During the month of February, 1863, the 55th Ohio, along with its brigade, was encamped near Brooke's Station near Belle Plain, Virginia. It was at this time that Luther Mesnard of Company D related the following story:"During our long encampment at this place the boys found many sources of amusement besides drills, picket duty, etc., and it was this constant fun and deviltry that made army life tolerable. Woe to the soldier who moped with the blues in camp. He was sure to pine, sicken and die, or be sent to the hospital. Our Lieut. Col. Stafford had been sent home on recruiting service and among the recruits he brought back was a long-eared white livered specimen less than half witted, who was assigned to our company.
"My bunkey Paul Jones worked on this recruit's ("Gabriel" the boys named him) credulity and imagination so that he thought a high privilege to bring our wood and water for us, and it was good as a circus to hear Paul talk to him, the great hero he would make of him and his marvelous military bearing, culminating finally in the belief that Gabe would make a good "Lance Prezam", if, there's the test, if he would obey orders to the letter. Gabe allowed he would and Paul after days of hesitancy decided to make the test. Somewhere he found a large three cocked hat and feather, and an old artillery Sword, and took Gabe back into the woods for drill, teaching him to carry the sword up over his shoulder at an angle of about forty-five degrees and march in grand and lofty manner, raising his feet very high and in every way perform in a ridiculous manner, not neglecting a form of challenge.
"Then after all this very impressive preperation, at a propitious time he placed Gab on guard at a beat some fifty feet long, between the company officers tent and the regimental street, with orders that no one should cross his beat. Of course the boys in the company and many others knew about it and as Gabe paraded along his beat manipulating his sword and making his turns at the end according to instructions, all in grand solemnity, it was a good sight to behold. As the show got well under way, Lieut. Wickam came out of his tent and started to go across Gabe's beat he was halted with more profanity that was usual, and that old sword came down onto the ground with a stroke that sounded and then was cleaving the air all around in front of Wickam, while Gabe uttered a torrent of invective and profanity that was quite up to the "drill". Wickam caught on and quietly went back into his tent but said nothing.
"Soon Capt. Wildman came out and as Gabe began his demonstration did not see the joke, ordering Gabe away and threatening arrest but Gabe swung his sword and poured out defiance with a profanity that was appalling and made lunges at the Capt. with his sword that caused him to retreat into his tent.
"Then Lieut. Boalt came out to see to things, but Gabe was invincible. He showed Boalt just how far he would run that sword into him if he came within reach of his beat, and made such a violent demonstration that Boalt also fell back in good order much to the amusement of all the boys who were watching the show.
"Paul, the only one from whom Gabe would take orders, soon slipped around and retired Gabe from further duty praising his conduct, and pinning some lemon peel on his shoulders and declared him "Lance Prezam" of the Co.
"One day Gen'l Hooker called on our Col. Lee. Paul said "Gabe have you drawn your tobacco? Col. Lee is issuing tobacco now". Gabe went up and walked right into Col. Lee's tent. "Hellow Col. Give me some tobacco". Lee says "I do not use it but Safford does; he will give you some" and with a twinkle in his eye he said to Hooker, "This is Safford's recruit", to all of which the boys had a spy listening. Gabe was soon after discharged as non-compus mentus."
Sources:
Trials and Triumphs: A Record of the Fifty-Fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry by Hartwell Osborne, 1904, A.C. Clurg & Co., Chicago.
All Brave And True by Dan Munson, 1987.
The Memoirs Of Luther T. Mesnard, Reprinted from "Civil War Times Illustrated" January, 1986.