It was discouraging.
The next step in the plan was by lucky accident. Lieutenant (now
Lieut.-Col.) John T. Thompson, Ordnance Department, who was in charge
of the Ordnance Depot at Tampa, accidentally met the would-be
machine-gun man, and was promptly buttonholed over a dish of ice
cream. Thompson was himself a young man and a student. His department
placed an insuperable obstacle in the way of himself carrying out a
plan which he, also, had conceived, and he was keen to see the idea,
which he fully believed in, demonstrated on the battle-field. He had,
moreover, as ordnance officer, just received an invoice of fifteen
Gatling guns, complete, of the latest model, and he had access to the
commanding general by virtue of being a member of his staff. By reason
of the terrible rush of overwork, he needed an assistant, and it
seemed practicable to try to kill two birds with one stone. But all he
said was, "I believe in the idea; I have long advocated it. It may be
possible for me to get you your opportunity, and it may not. If so,
you will hear from the matter."
The attempt to get the thing going had been apparently abandoned,
when, utterly without notice, the regimental commander received orders
per letter, from Headquarters Fifth Army Corps, which resulted in the
following orders:
"Headquarters 13th Infantry, in the Field,
"Tampa, Fla.
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