ptions, proved to be utterly out of their element when
promoted to a higher sphere. The entrance into their midst of Captain
Cram with his swell light battery, with officers and men in scarlet
plumes and full-dress uniforms, was a revelation to the sombre
battalions whose officers had not yet even purchased their epaulettes
and had seen no occasion to wear them. But when Cram and his lieutenants
came swaggering about the garrison croquet-ground in natty shell
jackets, Russian shoulder-knots, riding-breeches, boots, and spurs,
there were not lacking those among the sturdy foot who looked upon the
whole proceeding with great disfavor. Cram had two "rankers" with him
when he came, but one had transferred out in favor of Waring, and now
his battery was supplied with the full complement of subalterns,--Doyle,
very much out of place, commanding the right section (as a platoon was
called in those days), Waring commanding the left, Ferry serving as
chief of caissons, and Pierce as battery adjutant and general utility
man. Two of the officers were graduates of West Point and not yet three
years out of the cadet uniform. Under these circumstances it was
injudicious in Cram to sport in person the aiguillettes and thereby set
an example to his subalterns which they were not slow to follow. With
their gold hat-braids, cords, tassels, and epaulettes, with scarlet
plumes and facings, he and his officers were already much more
gorgeously bedecked than were their infantry friends. The post
commander, old Rounds, had said nothing, because he had had his start in
the light artillery and might have lived and died a captain had he not
pushed for a volunteer regiment and fought his way up to a division
command and a lieutenant-colonelcy of regulars at the close of the war,
while his seniors who stuck to their own corps never rose beyond the
possibilities of their arm of the service and probably never will. But
Braxton, who succeeded as post commander, knew that in European armies
and in the old Mexican War days the aiguillette was ordinarily the
distinctive badge of general officers or those empowered to give orders
in their name. It wasn't the proper thing for a linesman--battery,
cavalry, or foot--to wear, said Brax, and he thought Cram was wrong in
wearing it, even though some other battery officers did so. But Cram was
just back from Britain.

"Why, sir, look at the Life Guards! Look at the Horse Guards in London!
Every officer and man w