The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1861-12-03

feet is CORY, my boy-extremely CORY
and responsible.
At the special request of Secretary
Seward, who wrote six letters about it to
the Governors Of all the States, | have
been appointed picket in the army Of
the upper Potomac. In your natural ig-
norance, my boy, you may not know why
a man is called a picket. He is called a
picket, my boy. because if anybody drops
pocketbook or watch anywhere, his
natural gifts would cause him to pick it
up. II he saw pocket, he would not
pick-it-oh, no But pick it-picket.
The picket, my boy, has been an in
stiiulion ever since wars began, and his
perils are spoken of by some of the high
old poets in these beautiful lines :
+" The chap that tactics doom to blood to-day
Had he thy reason would he poker play?
Pleased to the last, he does deal of good
And licks the man just sent to shed his blood
L am weeping, my Doy.
While on my lonely beat, about an
hour ago, light tread attracted my at
tention, and, on looking up, | beheld one
of secesh's pickets standing before me.
Soldier" he says, "you remind me
of my grandmother who expired before l
was born but this unnatural war has
made us enemies, and | must shoot you
Give me chaw terbacker"
He was young man, my boy, in the
prime of life, and descended from the
First Families of Virginia. That is to
say his mother was a virgin. At least
that's what | understood BY the First
Families in Virginia.
| looked at him, and says |:
Let's compromise, my brother"
Never - says he "The South is
fighting for her liberty, her fresdes, and
the pursuit of happiness, and | desire
most respectfully to welcome YOU with
bloody hands TO hospitable grave"
Stand off ten PAGES" says |, land
let's see whose name shall come before
the coroner first"
He took his place, and we fired stimuli
taneousiy. | heard a ball go whistling
by a barn about quarter of a mile on
my right ; and when the smoke cleared
away, saw the secesh picket approach
me with an awful expression of woe on
his otherwise dirty counlenance
Soldier" sad he. was there any
thing in my head before you fred ?"
Nothing" says |, "saye a few harm
less insects"
speak not Of them, says he. Was
there anything inside of my head ?"
Nothing !" says |.
Well, says he, "just listen now"
He shook his head mournfully, anl l
heard something rattle in it.
W Hal khdl 4 tAClAlliSu.
That" says he, "is your bullet,
which has penetrated my skull, and is
rolling around in my brain, l die happy,
and with An empty stomach but there
is one thing | should like TO see before l
perish for my country. Have You a
quarter about you ,"
Too much affected to speak, | drew
the coin from my pocket aud handed ii
10 him.
The dying man clu,ched it convul
sively. and stared at il fevershly.
This said he, . is the first quarter
I've seen since the fall OF Sunpter and
had | wounded you, | should have been
totally unable to give You any quarter.
All how beautiful il is how bright,
how exquisite. and good for four drinks!
But have no, time to say all | feel"
The expiring soldier then laid down
his gun, hung his cap and oyercoat on n
branch of tree, and blew his nose.
He then died.
And there stood, my boy, on that
lonely beat. looking down upon that fall
en- type OF manhood, and thinking how
singular it was he had forgotten to give
me back my quarter. The sight and the
thought SO affected me, that was oblig
ed 10 turn nay back on the corpse and
walk little way from it. When | re-
turned to the spot the body was gone
Had it gone to Heaven ? Perhaps 50, my
perhaps so but | hayn't seen my
quarter since.
Your own picket
ORPnEus G. KERR