Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-07-01
MAJOR DUWNING'S LAST.

BosroN, 25th June, 1885.
Mr Ediior.-I have seen in your paper .
Z" Cruwner's lnQuest,' saving 1 was drew ed at
the Bridge at Castle Garden and picked up down
York bav-this is tarusl lie, and wish You to
say SOL did not SO much as get my feet wet
when l.e bridge fell, though it a close shave,
l tell you. | was gliding right along side the
GineGal, II any thing little ahead on hiai. But
this amt the only thumper I've heard about that
srape have head II said that Mr.. Van Blu
rem had saw'd the string pieces under the b'idSe,
any body may guess for what; bat that cant b.
so-sor lie was right behind the Gtnerai wher The
bridge fell, AID AL the folks was fouade,iug III
mud and water. thought he VAS gone too, for
hu was right in the thlckest on EN-. l aud the
'inerai clapt in the spurs, and We "eat qmck
thro' the crowd nn the Battery; and the first
thing saw was Mr.. Van Buren. hanging on the
tail Of the Gineral's horse, aud streaming out
behind as straight as old Deacon WILDLY. cue.
when he is ~ leele tuo late to mee'in. Sone OF
the folks said il luok'd little like the Z" Flying
Du,chmau"-and some said sumething about
Tam O'Shanter;" but never mind, We snaked
3 him out of that scsape as shCk "a a whistle. /
don't baSitve any one was drowned--but some
did get mortal ducking. | never see such
mess. they went 10 lheir like frogs-and such an
etarnal mixing--Colonels aud Captains, and Mig
gars, aad Governors, and Sailors, and ali-r
made no odds which went first, or what end was
uPpermost'
And when we cot up to the tavern where we
put up over night. and the Gneral had real
laugh to see all our folks coming 10 arler
Their. Governor ass had bandanna tied round
his head. What, says l, Governor, are you hurt!
No, as knows on,'' saws he; "but last my
wigs and sure enough, come to take off the
handkerchief, his wig was gone. Well, says |,
Governor, you've got the whole Indian tribes in
your Department, and its a hard case II you can't
get scalp to suit vou-anu the Gineral snorted
right out at this-and then GENE Gov. Massey;
and he had his pantaoons rp'd from the waist
baud clean down 10 has knee. Well, says l, this
beats all Datur; it will cost more than so cents
to mend them. Never mind, Massey, says the
Gineral-if YOU cant get them are pantaloons
meuded-the State III give YOU new pair-aud
ther we all snotted aud snker'd, tell you.
suppose it won't amount 10 nothing to tell
YOU what We did in York; for it seems to me
every living crittur was there. never see such
q crowd in all creation; and il has been just so
all the while up to this hour.
I've got the rumatIZ all over me; ham
had nv hat on for nearly three weeks. AS soon
rs we 20 out, take one side and the GineIai
t'o,hcr, and once IN while we change sides, aud
keep it up. boWiug right aDd left. like that
better than shakin hands, for ] can stand 1t no~,
and with one swing bus over FIVE thousand fulks
at once. and We can't shake off half that number
before breakfast.
Mr.. Van Buren, gets along pretty well here
among the Yankees. considering-but he has got
his hands full l tell you. They don't aura here
quite as much as they do down South, but kinder
Ike to talk over things, you know, and we've got
plasuey little tine tor that" Msjur," says
Mir Van Buren,, one day, =" | wish you would
do all the talkin with these mandatory folks--
YOU have mack that way"-nel says I, don't
know but l have-but saws |, Mr.. Van Buren,,
guess you can talk as GLIB as most folks" So
lie can: for lido rally believe, it Nj Van Buren,
was l. set up factory, he would turn out cloth
that would suit any kind Of living cretur, and
no one could tell whether it was made OF cotfon
or FAX, hemp or wool-twilled or pain stirp'd or
checker'd-but little of all on EN- never see
such curious eretur as be is--evry body likes
hun, and Re likes evry body; and he is just
like evry body;-and yet, in all the droves OF
folks Eve seen since LEFT Washington. never
saw any body like Mr.. Van Buren,. Enos Ly.
man got painter to try and get likeness OF
Mr.. Van Buren,, for his sign board to the Tavern,
on the road to Trenton. Well now says just
put up your brushes. you may just as well try to
paint Hash OF heat lightning in dug-dsys.
But he .ried it., and the sign board looks just
about as much like Mr.. Van Buren, as salt cod
fish looks like pocket handkerchief.
We start tomorrow morning down East, and
sha'nt be able TO write another word till arer
wehave been to gvile--rm going on ahead