The Shasta courier., 1855-11-17
Uncle Peters Account of the Battle ef
Yorktown.

Uncle Peer was rare one in his way. ant
thonsh he '6i," as he used 10 say al York
town and New Orleans, yet he always praised
Old Hickory over every one else. "Talk To mt
bout yer Ginrrai this and tolher. but old An
drew was the boss Tor scrimmaee ' he used iC
say. Now. though uncl- lerer was only three
years old at the seige of York, he always swure
he was there and had " ho, time of il. too '
He was like some folks nowadays who kno "
everybody yon can mention. aud were present
at every event OF importance that has transrired
during their lie Tine, and ofien some years be-
fore. In telling his war exploits, Uncle Peter
used to warm up III snch IA heat tlfa, his senten-
ces run into each other without stop. You had
only /" ask, "Uncle Peter you at the bat.
tie pt Yorktown, wasn't yon!' I'll.
Thar. bless you soul, honey. yis l recken |
was thar" s.rl, .i b.. -i........, ,....... -
''Well, tell us about it. Uncle Peter" ,l
"Ah! there was lighting for you. We fit the
hnl live long day. | had the biggest musk Ell in
the risimint. aud wored coat with two big
pockits Oh the outside, one chock full of balls.
and 'toher chock full Of powder, and poured
III a handful ol both each time, l.aykey, hon
ey. you ought 10 have seed me rake em l shot
go fast aud my mushit got so hof, it hnrnt all
my trOwsers Oft, when old Gneral Washington
rid mp, and sez he. Stop il Peter for Gods sake
quit II, you are doing i, to! EN- tn bad ! but |
kept on ruking them for all that. The widows
and orphans that made that day was consider
able"
And yon saw Dick Clark there .sdidn't you
Uncle Peter!'' -rnfet fr-re.T
"Wh-o-Dob. brother to Tom Clarke. Why
yls, IN course did: he and l was in the same
risimin. Dick hIowed the fife that day, and
~hile the drums was beaIin' and Dick blovn,
there comed along big smashn' cannon ball
and struck Dicks fife and split IL all III iinders,
and istht ihat time Gineral Washington rid up,
aud lerked a bran fif. out of his poe ket,
Gnl ser he: ~
"'uere, Dick tux this ere FIFE, and don't
stop 'blown, hut blow 'em TO hell"
The improbabiiy Of this story. and Uncle
Peters lace, We're enough to make dog laugh,
it those uoble animals are ever given TO laugh
ing-and ye; he had told the story often that
he believed it true. - -'--
"Well what about the battle Of New Orleans.
Uncle Peterl You were thar, too, wasn't you ~
Thar! Guess | war thar, and of all the
rough fishtin' ever rad. that was the greatest.
Naw you see | had that same inuskit and l
tipped 'em over every pop. There were many
OF 'em that just shut my eyes and blazed into
the crowd. | must have kilt thousand so
and when the battle was over GIneral Jackson
came riding by. and sez [: 'Gineral didn't we
do II To emf when he flung himself off of his
boss, and put his arms around my neck. almost
crying. and sez he: Peter, don't call me Giner-
al call me Andrew, and | has called him An
drew ever since" haa-s... ..,.-s
You can scarcely find an old negro in Virginia
who will not "own up" 10 having been in the
battle of Yorktown, though he may have been,
like Uncle Peter, only three years old at the
time. Peter Ross a veritable parsonage,
and born and lived in the County Of Hanover,
Va.-Spirit Of The Times 5a