Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-07-01
klf. Burnett as Ebenezer slabsides.

From the Cincinnati Commercial, June 81
As Alf Burnett is advertised to ap-
pear before the people of Cincinnati to-
night at Smith and Ditson's Hall, we
think the occasion opportune to tell a
story on him, which involves, perhaps,
the best joke of the century. Alf was
at Triune, Tennessee, some weeks ago,
and was invited by an officer of tie 1st
East Tennessee Cavalry to visit his camp
and give the boys an entertainment. Now,
the boys of the 1st e. 7. c. knew Alf.
very well. He had been out scouting
with them repeatedly and was familiar
with the style in which they fought rcb-
els and foraged chickens But they did
not know any thing about his astonish-
ing variety of facial expressions BE
appeared among them wearing face they
we're unfamiliar within point of fact
that of the Rev. Ebenezer Slabsides-his
jaws muffied in a handkerchief, and his
eyes adorned with green glasses. He
was introduced to the Tennesseeans as
Mr.. Slabsides, and proceeded to discourse
to them the "Sermon of the Harp Of a
Thousand Strings" the celebrated grot-
esque production of the artist Brannen,
of this city. The preacher of that IA
nous sermon, it will be remembered, was
a Hard-shen Baptist, who found his tsr
in the Ieds of the Bible. 1t happened
that the Tennessee regiment had Chap.
lain who bore . resemblance, more than
faint, to this character, but who was a
clever fellow and fayorite with the mer.
So Aft. had hardly begun to play upon
the "harp of a thousand strings, sperits
of the just made perfeck, when a howl
of Indignation rose from the congrega-
ton, to whom the sermon was bran-new,
that it was a personal burlesque on their
Chaplain. They swore it was a shame,
and made outcry, "Moye himr' "Move
him!" and, before Aft. knew what was
the matter, or could reform his facial ex-
preston SO as to make himself known, he
got cavalry on the brain" In point of
fact, an effort was made to pull his head
through a tent pole-he was knocked
down and laid out insensible.
Nothing could exceed the establishment
of those who thus "broke up the meet
in, when they found out what they had
done and were enabled to see the nub of
the joke. Since that time, Alf. has been
somewhat cautious as to the employment
of his facial expression, finding it danger
GUS to be as funny as he can. Recover
ing in few days from the attack of cav
alry-on-the-brain, he returned home.
Presently he proposed again to visit the
army, but was stopped at the border of
General ROsecrans' department, by an
order forbidding him to enter it. Inqui-
ry being made, it was ascertained that
General R. had been informed that Alf.
had been holding mock religious ser
vice, which was so stupendously outra-
geous in its character that it had offend
ed the sensibilities of the 1st E. 7. C. to
such a degree that they lynched him on
the spot; and the General supposed it
must have been a hideous matter, sure
enough, to touch the religious sensibili-
ties of the Tennessee cavalry 50 painful
ly. The real state of the case was made
known to the General, and it was percei-
we'd that the joke was abundantly large
and juicy, without putting practical ap
pendix to it. The offender was directed
to report forthwith at Murfreesboro, and
to come prepared for trial. The order
was obeyed, and half a dozen Generals,
with their staff officers, were constituted
a court of inquiry, to determine whether
there was any thing too irreligious to
be suffered in the army, in the sermon
" And he played upon the harp of hou-
sand strings, sperits of just men made