New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-06-09
QUITE 50.
[From the Atlantic Monthly.l

DO not thlnk L could write definitely OF Join
Bladburn if / were to call him anything
but quite So"
1t was one night shortly after the frs
battle of Bull Run. The Army of the Poto
mac, shattered, stunned and forlorn, wai
back in its old quarters behind the
earthworks. The melancholy line of am
balances bearing our wounded to Washing
ton was done creeping over Long Bridge
the blue smOcks and the gray still lay in
winrOws on the field Of Manassas; and
the gloom that weighed down our hearts
was like the fog that stretched along the
bosom of the Potomac and embodied the
valley of the Shenandoah. A drilling
rain had set IN at twilight. and, growing
bOlder with the darkness, was beating a
dismal tattoo on our tent-the tent Of mess
six, company A, - regiment of New
York volunteers. Our mess, consisting
originally of eight men, was reduced to
four. Little Billy, as one of the boys grim
ly remarked, had concluded to remain at
Manassas; Corporal Steele we had to leave
at Fairfax Courthouse, shot through the
hip; Hunter and Suydam we had said good
by to that afternoon. Tell johnny Reb, /"
says Hunter, lifting up the leather side
piece of the ambulance, that I'll be back
again as soon as / get a new leg" But
Suydam said nothing; he only Enclosed
his eyes languidly and smiled farewell to
us.
The four of us who were left alive and
unhurt that shameful July day sat glOOmily
smoking our brierwOOd pipes, thinking our
thoughts and listening to the rain pattering
against the canvas. That, and the occa-
sional whine Of hungry cur foraging on
the outskirts OF the camp for stray bone,
alone broke the silence save when vicious
drop of rain detached itself meditatively
from the ridge pole of the tent and fell
upon the wick of our tallow candle, making
it ''euss," as Ned Strong described it. The
candle was in the middle of one of its most
profane fits when Blakely, knocking the
ashes from his pipe and addressing no one
in particular, but giving breath, uncon-
sciOusly, as it were, to the result of his cOgi-
tatiUns, observed that lit was considerable
of a fizzle."
"The On to Richmond businessl"
eyes"
II wonder what they'll do about it over
yonder," said Curtis, pointing over his right
shoulder. By 'Over yOnder" he meant the
North in general, and New England espe-
cially. He was Boston boy, and his sense
of locality was so strong that during all his
wandeTings in Virginia, / do not believe
there was moment, day or night, when he
could not have made line for Fanueil
Hall.
"Do about it," cried strong They'll
make about two hundred thousand blue
pair with a man it; all the short men In the
long trousers, and all the tall men in the
short ones,' he added, ruefully contemplate
ing his own leg gear, which reached scarcely
to his ankles
"That's So" said Blakely. "Just now,
when / was taokling the cOmmissary for an
extra candle, ! saw a crowd Of new fellows
drawing blankets"
Il say, there, drop that - cried Strong.
"All right, sir; didn't know it was YOU" he
added hastily, seeing it was Lieutenant
Haines, who had thrown back the flap of
the tent and let in a gust of wind and rain
that threatened the most serious bronchial
consequence to our disconnected tallOw dip.
You're to bunk in here" said the lieu
tenant speaking to some one outside The
some one stepped in, and Haines vanished
in the darkness.
When Strong had succeeded in restoring
the candle to consciousness, the light fell
upon tall, shy-loOking man of about thir-
ty-fve, with long, hay-cOlOred beard and
mOustache, upon which the rain drops stood
in clusters, like the night dew on patches of
cobweb in a meadow. 1t was an honest
face, with unwOrldly sort of blue eyes that
that looked out from under the broad visor
of the infantry cap. With deferential
glance toward us, the new conner unstrapped !
his knapsack, spread his blanket over it,
and sat down unOb5rusively.
Rather damp night out" remarked |
Blakely, whose strong hand was supposed !
TO be conversation.
quite So" replied the stranger, not |
CURLY, but pleasantly, and with an air as if /
he had said all there was to be said about it. |
Come from the North recently ?" IN |
quired Blakely, after pause.
Yes
From any place in particular ?"
"Maine"
people considerably stirred up down
therel' continued Blakely, determined not
TO give up.
"Quite So"
Blakely threw puzzled look over the
tent, and seeing Ned Strong on the broad |
grin frOwned severely. Strong instantly as
sumed an distracted air, and began hum
ming softly
81 wish was in Dixie
The State Of Maine," observed BlakeIv
with a certain defiance of manner not at ali
necessary in discussing a geographical
question, sis a pleasant State"
"In summer" suggested the stranger.
"In summer, l mean" observed Blakely,
with animation, thinking he had broken
the ice. "Cold as blazes in winter, though
amt it ~
The new recruit merely nodded.
Blakely eyed the man hOmicidally for a
smiles Of simulated gayety which the nov
elists inform us are more tragic than tears,
turned upon him with withering IRONY
Trust you left the old folks pretty COM
forrable?'
dead"
"The old folks dead 2"
Quite So"
Blakely made a sudden dive for his blan-
ket, tucked it around him with painful pre-
cision, and was heard no more
just then the bugle sounded t1ights out"
bugle answering bugle in far-off camps.
When our not elaborate night toilets were
complete, Strong threw somebody else's old q
boot at the candle with infalHble aim, and
darkness took possession Of the tent. Ned.
who lay on my lett, presently reached over
70 me, and whispered, Il say, our friend
quite so is garrulOus old boy! He'll !
talk himself to death some of these odd /
times, if be isn't careful How he did run
on"
The next morning, when / opeued nv
eyes, the new member of mess six was
sitting on bis knapsack, coming his blond
beard with a horn comb. He nodded
to me, and to each of the b0vs
as they woke up, one by one. Blakelv did
not appear disposed to renew the animated
Of the previous night; but
while he was gone to make requisitiOn for
what the Imagination Of Shakespeare him 1
self could not accept as coffee, Curtis ven ]
tured TO ask the man his name.
'Bladburn John, /" was the reply.
That's rather long name for everyday
nse," put in Strong. "If it wouldn't hurt
your feelings I'd like to call you Quite So