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The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, March 01, 1879, Image 1

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j$ w ottmiit devoted to the inter enta of the goldhns und janitors of the lute war, and all .gcimoncni of the 'United tnie.
Itoulishtid by The
FATIONAI, TRIBUNB COMPANY
Vol. II, Ko. 3. WASHDraTOH", D. 0., MARCH, 1879.
.(
TEBJJS, FIFTY CENTS PER YEAR.
Specimen Oortic? sent Fret on Hon ties t
BUMacydlng to Aet oUongrttt, in theytar uotir LerJ, tS7(?Li the Offi.c o(h Libra, tan oCmgrtii, at Vathhtgton, D. C.
i
sfJ'--5
L"Tho Vntln of Buttery ."
Houth Mountain towered on our right;"
Far off tho river lay,
And tjver on tho wooded height,
We held their linea at bay.
At lost, tho muttering Runs were stlU
Tho day died slow and wan ;
At Inst the gunners' tdpos did fill,
'.' Thc sergeant's yarns began. :
When as the wind a moment blew
Asldo tho fragrant flood, " '
' Our briar-wodds raised within our view
A little maiden stood:
: A tiny tot of s-ix or seven,
From (lresitio Fresh she seemed,
-, (Of. such a little one in heaven, ' .
i( One soldier often dreamed.)
And as wo stared, her littlo hand
Went to her curly head ;,,, -:
In grave" salute ' And yho aro yoa?" . L
At leiigth the sergeant said. '
. 'VAnd Where's your home?" he growled again ;
She lisped out: "Who is mo?. ,
Why, don't you know ? I'm little Jane. ..
Tho Prido of Battery B." - - ;V
V My home ? Why, that was burned avray,
And Pa. and Ma aro dead, ,?
Arid so I rido the guns all day, -
Along with sergeant Ned: .
"And I'vo a drum that's not a toy
And a cap with fen there, too,
Ad 1 march beside the drummer boy,
On Sundays at review. ',
." But now our 'bacca's all give out, .
Tho men can't have their smoke; .
And so they're cross why,, oven Ned
Won't play with me and joke. .. .,. '
" And the big Colonel said to-day
I hate to hear hlra swear
He'd ' give a leg i'or a good pipe . , ,
Iilke the Yanks had over-there:'-; ,-, &
"And so I thought when beat the druiS
And tho big guna were still, --',' ' '.
I'd creep beneath the tent and come . . .
Out hero across tho hill:
, "And boggood master Yankee man,
You'd give me some hone Jack' . ,..-.
Please, do when we get somo again, .
TJI surely bring it back; ' y '-"
"Indeed I will, for Xed says he, ,
' 'If I do what I say, .
I'll bo a goneml yet. may be,1 w ,l
And ride a prancing bay.'
Wo brimmed her tiny apron o'er :;- ' r
You j-hould have heard her lautrh:'
' As each man, from his scanty store,-. .
Shook out a generous half.
To kiss the little mouth stooped down
A scoro of crimy men.
Until the sergeant's husky voice
Said, "'Tendon, squad !" and then
Wo gave her escort till " Good night."
The pretty waif wo bid,
And watched her toddle out of sight
Or else 'twas tears that hid
Her tiny form, nor turned about . ' v
A man, uorspokoa word, , ';'
Till after while a far hoarse shout '. F
Upon tho wind we heard. . -;
; We sent it back then cost sad eye '
Upon the scenes around,
A baby's hand had touched the tie,
That brothers once had bound.
That's all sdvo when tho dawn awoke
Again the work of hell:
And through the sullen clouds of smoke
The screaming missiles fell,
Our general often rubbed his nloss,
And marveled much to seo
Not a single shell, that whole day fell
In tho camp" of Battery B.
,jjx
Wo shall continue to publish In tho Tkibunb the choice poetry o
thc war, and here is " Tho Pride of Battery B," which, as an adorn
nient for any scrap-book, is worth a year's subscription to'our paper.
Tho Wiwrior's Shield.
V SOPHIA LYNE.
She buckled on his sword, and paid,
f ."Now God defend tho right,
And bless my warrior, and bring
Him safely from the fight 1".
Sho did ot shed asingle tear,
Shbatchcd Ilim ri"C away,
Yet-tui her hopo her very life
n qui mn mm 10 mo iruy.
At evo sho stood upon the hill,
vif. wiiii ii im mi vn 11 VT'
, Oh, toll mo toll me of tho war "
"Till lintrlrt'u ,r-, III )mt. nn
"But who is this they aro bringing homel
A warrior, and deadr v "J,.-
" Alas ! alas ! It Is thy love," ,,; i
r VJ '.
"
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1 ,
A soldier, pitying-, said,
Sho did not turn tooo hi.s face,
.Sho did notwoep'orsigh,
Sho only said. ' Since ho i dead,
u What can I dolmt die?"
41 It I not I r n'deep volco said,
Though foromot lu th field,
Yet I am safe, my own sweot lovo,
Your blowing was my shield."
" ti
! 'Hoibt ijimber ia tUwd mulor grbuna Ju'tll Conistock
Jodo t)tiMi )ias been employed1 iu tho cohsfcxuetion of SA
Jrwioisdo,
JOHN PHCE1TIX AND JEFF. DAVIS.
A Kew Story told of the Greatest of American
Humorists.
American Titles.
A, Now Tork correspondent of tho Indianapolis Journal
gives tho following interesting rominiscenco of tho late
John Phoenix Lieutenant Derby, of the United States
Army.
When Frank Pierce was Prosidont, Jeff. Davis, then
Secretary of War, issued & general invitation to officers of
tho Army who wore skillful draughtsmen, to send in sug
gestions for the new uniform which it had been decided
to adopt. One such invitation was sent to each officer.
Lieutenant Derby was very ready with his pena really
ingenious artist. In reply, he sent to tho War Depart
ment a design for a now Uniform, or rather a peculiar ad
dition to tho old uniform, the- amendment consisting
merely of a ring attached to the scat of tho trousor$ of
each priyate soldier. JSaoh officer was to carry, instead of
a sword, a long pole with a hook iu the end like a shop
herd's crook. The pole and tho ring enabled officers to
keep ,the privates from running away in battle. Fugi
tives could easily be caught by it and brought back.
Stragglors could be kept in lino. Moreover, the ring
would be very useful hi the cavalry service, to fasten soP
tilers to tho saddle to prevent them from falling off; and
in the artillery service, tho rings wore to be used for
draught purposes in the absence, of mules.,
These specifications were accompanied by tlje most gro
tesque pictures, representing officers hauling back cow
ardly recruits by the serviceable ring, cavalry securely fas
tened to the top of their steeds by the same doyice, and
artillerymen, harnessed to cannon, drawinc; them through
narrow denlesf or up an acclivity inaccessible to mules, by
cables attached to tho posterior staples.
On another sheet of farisf-ol-hnurrl wns nn iiimufiftrtri ;
gaudy colors, of ''Derby's Rotary Mule Howitzer," 'ac
companied by the fdlloiH&iirdescrinriinii r "TTnnn tIia fcnolr
the muiszlo pointing toward tho tail. A, similar piece of
ordnance is fastened with iron bands under the animal's
abdomen, the muzzle aimed between his fore legs to the
front. There are four gunners, two to each piece, and a
"persuader,", as hois called, whose business it is to per
suade tho wmlo h stfinrl firm nnfi Tint, rntmnf W cf.,;nn
him with oats, after each discharge, with ti tin sausage-
i Kr.TiTn.i vv fimv innmnc At nhnn, iAM;Uw..,. M... A AU. i
w . . ., j.uu.u,uo, ui uuuol iwgiuiuctiu iuo, appear f
ui viow, uie muio is, oy a cranK movement on the tail,
limbered to the front. It don't matter which way the
mule face, (and tad is where my patent comes in,) one
gun is always pointing toward the front. At the com
mand 'Fire1.' tho top howitzer is discharged. There
coil throws tho mule on his back, bringing the second gun
into position. This is discharged, which suddenly throws
tho mule to his feet again, when the gunners swab out the
mule's throat with hay, -and reload.' The accompanying
illustrations fin brown, red. liliin. jvH Air? nnA cfiii n
file in tho War Department) represented3 tho rotary mule
iu soyuu uuxerenc araiuaef, looking contented ana happy
all the time.
This was felt to bo outrageous audacity on the part tff a
subaltern. The clerks in tho Ynv Department laughed at
the funny letter immoderately, but their superiors looked
serious. Jefferson Davis, the head of tho Department,
was terribly indignant, and he resolved to defend his
wounded dignity. Charges and specifications were drawn
up against Lieutenant Derby, and tho officers were actu
ally named for his court-martial, when "Wra. L. Marcy,
Secretary of State, said to the irato Secretary : tl Now,
seo here, Gen. Davis, don't do it. This Derby has un
doubtedly a superfluous development of humor. "But he
is shrewd and inmniimiR. n,nd vonllv n firm rimniftiicman
J Ho has valuable qualities. You can organize a court that
wui convict mm, ouc you win do a outt ot ridicule on ac
count Of it all VOur Hib. Eettoi' filft f.lm Rno-rrtafine nF Vhn
crook and ring and the lively rotary mulor and say noth-
mff.
And he did.
What's one Bullet to a Basketful ?
An incident occurred in the battle of Franklin which I
have never seen in print, That sanguinary battle was Jit
its height, and now and then there was a. soldiorwho
would, not faco .tho musio, Mid, holding to the idea that
"distance lends Gnnhimfcmimh" nn ll enM nnMoUnt.
would exliibit hiK faith iu tho idea by taking "leg bail"
ro getting
and Col,
too
B-
numerous
r, WA Mill
for tho rear. These cases were
toward tho oloso of tho battlo. n
brisrade. wa sent back to tho roar i-o intornAnt. thnan xar.
ing for safety and return thorn to their resptivo posts of
duty.
Col. B said ho hailed one fellow who was making
tracks for somo place of safety, with all tho energy of de
spair. "Halt ! I say, and return to your command ! "
Tho flying son of Mars took no notico of tho command.
Halt ! 1 say, and go bck to your post ! "
Tho soldier paid no attontkm to him.
The colonel now became exasperated, aud yollod out :
"If you don't turn aud go back to your command 1
will shrink vrm ui 1 . ...
Without pausing in his flicrht the soldier valhwl IwoV :if. f
.lmn ; (
. "ShoQt and be. hanged I What's ono bullet to a bas
ketful ?"
Col. B let him go, and after tho battlo told tb,e
incident as a good joke. xchtns
- TILe0UU(JeiT of our republican form of governmentpro
vided in the Constitution against granting any patents of
nobility to her citizens, and on reading the earlier records
of our history you will find that even theone regarded as
"first in peace, first in war, and first in tho hearts of his
countrymen," was spoken and written of as "George
Washington, Esquire," au humble distinction such as be
longed to every English gentleman at the time.
Behold the change ! Nqw we give our President and
Governor the title of "Excellency," and our member of
Congress that of "Honorable."
This isRall contrary to the intention of the framers of the
Constitution, as tho debates thereon will show, aud decid
edly anti-democratic.
During our late civil war military titles were so abun
dant that I have heard tho story told of a certain gentleman
entering a saloon where twenty men were seated, and look
ing towards them, remarking as ho walked to tho bar :
" Colonel, what'll you drink 2" when nineteen of them rose; '
cam up to the bar, and said: "Whisky, thank you !"
Well, while at Camp Butler, HI., an amusing instance
of the tenacity with wltfch men will oling to their titles
came under my notice. You see our camp was a depot for
officers on tho way to join their regiments, for newly en
listed resruits, and for prisoners of war. Of the latter we,
had some five or six thousand, captured at Fort Donaldson
and Island a$To. 10.
One day while riding out a few miles from the camp I
was saluted by a man who gave his name as George Sykes,
and who stated he had beard by letter from the South, that
his cousin was a prisoner of war with us. He said he
would like to know if such was the fact, and I told him if
he would come over soon I would try to iearn if nis kins
man was in our custody. About a week afterwardslie did ar
rive, though I was absent at th&timOj but shortly succeeding
his visit, 1 met him on the road again. He related- then
his experience while seeking bis bousiri. Which I will en
deavor to give in his own language :
"You see, Cap" he was exceedingly familiar with me,
from the start "a week or so, arter I seed you I,deLgo
over to yore camp ter hunt fur John Simmons,, my cousin;
if he wiiz a prisnero' war thar, and arter I'd axed- fur you,
an' a darky boy who knowed yOu, sed lie'd seed you ride
outen the camp, I turned and spd to a blue-Coated chap
I guessed he niought be a corp'ral I should state that
few of the oficers then wTore more than, undress uni
forms and sezlter him, 'Good mornin', eorp'ral;t duz
you know John Simmons, my cousin, wotte a priz'ner o5
war here ?' The feller jist looked at mo squaw in the face,
an' sez he, 'Wot duz you mean, greeny, a callin me corp
'ral? I'm none uv yore corp'rals I'm a sergeant V an' he
wheeled off sharp an" left me. Well, then f went on fur
dor into the grounds, an' purty soon I thought I'd ax agin,
an' so I did of a soldier az wuz walkiu' by, an' sez I:
' Good mornen', sergeant; duz you know Johu Simmons,
my cousin, wot's a prizner o' war here ?' Wot an, eya he
put on me, shore, an' sez he, t Lookee here, yon clod-hopper,
yore out o yore reck'nin; I'm no sergeant Pm a
lieutenant, duz you hear tnat?' and off he went. Well,
thinks I to myself, this duzent look muoh like fiuden'
John Simmons; howsumdever 111 'quire furder, an purty
soon I ventered to ax a high steppen' feller, an sez I ter
him, 'Good mornen', lieutenant; duz you know John Sim
mons, my cousin, wot's a prizner o war, here?' Wuzunt
that ar man mad when he sed, I'm no lieutenant, sir,; Pm
a captain; you and your cousin be d dan' T got nothen
more outen him. I, too, was riled, but I wanted to find
John Simmons, my cousin, so I tuk his eass. Purty soon
I seed a man who looked as If he mougnt; know suthen', a
leanen' agin a barrick; so I came up ter him, an sez I,
'Good mornen', captain; duz you know John Simmons, ray
cousin, wot's a prizner o war here !' How savage that &r
feller looked when he sorter hissed it out: 'Sir, yore a
cursed fool; Pm no captain.J'm a major, you jackass V an'
away ho went. I felt wicked an' sorter discouraged, but
I came to find John Simmons, my cousin, so I'tannined
to f quire furder, an purty soon I tackled a big, rod-whiskered
chap a strutten' roun, an' sez I, Good mornen',
major; duz you know John Simmons, my cousin, wot's a
prizner o' war here?' I golly, that ar feller wuz outen
humor right off, for sez he, ' Major I major I Tou infernal
fool, to call me a major; Pm a colonel, sir a colonel J' an'
off he strutted. Well, sez I to myself George Sykes, this
duzent look much az of you'd find John Simmons,, yore
cousin, wot's a prizner o' war here. I stood look'en noun'
an' roun and bimoby i; seen a feller I jist. tuck a shine ter
at wunst. Ho wuz a sotteu on a boss block a row rods
off; so I walked ter him, an' this time I 'tennlnocttevive
him a big name, shore, go sez I, 'Good mornen' gratiral;r?
I hick Off mv hat an bowcul mifrhtv Imv rltiv. nn L'iinv
John Shilriions. mv rmiKrn. wnt.'s a rviy.ni n wv liAvai
-r- ,. rrr "' "?
wot's a nriznai n' wav hnm'?
How the feller laughed, ter bo shore. ' Ginorai ! gin'oralr
said ho. Why, my good man, Pni jist a private V ( We'll,
well, well,' said. I, 'Pll'be d d ef you hain't the fust pri
vate. I'vo soon iu this 'era camp, an' the oney man who's
got a d d bito' sense V , "
lie wuz a mighty 'bligin' chap, that ar private, an" he
louud John Simmons, my coVhi wot wuz a prizner o war
thar."
'"p-r1
An Irishman accosted gentleman ou the street Jata at
night with a request for the time. The gentleman sus-nectiiisr-tUat
I'at wished to snatch his watch, rava him
stinging rap on, tht no with Ui. rnirk, "Ife likx jufct
struck one t" "Be jabet" retortd Pat, "Pm gkd I
didn't ax yeat an hour ago," ,
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