b'most of the immigrant recruits were novices to militaryStates and at the same time to be clothed from Uncleof the thousands of British Canadian, Irish, Danish, life. In the case of the three Germans mentioned in thisSam\'s clothing store. I was now a soldier, subject to orderFrench, Italian, Russian, Swiss and even Polish recruits narrative, Charles Windolph, E. A. Bode, and Christianand compelled to obey them, whatever their nature"who joined the Frontier Army, with perhaps the Barthelmess, the situations varied, but the one common(E.A. Bode, A Dose of Frontier Soldiering, University ofexception being some of the Irishmen, many of whom thread that linked these three countrymen was a desireNebraska Press, 1994, pp. 15-17). had arrived in this country before the Civil War and may to improve their English skills and to get ahead. In thehave been more acclimated to Army life than the other case of Windolph, he would later state, "I was about theAnd for Christian Barthelmess,Europeans. Myles Keogh, of course, was one; another greenest thing that ever hit New York. I couldn\'t talkit was first avoidance ofwas John J. Coppinger who had an Arizona connection.more than a dozen words of English, and I had exactlycompulsory military service $2.50 in money. I was having a pretty tough time of itin Germany, then appreciationCoppinger\'s distinguished career - he would eventually until I met a cripple who could talk German. He gotof his adopted country thatretire as a major general following the Spanish-American me a job as a bootmaker in Hoboken. But the methodsspurred his decision to enlist.War almost came to a quick and somewhat humorous were all different from the way I had been taught, and I"Alert, observant, with an- though not to himend on the morning of October wasn\'t getting along very well. Finally, an old man whoear for music, an eye for19, 1864, when Jubal Early\'s Confederates descended was working next to me and who talked German toldpictures, and a way with words,upon an unprepared Union Army of the Shenandoah me to join the army, and learn English so that I couldBavarian-born Christian Barthelmess migrated in hisat Cedar Creek, Virginia. Coppinger\'s commanding amount to something. He was a nice man, and he wentyouth to America, in rebellion against compulsoryofficer, General Alfred Torbert of the 1st Cavalry, was with me to the U.S. recruiting office down by the Battery"peacetime service in his fatherland, - and then spentattempting to move his division to a more defensible (Charles Windolph, I Fought with Custer, Bison Books,the best part of his life serving in the armed forcesposition when he noticed that a tent was still standing University of Nebraska, 1987, pp.3-4). of his adopted country. He was a man of convictionsafter all others had been removed. Torbert angrily asked -obviously, he believed in the right to choose. He wasa sergeant standing nearby why the tent hadn\'t been For E.A. Bode, his decision to join the Army stemmeda good soldier, a musician of talent, something of astruck. The sergeant peered in, turned around, saluted from economic factors as he would write in his A Dosescholar, and an artist with a camera" (Maurice FrinkGeneral Torbert and said, "Captain Coppinger is taking of Frontier Soldiering. "Finding myself under somewhatand Casey Barthelmess, Photographer on an Army Mule,his bawth, Sir!" Torbert rode forward, screaming, as he peculiar circumstances and my vital powers decreasingUniversity of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma,cut the ropes of the tent whereupon a naked Captain without hope of a speedy relief in civil life, I concluded1965, p. 3). Coppinger rushed to put his uniform back on (Colonel to go under the protecting shield of Mars, and join theGeorge B. Sanford, Fighting Rebels and Redskins, edited United States Army, with its well-fed, well-dressed, andBarthelmess would initially enlist in the 6th U.S. Cavalryby E.R. Hagemann, University of Oklahoma Press, citizen honored sons. Entering the custom house inin 1876, probably in the wake of the Custer massacre.Norman, Oklahoma, 1969, pp. 287-288). Nonetheless, New Orleans one chilly day in February 1877, whereHe would subsequently serve as a soldier, a bandmaster,Coppinger stayed in the regular Army - serving in a regiment of infantry was stationed, I inquired of theand a photographer in three army regiments till hisArizona as a colonel at Fort Verde under General sentinel if they wanted any more fighters. The answerretirement from active duty in 1903, but would live theCrook\'s command during the Apache Wars. He rounded being affirmative and directed up a flight of stairs, Ilast three years of his life at Fort Keogh, where he died inout his service as a major general commanding a brigade passed the main body of the guard from whence anothera freak accident on April 10, 1906. in Puerto Rico alongside the division of fellow Civil War stairs bought me to the top floor.On the first day ofand Indian Wars veteran General Brooke.March 1877, I was again summoned into the presence ofThe experiences of the three Germans pretty much the Captain - to take the oath of allegiance to the Unitedmirrored the initial enlistment and first duty experiencesNext month, Part 2. Same SevenDay Days ADelivery! Week!Leave Your New Home to Us and ExpectA Family OwnedOnly Turnkey, White Glove Service! & Operated BusinessWe take care ofthe headachesWe Move Apartments, in down sizing and moving! 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