Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1869-08-04
Tramp, tramp, tramp,
The boys are marching

ty were going to reward the soldiers for
their patriotism.
Tramp, tramp, tramp,
The boys are marching"
That was a splendid tune once, but af-
ter the boys got to tTamping around with
hand-Organs Oh their back it did not
draw at all. One morning after I heard
that peace was declared my owner came
in, and he looked so jolly, and rubbed
his hands so often, that We wondered
what good news had come to him. He
taking us down, one after
another, until he had q hundred sitting
on the floor, and thenhe gave directions
to have us boxed up and sent West.
When I saw daylight again, Ned here
stood waiting to hear me play. He
looked pale and wan, and l wondered if
loOsing a leg made people look that way
ten wears afterwaTd. After he had Civ
ell me long trial, and tried in vain to
lower my price, he finally signed over
his pension papers and took me away
on his back. He sat down by the road
side to rest, after Il while, and he told
me something of his history. He was
one of the first to enlist, he believed i'll
the Union, right through. Men shook
their heads, fair ladies smiled on him,
and he was promised many offices when
he should return, that he used often to
think, while lying in his tattered bIan-
ket down Oh the Potomac, how he could
decline Il few Of them and not hurt the
feelings Of his Republican friends.
''Thcn hurrah for the soldier 50 true
uurrah for the red, white and blue y
There amt so much hurrahing asthere
was once, but perhaps the sight of Grip
pies and hand-Organs don't breed enthu-
siasm. When Ned came home wound
ed every body praised his devotion to
the flag, and you ought to have seen
the resolutions of thanks to him which
the next Republican caucus passed. Ned
was Door, and when he got about again
with his best arm gone, his dollars were
mighty scarce. 1t wasn't much he
could do with one leg, and so he natur-
ally thought of the promised office.
They were making up their
and unfortunately, there We're just
enough men, who had her0ically re-
mained at home to keep the "copper"
headsv from revolving, to fill every
nomination except one constable. AS
the nominee Oh the other ticket was Il
man who had refused to Te-euIist lust
when the country wanted him most,
and wouldn't sell his State bounty at
seventy cents on the dollar, Ned's
chances were thought certain. He had
been fairly nominated, when Il bad split
occurred, and one wing declared for a
gentleman who had been promised the
office for throwing mud i'll the face OF a
little boy who was selling Il cOpperhead
daily, and so Ned was requested to with
draw for the sake Of harmony in the
party.
ssTeU the traitOrs al around Won
That their cruel words we know
You see, the 'copperheads' must be
put down atany cost. By-thC-by, where
have they all gone? I often wonder
why don't hear the word any more.
And every time Ned tried for office it
seemed that he was in the way. He
wasn't in the way quite 50 much down
attle front, but holding a musllet has
nothing to do with holding office. They
used to put him Off with an excuse,
and promise better things, but at last
they come to tell there WIS no use in
trying for office. Wait a minute
.'And the Star Spangcd Banner
In triumph shall wave"
was trying to catch the ear of that
man who just got out Of his carriage.
Ned used to know him, he made army
contracts, sold shOddy clothing, bought
bonds, and now returns 4 big income.
But he wouldn't see me. Perhaps, Ned'S
old blue OvercOat reminded him Of
something. And besides there amt so
much enthusiasm about the liagas there
was when vOlUteers had to go willingly
or rich men stand the draft. And the
bonds are more secure than they were
when Lees troops were picking corn up
in Pennsylvania. Amt it odd how the
have fixed this bond matter?
You wouldn't believe that it costs Ned
ten dollars year for the privilege Of
grinding me, and that rich man has
fifty thousand dollars in bonds, without
Il cent Of taxation! But then
my country tbs of thee
Sweet land Of Liberty
And the loss Of Ned's leg at Gettys-
burg was only little thing compared
to that mans assistance to the country
in buying bonds at fOrty-liye on the
dollar, 50 that the national debt might
be confined to our own people. We've
seen some hard times lately. We used
to make a good living in the start, for
the "cOpperhoad" papers picked up the
business and held it up as
the result of JacObin promises, and men
seemed ashamed, and hardly one pass
ed by without dropping penny into
the box. But it's an old thing, now.
Men go by without a halt, indeed, the
sweetest tunes I play seem to hurry
them along. Many a night we go hun
CRY to bed, and you can see yourself that
Ned must wear old clothes
"Still with angels I'll 20 marching.
With bright lnurcls on my brow"