Pages 13-14 missing from my print edition!

FRANK'S CAMPAIGN OR THE FARM AND THE CAMP

By HORATIO ALGER, JR.

FRANK'S CAMPAIGN

CHAPTER I. THE WAR MEETING

The Town Hall in Rossville stands on a moderate elevation
overlooking the principal street. It is generally open only when
a meeting has been called by the Selectmen to transact town
business, or occasionally in the evening when a lecture on
temperance or a political address is to be delivered. Rossville
is not large enough to sustain a course of lyceum lectures, and
the townspeople are obliged to depend for intellectual nutriment
upon such chance occasions as these. The majority of the
inhabitants being engaged in agricultural pursuits, the
population is somewhat scattered, and the houses, with the
exception of a few grouped around the stores, stand at
respectable distances, each encamped on a farm of its own.

One Wednesday afternoon, toward the close of September, 1862, a
group of men and boys might have been seen standing on the steps
and in the entry of the Town House. Why they had met will best
appear from a large placard, which had been posted up on barns
and fences and inside the village store and postoffice.

It ran as follows:

     WAR MEETING!

The citizens of Rossville are invited to meet at the Town Hall,
on Wednesday, September 24, at 3 P. M. to decide what measures
shall be taken toward raising the town's quota of twenty-five
men, under the recent call of the President of the United States.
All patriotic citizens, who are in favor of sustaining the free
institutions transmitted to us by our fathers, are urgently
invited to be present.

The Hon. Solomon Stoddard is expected to address the meeting.

Come one, come all.

At the appointed hour one hundred and fifty men had assembled in
the hall. They stood in groups, discussing the recent call and
the general management of the war with that spirit of independent
criticism which so eminently characterizes the little democracies
which make up our New England States.

"The whole thing has been mismanaged from the first," remarked a
sapient-looking man with a gaunt, cadaverous face, addressing two
listeners. "The Administration is corrupt; our generals are
either incompetent or purposely inefficient. We haven't got an
officer that can hold a candle to General Lee. Abraham Lincoln
has called for six hundred thousand men. What'll he do with 'em
when he gets 'em? Just nothing at all. They'll melt away like
snow, and then he'll call for more men. Give me a third of six
hundred thousand, and I'll walk into Richmond in less'n thirty
days."

A quiet smile played over the face of one of the listeners. With
a slight shade of irony in his voice he said, "If such are your
convictions, Mr. Holman, I think it a great pity that you are not
in the service. We need those who have clear views of what is
required in the present emergency. Don't you intend to
volunteer?"

"I!" exclaimed the other with lofty scorn. "No, sir; I wash my
hands of the whole matter. I ain't clear about the justice of
warring upon our erring brethren at all. I have no doubt they
would be inclined to accept overtures of peace if accompanied
with suitable concessions. Still, if war must be waged, I believe
I could manage matters infinitely better than Lincoln and his
cabinet have done."

"Wouldn't it be well to give them the benefit of your ideas on
the subject?" suggested the other quietly.

"Ahem!" said Mr. Holman, a little suspiciously.

"What do you mean, Mr. Frost?"

"Only this, that if, like you, I had a definite scheme, which I
thought likely to terminate the war, I should feel it my duty to
communicate it to the proper authorities, that they might take it
into consideration."

"It wouldn't do any good," returned Holman, still a little
suspicious that he was quietly laughed at. "They're too set in
their own ways to be changed."

At this moment there was a sharp rap on the table, and a voice
was heard, saying, "The meeting will please come to order."

The buzz of voices died away; and all eyes were turned toward the
speaker's stand.

"It will be necessary to select a chairman to preside over your
deliberations," was next heard. "Will any one nominate?"

"I nominate Doctor Plunkett," came from a man in the corner.

The motion was seconded, and a show of hands resulted in favor of
the nominee.

A gentlemanly-looking man with a pleasant face advanced to the
speaker's stand, and with a bow made a few remarks to this
effect:

"Fellow citizens: This is new business to me, as you are
doubtless aware. My professional engagements have not often
allowed me to take part in the meetings which from time to time
you have held in this hall. On the present occasion, however, I
felt it to be my duty, and the duty of every loyal citizen, to
show by his presence how heartily he approves the object which
has called us together. The same consideration will not suffer me
to decline the unexpected responsibility which you have devolved
upon me. Before proceeding farther, I would suggest that a clerk
will be needed to complete the organization."

A young man was nominated and elected without opposition.

Doctor Plunkett again addressed the meeting: "It is hardly
necessary," he said, "to remind you of the object which has
brought us together. Our forces in the field need replenishing.
The Rebellion has assumed more formidable proportions than we
anticipated. It is quite clear that we cannot put it down with
one hand. We shall need both. Impressed with this conviction,
President Lincoln has made an extraordinary levy upon the
country. He feels that it is desirable to put down the Rebellion
as speedily as possible, and not suffer it to drag through a
series of years. But he cannot work single-handed. The loyal
States must give their hearty cooperation. Our State, though
inferior in extent and population to some others, has not fallen
behind in loyal devotion. Nor, I believe, will Rossville be found
wanting in this emergency. Twenty-five men have been called for.
How shall we get them? This is the question which we are called
upon to consider. I had hoped the Honorable Solomon Stoddard
would be here to address you; but I regret to learn that a
temporary illness will prevent his doing so. I trust that those
present will not be backward in expressing their opinions."

Mr. Holman was already on his feet. His speech consisted of
disconnected remarks on the general conduct of the war, mingled
with severe denunciation of the Administration.

He had spoken for fifteen minutes in this strain, when the
chairman interfered----

"Your remarks are out of order, Mr. Holman. They are entirely
irrelevant to the question."

Holman wiped his cadaverous features with a red silk
pocket-handkerchief, and inquired, sarcastically, "Am I to
understand that freedom of speech is interdicted in this hall?"

"Freedom of speech is in order," said the chairman calmly,
"provided the speaker confines himself to the question under
discussion. You have spoken fifteen minutes without once touching
it."

"I suppose you want me to praise the Administration," said
Holman, evidently thinking that he had demolished the chairman.
He looked around to observe what effect his shot had produced.

"That would be equally out of order," ruled the presiding
officer. "We have not assembled to praise or to censure the
Administration, but to consider in what manner we shall go to
work to raise our quota."

Holman sat down with the air of a martyr.

Mr. Frost rose next. It is unnecessary to report his speech. It
was plain, practical, and to the point. He recommended that the
town appropriate a certain sum as bounty money to volunteers.
Other towns had done so, and he thought with good reason. It
would undoubtedly draw in recruits more rapidly.

A short, stout, red-faced man, wearing gold spectacles, rose
hastily.

"Mr. Chairman," he commenced, "I oppose that suggestion. I think
it calculated to work serious mischief. Do our young men need to
be hired to fight for their country? I suppose that is what you
call patriotism. For my part, I trust the town will have too much
good sense to agree to any such proposition. The consequence of
it would be to plunge us into debt, and increase our taxes to a
formidable amount."

It may be remarked that Squire Haynes, the speaker, was the
wealthiest man in town, and, of course, would be considerably
affected by increased taxation. Even now he never paid his annual
tax-bill without an inward groan, feeling that it was so much
deducted from the sum total of his property.

Mr. Frost remained standing while Squire Haynes was speaking, and
at the close continued his speech: