The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1865-02-15
g Capital s'torp.
PAT AND THE PIG.
BIT rafERsoN rESSKr.

| OF all the merry, witty, fln-loviuE, goo
nstured, care for -naught, daredevil lriyl
men that ever left his Emerald Isle to so
his Wild oats in a foreign land, Patrick Fla,
nigan Was one among the chief Alwa,
ready for frolic or a fight he vas one ,
\ the first to shoulder his musket in defenc
! OF his sdopted country against most &
| gsntic rebellion, and within his manly brea.
he carried soldiers heart TO the end of HI
mortal career. Better men perhaps hay
died, but nsver brlver one faced the iro
hail of a belehing battery; and when at la,
I, his cold and ghastly form was borne bac
from the eTlsanguihed front Of desperatel
| fought battle, to tind its last, quiet rest i
4 a. soldlers grave, many a comrades ey
paid sad tribute to his memory. .. -
Poor Pat was the life Of his mess; and c
all those that knew him intimately, not on
| will ever forget him, for the fun, that mad
! light and pleasant many an otherwise du
aud gloomy hour, He seemed to be Away
In good spnits, and had cheerful smile au,
| 5 word ior everybody; but his best frient
was not safe from his joking propensities
| which he would indulge at any cost and ev
cry hazard. Thus he was continually get
ting himself into .scrapes that threatened
something serious, aud getting himself out
oi them IN a manner peculiar to Patricl
Pat was m lriShman all ovcr--in fun
tiolc, fight, warm blood, rich broguc, anc
mother wit. At a dance, at wake, drink
ing whlskey, singing songs, telling stories
making love, cracking heads, or charging /
battery, he was at home, in his e!ement, anc
acknowledged no superior, and at eight and
twenty years OF age he had seen as much OF
life as could well be crowded into that space.
He had slender form, light hair, twinklinq
blue eyes, and merry mischief all over his
rather Handsome face, which was 50 preros.
,essing as 70 win on sight the regard Of nine
ucn out Of ten
We have hot set out to write history Of
poor Pat-which might be done with quite
as much advantage to the public IS ,onic
We know ot-~but only to record one or two
amtsing "reminiscences, as related by ons Of
his soldier comrades. .~@j
The regiment to which our hero belonged,
ard which, for important reasons, We will
not naIne-was sent to do duty in q part OF
Virginia where the inhabitants were suppo-
scd to be about half loyal, aud strict orders
we're given not TO molest private property,
nor III any way disturb the citizens in their
peaceful occupations That these orders
we're not always strictly obeycd, the Colonel
soon inferred from long string of com-
plants that we're made at head quarters, by
farmers and others living anywhere within
y circuit Of five miles. Chickens, geese,
turkeys, pigs and even calves, had began to
mysteriousiy disappear in every quarter;
and as such awful thines had never happen
ed during the recollection oI the Oldest in
aabitant, priorto the stationing of the icgi-
Ment in that localits, it was strongly sus-
poctod the soldiers had more to do with the
matter than the boldest OF them were willing
to confess The colonel, who feared he
might be called to account by his snperiors,
became excited, alarmed and enraged, and
vengeance upon the aggressors;
ncw orders We're issued, the guards we're
doubled, spies were put upon the watch,
and the men we're required to have passes
to 20 beyond a certain limit. In this way
gnict was once more restored and the fowls
and pigs were again allowed to pass their
nights In peace. lr.s r.,. . -ul
IT mesef now As don't like it, at all,
at all, said Pat one day, as Christmas was
drawing near. Sure, It's not doing the
daeent thing, to kape lis ON hard tack and
salt junk, like SO many hcathen, wild the
hl!ssed Christmas tornenrt us, and SO many
Swate, fresh critters running lGosc all abo0t
Cs. BE gcrra, | II not sthand it, no more |
wen Il and ii | don't have one Christmas
neal, then tell me | III not an Irishman." p" Il
Doubtless Pat would have made his word
good, but for al accident, to which all hu- !
man nature is liable. AS no complaints lad
been made by the citizens for some consid-
10 bo
become so much relaxed, that Pat found lit
tie difficulty in getting past the sentries at
night on three different occasions; with first, |
, live turkey secondly, two respectable live
hcns-and thirdly, live pig-all of which
were intended Tor ii Christmas feast, and |
Shly to killed ON the eve before the holiday.
These were put in seperate boxes, in the
,hanty occupied by his mess, and Pat took
care to keep them from starving till the ap- |
pointed time of butchery. The pig was the
most troublesome. for he would sometimes
,runt and squeal throuehAthe day; but by
covering the box over with number of
blankets, and talking loud or singing, if any
# the superior officers chanced to be dan
;crout1y near, he managed preserve their
;ccfet and escape detection till the last mo-
nent. '"' 5-a' 'f'" tth.T" |
On Christmas eve, Pat said to his COM
AIDES: E"& .7a"| #a
Now, boys, the times up, 7and I'm
ist agoing to kill the birds, beginning wild
he pig, Ye'd better go out side and kape
watch that nobody comes, and tip me the
oud wink if there does. !" n aff'
"Wen, hurry up!'' returned one.
Don you want some help about the
,ig?" inquired another. .'4 ..."H
And ay / did, Tim, ye'd be the last man
d AK, more by token yere as full Of blum
lcrs as an ogg is Of mate No, sorry bit
VI help does lwant TO stick the pig, 'cept We
,apc troublesome paple away from me the
yhilcs. - ~
The men had only fairly got themselves
,rouDed around the door of the shanty,
when they espicd the Colonel sauntering
|uictly along intheir direction. y irl..af
III the pig should happen to squeal
'ow, said one, lit would be agorry bust
less for us.
1--WE must tell Pat not to begin just yet"
or | wouldn't be. caught for forty Christ
las dinnerso9Ga 2 araHaHli) Me.H
At this moment tremendous thrashing /
ound was made inside followed almost in
tanty by series OF pig-squeals that might
ave been heard miIe. The colonel stop. \
edin surprise and looked towafdlthc shan
y, and each mans hair stood up in hor-
or. ,.iLli8 4iBi g. 81 .3g71J sdi rIIl
Z 'The Celonel's coming, you confounded
ool' yelled one of the frightened and inr
ignant mess, ithrusting his head into the III
DOM where poor Pat was himself undergo Il
ng the agonies of flight brought about by
wretched blunder.J III z6q J ggsa4iY II
In taking the rig ont of the boz, after
rst securing him by the snout SO that be
ould make no noise, Pat had let him slip
rom his hands, and the frightened animal
ad coibmepoed running about the room,
nth his would-be-siayer Rt his heels, Find
ag board loose on QUE side Of the shanty.
ds. Pig had attempted To- 60 through aud