Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-03-25
09lo Statesman. IN; II
LOYAL;
A Story of the Present Day.

| recruiting ONCE III q IlCCle Town Oh one OF
the Western States. A boy, we might
| rather say, for the beardless face, its shad-
| ow of golden hair, its blue, earnest eyes,
and delicate, almost girlish features could
not have seen more than fifteen summers.
| Hestood with one hand upon the door-knob,
the other was pressed in pcrplexed, irres-
olute way over his forehead-for moment
he stood thus as if debating with himself,
| then he opened the door and entered. tf..,
A number of men sat around the stove;
one on high stool behind desk wore the
| uniform and straps of Lieutenant "Ahv
said the officer blandly, while the men
around the stove chuckled- and winked
among themselves. "Ah, good-morning
Mr.. Bradshaw just come this way; thought
you'd conclude to enlist under the honest
old flag and fight for the stripes and stars"
II don't know as Pm doing right-God
forgive me if I'm doing wrong. You know
| told you, Lieutenant, have little sister
whom my dying mother left to my charge;
with her last breath she bade me take care
of little orphaned Nellie, and she hasn't
soul to care for her but me. hope some
one will befriend her and watch over her,
and that the God of battles will" Charlie
Bradshaw's voice grew trembling and in
distinct.
"Never you fear; she'll be taken care of,
old boy," said the Lieutenant. ''The good
loyal people of this village never would see
a soldiers sister come to want or distress;
do you think so, Mr.. Simmonds?"
Hugh Simmonds, a dark eyed black whis-
kered young fellow, only laughed as he
squirted mouthful of tobacco juice upon
the stove. ... ......
'I'd undertake to look after Miss Nellie,
myself" he said, poking his next neighbor
~ tl,a, he hn "a
perhead ~ III: r
The Bradshaw blood was up; the blue
eyes grew dark with passion; the delicate
temples were purple with rage.
"What do you mean," he said, turning
fiercely apOn the last speaker. "Keep your
epithets to yourself; and such care as yours
for my sister is not needed. By the way,
Hugh Simmonds, why aint you enlisting?-
You with your loud-mouthed patriotism ?"
"They wouldn't take Mr.. Simmonds,"
spoke up the recruiting officer, she has the
cosmopendem of the aurrecular vertertrial
antiscercerm. Mr.. Simmonds has enlisted
twice and been rejected both times for dis
ability"
I'm sure he is stouter and heartier than
l." said Charlie Bradshaw. "And as TOR
abuse of me and my sister, soldier or civilian,
I've heard the last of it. Iwill--mark my
words"
Every village or community, we doubt
not, has its Hugh mmonds-somewha
dissimilar from the gentleman of whom we
write, perhaps, so far as the perSORelle is con-
cerned, but Boosting the same character.
A very intensely loyal young man, who
denominated Mr.. Lincoln as the Govern
ment, and had perfect contempt and in
tolerance in regard to those who differed
with him in opinion. If man, or woman
either, said "Constitution," that individual
was a 'copperhead"-if any one limited
that this war should be carried on for the
restoration of the Union, without an if"
that person was "a secesh and ought to be
hung" He was unconditionally Union of
course, but not for the Union unless slavery
was pulled up root and branch first, instead
of making the abolition of slavery con-
sequent of the war; his theory was that
putting down the rebellion was secondary
consideration. slavery must be abolished
if the Union went to hades."
But Mr.. Simmonds was, as we said, in
tensely loyal, one of the first to head sub
scriptiOns for volunteer families-(for effect
never being paid)-his name tlourished on
handbills as chairman of Union committees
the right hand man of all recruiting officers,
provost marshals, etc. The first to get up
dinners in honor of the soldiers home on
furlough-though he never paid cent
himself, but his grocery was patronized, of
course, in the getting up thereof-as he
sold oysters, peaches, etc., ETC., at cOst-said
cost being the usual retail price at other
stores. At all ''Union Rallies" he was the
biggest fish in the pond-getting up BAN
ners and transparencies, emblems and flags
and always marshal Of the day, chief
speaker, committee on toasts, etc.
Mr.. Simmonds also was extremely loyaL
for he believed in negro equality, saying
that only by commingling of the black
and white races could the highest human
perfection be secured. He was great friend
'of the negro, though he never gave a cent
to clothe, feed or free one in his whole life.
But the gentlemans biggest gun was that
he was Democrat, lifelong Democrat,
but not ''copperhead;" he was Jackson
Democrat, a Douglas Democrat-though in
go he cursed that great and good man, and
sneered at his adherents as "Union savers"
when the ''old slave Union wasn't worth a
cuss, no how.p This was thelife-long DEM
Ocrdt (O who cried ''copperhead" to every
true Democrat-and so loyal! .r
But to go on with our story. After Charlie
Bradshaw went to war, this perfection of
loyalty continued to flourish like a green
bay tree. The State quota had been filled
and the fear of the draft being over, the
young man settled downquietly to read The
Tribune and wait on his customers. AS for
the pretty, spirited Nellie Bradshaw, she
had apprenticed herself to the millinerS, the
Misses Clarks, and tried to think she was
happy reading Charlie's letters, writing to
him, and busying herself with her needle.
The Misses Clarks, two spinsters of un-
certain age, however, made peace and hap
piness a moral impossibility for Nellie;
they made Mr.. Hugh Simmonds welcome |
visitor, 'such a good loyal young man he |
yas,' aud they heartily enjoyed Nellies |
when she would leave the |
'oom, or get into remote corner to avoid |
lin. .f. a5cd .s.if ...rrr ..f;s,a /
Mr.. Hugh Simmonds used to entertain
lis hostesses, and vice 0erSd, with long |
trades about the ''copperheads in the army, |
IS well as at home;' and one day of great |
slee, when Nellie had more than usually |
,vineed her dislike for him, he drew daily |
PAPER from his pocket, and tossed it into |
Ter lap, exclaiming, $50 may it go with all
ories."
The paperwas marked with pencil at
his passage: ..l..-
"Among those who fell at -, was
Jharles Bradshaw. He was shot by his own
,aptain, while attempting to desert to the
nemy. We learn from good authority,
hat he was notorious copperhead' at
ome, and richly deserved his fate"
The shock was too great for poor Nellie,
nd she fell heavily to the floor. A CLEAN
I satisfaction passed over Hugh Simmonds'
"a rather trough joke" he said; II think
we paid the little vixen well for the way