Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1863-11-05
DOWN IN DIXIE.

Shenandoah Valley, gradually becam
aware that there was very prett
girl in the habit of passing "quit
promiscuously" while he was on pos
Very pretty girls, indeed. were q
the Miss Jeffs. Dark of hair, brigh
of eye, and keen of wit, they knew tn
rules of coquettry from Alpha to One
ga, better than they did their prayers
and took interest in observing thel
practical effect.
The family lived just inside oul
lines. and were neutral-that is to say
they had two brothers with: Ashby
and used to sell meals. DC, (&c., in
Virginia, generally means whiskey, to
our officers and soldiers, at about ten
times their real value, all the while
wishing s'this horrid war would
cease"
Our young friends natural modesty
having been overcome with great diff
Guilty, he speedily became quite init.
mate. not to say, gallant, with the
young lady and her sisters.
Why shouldn't he, pray? He had
not seen a white female in three
months who had not scowled or spat
at him, but one, and she threw brick
"A sort OF thing though amusing at
first, grew tiresome by repetition; SO
that when he met two good looking
feminines who did neither, he was fas-
cinated.
Though he took his meals at their
house (at so cents EACH and made
himself generally agreeable, to the best
of his ability, our sergeant never for
got that be had command of an un-
usually large picket, sent out purpose
ly to give timely warning of an expect
ed raid on the station, and never left
the road without posting force too
strong to be cut off by cavalry dash
before an alarm could be given, and
would not leave bis men after dark for
all the beauty in Virginia.
After declining several invitations TO
pass the evening, few days before
the time OF his return, be received q
most pressing invitation to bring his
men to partake of dinner prepared
by the Miss Jeffs.
"They had behaved so gentlemanly,
so unlike the usual coarse mercenaries,
that really they must accept Of our
Hospitality. And yo1-wiii come I
know"
Who would resist such speech, ac-
companied as it was, with blush and
a look that would have brought Gen
eraI Wool himself on bis marrow
bones.
"But 1 can'tleave the road unguard-
ed. My orders are"
80, never mind that. Isn't the
road in sight from here? Why can't
you leave one man and bring the rest
up? There is no danger in the mid
die of the day, to be SO much afraid
of. This is Northern courage is it?".
with a snuff highly derogatoIy to
the aforesaid Northern production.
Of course, it was the old story Of
Samson and Delilah, and this speech
with little wheedling, produced an
acceptance of the invitation; and the
sergeant after taking short leave of
the family in the parlOr, and a long
and sffectionate one of Mrs. JEFF on
the stairs, effected retreat.
"FlatteriDg, isn't it, that she should
take such great interest in me-" be
soliloquised. "But then, to ask the
men. I'm blessed if l can see through
it, ANYHOW. And he fell into brown
study, from which he was startled by
a whisper.
"Massa Sergeant!"
The Sergeant started, looked around,
and half drew his revolver, but seeing
nothing but a juvenile darkey enscons-
ed in the angle of worm fence, he
thrust it back again.
"Helloo Nick, youimp Of darkness, +"
he cried, recognising one of the house,
servants of the Jeffs, upon whom he
had bestowed several small favors.
sStep here, Massa Sergeant. Don't
let no one see you, and I'll tell you
somethin."
A long and anxious confab ensued,
interspersed with considerable cursing
on the part OF the military gentleman.
at the end Of which the Sc rgeant took
his way to the camp instead of the
post, in a study, far browner than that
from which he had SO recently
emerged.
AT precisely noon Of the next day, a
look into the dining room of the Jeffs
would have disclosed the sergeant,
and with one exception, the entire
picket under his command, sitting al
the table, their arms stacked in the
hall before which the dinner vanished
like chaff before the wind.
One hour passed.
Suddenly steps were beard on The
piazza. ~
"Don't disturb yourselves, gentle
men," said one Of the young ladies
going to the window, "Irs only some
. of the young niggers."
IL WON'T" replied the sergeant, witt
q tender aglance. - .o gss
The steps came on the stairs-uT
them; the young ladies glanced IN
easily around. but the sergeant neye
stirred There was stir in the hall
followed by sudden rush, and abou
twenty-five of Ashby's cavalry mad
their entrance, with an utter disregar'
to the proprieties Of life and the pres
s--.o If lodioaf