Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1862-07-23

plehty OF cucumber trees here, too; some
Of the boys dag down and told me thew
lad mum roots. But the magnolia tree
lays all the other trees in the shade. II il
from the sap ofthis tree that tAe celebrated
Pixies magnolia whisky is made. only we
haven't found out how to make Il. There
Is great abundance of Indian turnn.s.
prlckly pears, and esculent roots, growing
close by, upon which we mainly subsist
at present-proyisions being short. AS
for other vegetables such as beef. bacon.
whisky and butter--they are remarkably
scarce. | haven't seen but one COW since
I've been here, and that was an old bull
they had tied behind a wagon. He was
poor as crow, and went along roaring
aud staggering and grabbing at bushes like
drunk man. Some men, you know, when
they's had q couple Of horns, behave like
bulls and Ieasts.
And then the hogs-you ought to see
them great long sharp things0look like
they were made to fight with; and when
ever they stick their nose in the ground to
root, their behind legs tilt up.
But the insects beat all. There are
crncodiles, gophers, anacondas, sea, turkIes,
and many other beasts If prey too numer-
Gus too mention. The two Damphools,
[ Asa and Theophilus; they both belong to
our battallion--we call one Of them A.
Damphool, and the other The DamphooA
are both afraid to 90 outside the guard
lines after dark. They say it's the var
minis; butt between us two, it's the YAM
KEGS they're afraid Of. But, to tell the
truth, the wild beasts are troublesome.
Only last Friday night, an immense alli-
g tor upwards Of sixty-odd feet, seven
inches in length crawled up into our camp
and swallowed your poor brother. Poor
Jim, his shrleks and wells were heart-rend-
ING as the huge serpent waggle off with
him into the swamps; but il was no use.
We all run down in our shirts to help
him, but, just as we had formed into d
hollow square, and cooked our guns, the
erockodile cooked his tail aud down he
went into tie mud, with the poor fellows
legs wigging out Of Lis mouth. / ex-
pect you will be sorry.
lie was "a good soldier and a clever
messnate, only be t0oHd drink two cups
Of coffee. However there's one consola-
his clothes and things will be diyi-
ded tomorrow, and he had promised me
his pipe and gallouses if he got killed.
But you ought to be here to see all the
regiments drill. The officers in particular,
with their eocked-hats and swords-who
but them THEY do cayort around beauti-
full. And then there's so NJ, of them,
and every officer has to have six assistants
and seven clerks. How the Confederacy
will ever manage to pay them, and such
lawful big salaries too, beats my grammar.
It'll take sights Of money.
Oh, Bob, Bob how | would like to see
nv duck about now. Bless her beautiful
soul, she cried when we left. But since
we got here, I've found out she had sweet
hears in three different regiments. There's
no more dependence to lie put in one OF
those things called girls than there is in =
daily paper. They'll fool you certain;
there's no such things as love in them.
But they're glorious 10 look at Them
DAYS are cone By, Bob, when ne used, OF
an evening, to brush our hair, take q
couple or two of cocktails, and stroll out
to the Institute. Them glorious times are
over and gone, and here | am 10 this cuss-
ed swamp, where there's no cocktails, no
girls, no nothing; and, instead Of prone
nades, nothing but drill, drill, day after
day, until We get 50 tired Of it we get per-
mission to die up stumps, BY way Of yari-
ETY.. | used to love to hear the drum and
fife, but now I'd rather hear Gabnels
trump, any time. j.,
Wars a fine thing to read about, butts
not the thing it's cracked up to be, sure as
you're foot long. | haven't got use to
being ordered about yet; the old man
himself never used to do that-at least not
lately. /.
| believe it'll kill Pete yet-hc's fell oil
about ten pounds. You know what
.lady's man he always was; he'd go to-to
Halifax for woman. Every evening after
dress parade he combs his head, brushes
bis coal, and takes long walks in the dusk
by himself, looking up at the great mourn
full pines, and the trembling stars peeplng
down through them, with his hands stuck
down in his pockets, IN most melancholy
manner. He writes poetry, too which y q
mighty bad sign. lie gave me letter,
the other day to put in the office; but l
forgot it, and toted il in my pocket 50 long
/ thought 'twould be old anyhow; 50 |
lust broke it open and read it. Ii had
some verses in it to his sweetheart IN
Huntsville. / inclose them to you; please
hand them to her. But, above all things,
don't let the Major know anything about It
he'd have Pete a double-quicking for a
week;
THE MAJORS DAUGHTER.
gu, Major has charming lass, -
Ye Gractsl how wish he 4 6ronght heri
How swift the flying hours would Pass,
Were size but hefe--the mayor . daus u'oi.
Tar eyes her souls light depth disecsei
Her voice is like the ripping water
Her checks, the lily and the rose: -.
i s,yeet moss rose the Majors daughter.
Fair Venus gave her Beauty's zone,
And an asr winning gFaces tang heF;
like--I love--why. yes Q WI
i dearly lopc the Majors caughter'