The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1863-04-17
Letter from Majer Jack Downing.
NUMBER TwENrY-FIvE.
DowEINGvIlLr, March 2s, 1868

DOWNlNSNliIr, hNcHz 40, iooo.
To the Etltlgters Of the Caucasian:
SURs:-You may wonder why you amt heer-
ed from me afore; but the rale truth is, that i
dln't feel like writin these times. / went to
Washington about a year ago, out of pure pa
triotism. didn't want II CONTRACTS, nor COM
mission, nor enything went to give the Ker-
mel GOOD advice, jestas Il did Ginneral Jackson; !;
but il warn't no go. Somuure an Greeley, an
WendI Fillips5 an sech stay -at-hum fiten ign-
nerals got the advantage OF 'l,s; an Linkia does
lest what thev want him tod The consequence
is, the country is goin down hill; an besides
that, the brecchin is broke, an there amt much
to be sed or to do but to look on until the smash
comes; then we can pick up the pieces, an see
ef the wagon can be put together agin. To an
old man like me, these are tryin timcs-l had
almost said c,9fn times; can't bear to think OF
'em. dream o nights ofmy country, wen it
was all peace and happincss---weh there warnt
any soiers nor standn army to pay, nor nodebt,
nor no hospitals full of sick sojers, nor no sor-
row or misery in the land; an wen l wake up
an think how different it is now, wish could
s'eep all the time. The other day old Deacon
J.nkens came over to see me. The Deacon, you
know, was with me at Washington short time,
wen first went there, an BIS darter Jerusha
Matilda went down to Port Royal to teach the
contfyban,ls their priinmers Wal, the Deacon
amt mnch wiser now than he was year ago.
He still thinks that by prayin an fghtn the reb-
els will yet be whipped. He used to like the
Tribune, but lately he ses he prefers the Herald
as it is more truthful The old man, however,
has been very blue for some time past, and now
says that prayin and fghtin hain't accomplish.
ed much. f"WaI," ses /, "Deacon, there had
MT orter been eny war at all; but, ses l, 'whie
the South have had a single end an purpose, we
hev been all at odds an ends The war has
been carried on by us jest like old Sol. Pender-
grast's boy ploughed. Old Sol took his oldest
boy Adam, thicls-headed feller, out one spring,
an set him to ploughin. He told him TO 60 to
| work an strike furrow across fieldto black
heifer, an then keep on. The boy startel his
oxen in beelinefor the blockhefq, but wen he
got pretty clus to her, she threw up her tail an
| ran off in another direcshin. Adam thought he
must foller the heifer, no matter where she went
SO he struck another bee line for her, an with
the same result Wen he got clus to her, the
heifer give another frisk to her tail, an off she
went Adam geed his oxen around, an struck
for her agin; an SO he kept on all day. At
mite the old man had cum out to see how Adam
had got along. He found the field all cut up
with burrows, zig-zag, criss cross, an in every
direcsfin, an asked Adam wat on arth it ment.
.Wal,' ses the thick-headed numskull, you told
me to steer for the black heifer, and I've done it
all day, but the derned critter wouldn't stand
still, an so the burrows are kinder criss-cross,
you see.' 'sNow," ses /, ''that is jest wat Lin
kin has been doin. Greeley told him to steer
for the niger, an the result is jest like Adam
Pendergrast's ploughing. There's considera-
BILE fghin ben done, but it is all crss-cross, zig.
gag, an don't amount TO nothin, an so it will be
to the end of the chapter Wen / sed this,
the Deacon knocked the ashes out of his pipe,
an ses he, s.Wal, Majer, wat do you think the
war will amount to enyhow?" t"Wal, ses /, 81
guess it will end good deal like the feller who
thought he could make horseshoe jest as well
as a blacksmith. Ses the Deacon, ses he, Show
was that, Majcr7" ossWal," ses !, Zone day
feller in a blacksmith's shop made abet that he
could make horseshoe jest as well as the
blacksmith himself, though he hadn't never
heated an iron nor struck a blow on an anvil.
The feller said it didn't require any great gump-
ton to make o horseshoe. So he took piece
Of iron an at it he went. He put it in, the fire,
heated it an commenced poundin it, but the
more he pounded, the more 1t didn't look like a
horseshoe. He finally gayeup the job an said
If be couldn't mako horse shoe he could make
wagon bolt So at il he went, but the more