The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer., 1862-08-16
HARTFORD COUNTY INTELLIGENCE
BEL AIR. MD. SATURDAY MORNING,

you are doin it unbeknowin to YOURSELF
You see, Kernel, as long as you stick to
them Abolishinists, jest so long the Union
will not only stay split, but the split will
grow wider. They are the wedge an you
are the mallet. You jest knock the
wedge out, an the Union will cum togeth-
er jest like shuttin up a jack nife. You
see, they hold that some Of the States
have got an institushin which they consid-
er rong, and they are determined to up
root it. In tryin to do that, they'll split
everything all to smash, an by the time
they git thru, it will look as ef lightnin
had struck this country from Maine to
Texas, in spots not more than six inches
apart"
"Wal," ses the Kernel, ses he, "Majer,
that brings up great moral questshin, as
the nigger sed wen he was stealth chick
ems, an we amt got time to discuss it
now. You see, Majer, sent for you to
know what better do about McC cClellan.-
| git all sorts of contradictory stories
from his army, an I'm puzzled most to
deth to know what to do"
"Wal," ses I, "Kernel, there is nothin
like goin in the field yourself, an exam
inc for yourself, eff you want to know how
things stand" "Wal," ses he, 'tthat's
jest what I've ben thinkin Of, an as you
are millingtary man, I wanted you to go
with me-" I telled him I had no object
shin to goin, aa that eff | had fair chance
| thought | could tell about how things
looked So we got reddy, an the Kernel
asked old Blair's son Frank, and Sekertary
Stantin's chief clark, to go along with us.
We went down the Potomack, an jest call
ed at Fort Morrow, an then went up the
james River to Harrasin Landin. Coin
up the river We kept sharp look out for
rebils who line the banks an shoot at our
botes. | told the Kernel that he must be
mitey kerful an not get hit, as the way
stocks would tum BILE 10 Wall street would
be caushin. So 1 TUX him down stairs
wen we come to the dangerous places
There they had the bote lined with bales of
hay. Ses he, "Majer, which way does the
shootin cum from 7" "Wal," ses I,
"Kornel, there's not tellin, butt ses I,
"you better git behind that bale, for it's a
big one, an here's another on tother side, so
I guess you'll be safe." While he was set
tin there ses he, "Majer, | amt afeered a
hooter, but you see didn't want them Sc
ceshers to brag about KILN me-" "No,'
ses I, "Kernel, that wouldn't do eny how"
Jest then "bang" went somethin like a
shot. The Kernel jumped about ten feet.
rite across the bote, and bit Frank Blair
with his left boot rite where he ought not
to. Frank thought he'd been struck with
a cannon ball, an tumbled over, leavin the
seat Of honor uppermost. Stantin's chief
clark acted as ef he'd been eatin pokeber-
ries, an had an awful gripin in the bowels.
1t seems one Of the bales had been tipped
over wen the Kernel give his big jump, and
hit the chap rite in his bread basket. We
were all purity badly scarf, ior I tell you it
makes feller feel nifty narvous wen he's
in an inemies country, an may be hit eny
moment with cannon ball or Minny bull
let. Shootin will do very well as long
as sumbody else is shot at, but wen it
Gums to yourself, it makes you feel week
in the jints, an sumtimes brings on the
dyearea. Wen we cum to find out, how
ever, we learned we had scare for moth
in. The pilot in turning one Of the short
bends in the river, had jerked on his chains
too hard, an snapped one Of them rite in
TWO. This noise was what sounded down
! in the cabin like shot.
Wen we got to the landin, Ginneral
McClellan he'd hosses reddy for all of us
to ride. Linkin chose a black one and
got on. SEES I, "Kernel, is black your
favorite color 2" Ses he, "Majer, no
joking now. This is serious bisiness. -"
So I got on white one. I can't ride
quite 50 handy as I did thirty or forty
years ago, yet it is not every nag that
could throw me now. Linkin's sterrups
were too short for his legs, though they
were let,out jest as long as they could be.
It kinked him up good deal, ans before
we got through reviewing the troops, SEES
The, aMajer, | can't stand this bendin Of
my jints. I'm goin to remedy it, and
so he Jest turned one leg over the hoss's
neck and rode sideways the rest Of the
time. The sojers cheered him as We went
along, an seemed nifty glad to see him.
In one place, be got up on brestWork an
made short speech to EN-. He wound
usSby tollin 'ein that be had Majer Jack
! Downing, Ginneral Jackson's old isssa,
\ v,sth bss,, TVhan Ia nod thai fha m nara