Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 77, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 June 1901 — Obeying Orders. [ARTICLE]

Obeying Orders.

General Harney was an officer of the old school, a strict disciplinarian who took no excuses for hesitation in obeying orders. When he was on his way to Mexico, when the United States was at war with that country, he engaged teams to transport the baggage and placed in charge of them a Texan named Carter. The streams were all up, and Carter had much trouble, but whenever he tried to modify the general’s requirements he was cut short with the admonition, “All you’ve got to do is to obey orders.” Says Noah Smithwick in his recollections called “The Evolution of a State:” They camped one night near the Nueces river, which Carter found to be impassable. He said nothing about it to the general, and the next morning the order was given to move on. Carter started with the wagon train and halted at the river, which was absolutely Impassable. Harney came blustering up. “Didn’t you know that river was up?” he demanded. “Yes, sir,” meekly replied the wagon master. “Why didn’t you tell me?” “You didn’t ask me, sir. You said my business was to obey orders. You ordered me to hitch, up and move on, and I did it.” “You did quite right, sir. Turn round and drive back to camp.” If the general had been “done,” he was not going to show it.