The Placer herald., 1861-12-07
One of Secesh's PiCkets.
BY ORPHEUS G.. KERR.

D1 OkTurOo y. NEhh'
The star'spangled banner, my boy, in ri
umph shall wave DER the land OF The flea
aud JEFF Davis grave. The march of the
Grand Army has commenced, amid the roar
of excited cannon and the shrieks of every
roasting pig and lratoroas chicken within
reach Of our confiscaing pickels. We have
taken the upper Potomac, my boy, by t"p
de moin; and saw six brigaies take The
Oath yesterday by a bic c"p de brandy
cautiously remark that the Mackerel Brigade
occupy the post OF honor 10 the left of Bull
Run, which they also left on the day we cele
braed. The banner which was presented
to us hv the women OF America, aud which
it took tie orator "t II e day six hours and
forty minutes 20 describe to us, We are using
ia Tie shape of blazing nerkles, aud when
the I,arI-up ,un Of Virginia shines upon The
glorious red bands ar"und the sagacluus
ncckS Of our veterans, they all look as
lhoa.h they had usl cuj their throats The
effect is CORY, my l"y-exIreneIy CORY and
respe table.
AT the special re1ues; Of Secretary Sewald,
wto wrote six letters about it to the Cover
nors of all the States, have been appointed
a picket OF the army of the upper Potomac.
IN y"nr natural ignorance, my boy, lou may
not know why mau is called picket. lie
is called picket, my boy, because if any
body drops n pocket book or watch any,
where, his natural gifts would c; use him to
pick-itup. II he saw a pocket, he would not
pick it oh, no. But pick picket.
The Picket. my boy, has been an inslitu'
ton ever since wars began and his peris
are spoken of by some of the high old poets
in these beautiful lines:
The chap thy tactics doom to bleed to-day
Had he Thy reasons, would he poker play?
Pleased TO the last, he does deal of good,
And licks the man just sent TO shed his blood"
am weeping. my boy
While on my lonely beat, about an hour
ago, a light tread attracted my attention,
and, on looking up, behed one of seceshs
pickets standing before me.
Soldier" says he, ''you remind me of my
grand mother, who expired before was born;
but this unnatural war has made us enemies.
aud must shoot you. Give me chew ter
b cker''
He was youoy man, my boy, in the
prime Of lie, a;d descended from the First
Families of Virginia. That is to say, his
mothers was virgin. At least, that's what
understood by the First Families of Vir'
ginia.
looked at him, and says |:
Lets compromise, my brother"
"Never" says he. The South is fighting
for her liberty, her firesides, and the pursuit
of happiness and desire most respectfully
to welcome you with bloody hands to a hos'
pitable grave"
"Stand off ten paces," says I, "and let's
see whose name shall come before the coro
ner first"
He took his place, ard we fired simutane-
ously. I heard ball 60 whistling by a
barn about quarter of a mile on my right;
and. when thy smoke cleared away, saw the
secesh picket approaching me with an awful
expression of woe on his otherwise dirty
countenance.
Soldier" says be, twas there anything
in my head before you fred?"
Nothing" says |, ''save few harmless
insects"
IL speak not of them," says he. "Was
there anything inside of my head!"
Nothing" Gays l.
WELL" says he "just listen now"
He shook his head mournfuly, and heard
something rattle in it.
"What's tba?" exclaimed.
"That," says he, sis your bullet, which
has penetrated my skull, and is rolling about
ip my brain. die happy, and with an
empty stomach; but there is one .h"g l
should like to see before ! perish Tor my
country. "Have you quarter about you: