom lands near Matamoros. After following obscure
paths, about three miles in their windings through the jungle, I halted
him in a small open space a few hundred yards from the company camp. He
thought no doubt, we were five miles from camp--in a boundless
wilderness--whilst, in fact, we were at no time five hundred yards away.

I told him of the report that had been made to me of his disobedience,
informed him that I had brought him into the chaparral for the purpose
of compelling him to obey me; called his attention to the fact that we
were in the enemy's country in time of war; all of our lives were in
peril, and that persistent disobedience on the part of any officer or
soldier to the legal authority of those over him, was punishable with
death; that I did not propose to place him before a Court Martial; but,
would kill him, if he did not implicitly obey an order I proposed then
and there to give him.

I measured 15 paces in front of him and placed a small white chip on the
ground, called him