The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1872-10-31
SAM SHINGLES ANGEL
By COL. A. D. BAILII.

SAM SHINGLES ANGEL
By COL. 4. D. BAILII.
It was near the graveyard gate. Th>
face and figure of the man seemed
quits familiar; but who w.s tho boy
The two, % + drsw near, stepped baei
two PAGES from tic narrow path, still
facing to tho front, brought their: heel
together With I. .n.p,. stood pertsetl,
erect, eyes square to tho front, and with
the right hand, = I r.ss.d, each gav'
the regulation military salute. It vs'
eomical to SEQ the youoster Of eigh'
years or .hereabout initiating With per'
fact gravity and in military time the
action of tho man. Who stood beside
him. A moment more and I remem.
| bsred the man. --
"Why, Sam !"
"H., hs, colonel! Bothered you I
moment, didn't II Give 'us' . shake
pIease-give us shake, just for Ole
times I kno~'d y woulda's forgi
Sam, and bless'd if l. diao't feel lik'
a-huggin' Of 70 when l seed y comm
Hs, ha It does mo ~ much good 4
sec ye Is it did to ses tho old flag g
up At Vicksburg."
Turning to the boy, who had stoo'
immovable At "parade rest" he CON
manded: ,.
"Break ranks az como an shsk'
hands with yer colonel, Forty. Eight.
The boy advanced with tho cir Of
man, and silently gave me his hand
whilst his large gray eyes seemed 70 b
carefully stadying my face.
"Forty Eight knows ye, colonel
knows ye of DID," continued S.m-"al
abont you and the little black marc
Have %, got 'er yet? He kaowe d
them little speeches 20 used to max
the boys, an' what ye used to sioe .,
iu tho fight when things vas s.ge,tia
hot-all ezeeptin' some strong, 70 kno'
u it wouldn't do boy any good 70
to hear"
"Go you .leng ahead, Forty Eight,
he said to the boy, "au' tell the old |,
Idy we're comin'."
| As tho child, after again salating
started shesd, Sam resumed:
"There's = man, colonel. inside Q
them little tro~sers IS Geaeral Gaot'
be proud to be tho father Of. Forty
Eight Sidney Fosters = man bile
| down, it ever there was ono"
"Whatv' I asked, "Lieu tenant Fo
ter's son p
<"J,st 50, sir," answered Sam, Will
= look Of sorrow passed over his hone'
face.
""And tho lieutenart7 I suppose I
isl" and l looked tho rest Of th
question.
l
Eyes, sir, gone-mustered out-e1
pirstion Of term. He never got tire
well OF that shot ia the lung; and =
ter she,-the only sn oil that he ar,
for-after she went, he4 seemed
though he VA a-piniu' 10 Be % q
| march after her. An last i,li t,
year ago, one night l heard him s-.saI
to- loud ~ he eodld-an' il werer
much more nor : whisper 1t that.
Sam !! Sam !! says he. 'Lsftssan,
says 1. The boy-qsick r s.ys b
(You eco tho lltsle fellow always sls
with me.) 40 L wraps lissls Fsrt
Eight up an takes him to The >sdsid
Tho lefte..ht ji,s put biz arms. ros,
him, kissed him onee, looked ~ u
tried 70 .ay .omethia' kinder ds.vsd
loug BREATH .n'-sn'-hs'd sot I
his transfer, ooloael. Both Of "a
laid together jiss cat thers-ost VII
We met you"
Poor Sam Tho breaks in bio sto
tho choking 10 the threat, and the
gulps with which he tried to swall
: his grief - he slowly and with bat
breath gave me his Information, let
, know full we'll that the brave fello,
eyes were full Of tears. Passing ,
7 arm through his, 10 walked for 90
time in silence. E.,:z .:.,.@
= Sam Shiosle had formerly belong
to tho Forty-eisht -- Voluut
:. :. Infantry, which during tho war I b
ii commanded. Brave men al ware .h
but tho b,avess, and At tho saue ii
tho most troublesome man ia tho Z,
|" mont was this same Ssm. :, A more |
= d, gentle, fearless, self.saorideing he
> never animated ''six feet two''.of rot
angular, masculine humanity, than
!, did in Sam. For drinking aud ia,
}. profanity he wss without peer il
4. command, aud when drunk~he Y ii
49,. perfect demon. - NJ ~
- = Lieutenant Foster Of his sonpa
'st sliRht Of build aud dslioaassot fau,
- y gallant soldier aodfsn educated gsn
~. man, h.dsbssa adept sdrby. ssn :
- special shsrgs. Inoas q the assa'
l. upIon vicksburg tho Meutsnant ]
been badly wounded in tho right Il
- - aud loft upcn the deld within pia
,hot oi The snsnJ's xosks. Sam