Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-12-26
NUMBER 100
singular Characters at Cairo.


. "A Cairo correspondent of the Missouri
Repubiicdn says:
Although camp life is dull, and tents the
birthplace Of that disease called ennui, one
occasionally comes across curiosities, and
sees places Of character that have remained
hidden for lifetime. At Fort Holt saw,
yesterday, q diminutive specimen Of hu-
manity, half an inch higher, perhaps, than
Tom Thumb. A first glance would have set
him down as child of three, yet, although
so little, he was man in age, being twenty
years old. Dressed up in gay uniform, ne
looked like q Lilliputian knight 'scsped
from the world where CULVER went visit
ing. His intellect seems to have far out
grown his body, and, as the old Tyrolese
proverb says,
''God has his plan
.r.... For every man."
the little soldier of Fort Holt may yet be-
come famous-perhaps he made "Gigadier
Brindle," Ia Artemas. A few days ago q
man, hatless, with head of hair looking more
like the name of beast than any thing else,
no shoes on his feet, and both arms chipped
off at the elbows, made his appearance in
the st. Charles. How he got there no one
knew. He seemed q religious monomaniac;
stated that, four years ago, his arms offended
him, and he cut them of, in the shears of
rolling-mill. Drawing him into converse
ton, he stated himself TO be originally from
Ohio, but just arrived from Memphis and
Columbus. His narrative of trouble in
Dixie was woful. The Secessionists had
taken him, as he said, for an Abolitionist or
the devil, and cast him into dungeons, starv-
ing him one day, and referring him to ma
turalists and savans the next. He knew
| little about the war, but was certain the
! people had little peace of mind where he
| just came from. His food was taken by
| getting it on one arm and gnawing from it
| like dog. Getting startled at something
he suddenly bolted out of the door, and has
not since been seen. He passed no guards
in getting out of town. and what became Of
him excited curiosity.
Another notability Of Cairo is a mulatto
servant Of the quartermasters, named Bob
| Bob was through the Belmont Battle, and is
very sensitive in regard to any thing that
reflects on that action. Hearing of the late
trouble between Conway and Fouke in Con-
gress, from the formers calling the result q
defeat, Bob became very indignant and
yesterday, proceeding to lawyers Office
and paying fee in advance, had a chal-
lenge regularly made out, aud last night
forwarded it to the Hon. Mr.. Conway his
wrath being greater from having under
! stood that he was an Abolitionist, "Expec-
tation is on tiptoe" to know whether equal
ity in the code is classed in the Senator s
ideas of "equal rights" At the battle Of
Belmont Bob was on horse, and when the
retreat commenced he started for the boats.
Reaching the banks he dismounted and slid
rapidly down, when an officer, seeing the
| II 81 h,.,,
the horse" Merely looking up as he waded
to the plank through the mud, Cairo's char
acter answered, "Can't hey, Colonel; Ma
jor told me to save most valuable property
and dis niggers wurf more'n horse" Il
is seldom an estimation in difference o.
value is more quickly arrived at. Sucf
things are slight in themselves, but similaI
scenes and characters daily seen in cam
serve to break monotony and give faire
picture, perhaps, of soldier life than an
thing else.