The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-06-18
A SOUTHERN HERO.
Burgstt Dies with his Boots On.
IFrom The CI.c4go Tribune.


Burge,t has fought his lsst battle. He i
dead. He Gied in Mississippi mud hole,
riddled with bsckshot by Grider. Much to
the disgust of the late BuIg-tt, he died with
his bo0ls On, for the reason that they couldn't
get him out of the mud hole quick enough TO
CARY on. parhetic request tor the removal
of his t5e'. Grider having been very in
d1striou- oni precise in his nusket practice.
the lac lamenied Burgett went out for wool
and 60; shorn. He belonged to that large
class Of Southern heroes whose principal vo-
cation il the indIscrimnste use OF gun
powder in intercourse with their DeightoIs.
Win fine ser.s of honor and large chivsl-
rous notions, they scorn the laws DELAYS
and the routine Of cour 5, and settle all dill
culties with gun, pistol, and blunderbuss.
When member of one Of the family has
Guls difference with member Of another,
the casue is espoused by both families, down to
tine fourth cousins and up to the preat-grAnd-
kiheis, and thus il becomes only 4 mater Of
time how coon the two family tees are
hewn down. So long "a they do not preju-
die the safety OF the tQblic or shoot outside
oil their own family circle, there Is no die
posi,ion - interfere with their peculiar
method OF enjoying themselves. Rurgett
was one of this kind, and Order wss the
man whose renoSai to another world was
essentilI ID Bargeis's career in life. Exact
ly how many Orders have been sacrificed
upon the alters OF Burgs,t's ambition is DO,
known, but II is stated that three Burge:t's
have d led with their hoo:s on, .ni now n
pair OF boots in Mississippi mud hole is all
that ia lei. OF fourth RaIgett.
1t happened this way: One fine morning
Burgett learned that there WAS Order
lew miles up the river. So he got gu: his
skid and stored it with provisions. lie took
pleaty of money with hun, thinking. per-
hap. that he might transact a little business
after he had settled with GTider. Having
provided himself with gun and two pistols,
and ammunition enough 10 slaughter a
whole regiment of Orders, the expedition
started, sni on the way Burgett practiced on
several wild pigeons a I'D turkeys. Burgett
sailed leisurely along, happy in the thought
that each moment was bringing him nearer
10 Order. He bad calculated 10 meet Order
at Hsrkerode's Landing, on the
Arkansas shore, and wa, not disap-
pointed. Order was there, with his shot:
gan, fcr no Order or Brsett ever Travelled
without weapon and ammunition. Burgett
had a skifi-load OF weapons and ammuni-
ton, and Order, being Oh land, had ell he
could carry in a carpet-bag. When Bur-
gett's skiff rounded to at the landing, Order
was on the riverbank, calmly surveying the
scenery. Burgett stepped briskly out, and,
gathering up his gun few pistols and what
ammunition he could carry, walked up the
bank.
The conversation was short and touching.
Grider cJsted the. bristling BIrsett:
How are You, Henry? Whist do you mean
by coming here this way" Burselt replied:
Il do rot mean anything serious. How are
you, JESSE" Order answered: ST am not
very WE'LL" Thus far the conversation il
not dissimilar 10 that which occurs every
day between Smith ard Brown when they
meet on tbs street.. But Burgett gave very
sudden Turn TO the conversation by remark
ing: Then. damn you, take that" and
thefeupon fired at Order. This was the
81 nal for the battle of Burget w. Order,
and Order won. The shot-guns being ex-
hausted, TIE stock of pistols was brought
into requisition and was used industriously.
Az last BuTget's ammunition gave out,
while Order had shot or two let This
was sufficient fer all practical purposes.
Order Wa. even with Burgett with an 10
ming to spare, and he improved his inning.
As Bureett sought to get into his s.iti, Girl
der cent hum his compliments in the shape |
oi charge Of buckshot, which were SO lib |
orally d s:iibutc1 through his anatomy that |
he had nothing more to say, but quietly laid |
down IN T. nud-hole, and, ssafter requesting |
the crew e. ssamer who mad been wit !
resses Of The ARRAY ID remove his boots, he |
turned his face TO the mud and died.
l. $,
whether hi. boots are or. or of, it is somewhat
sad to reflect that his last request could not |
be grant@'l owing to the large number OF
Grid.r's b Icksbots and the rapid effects of
the dose. We presume that Burgett reasoned |
In a nice metaphysical way that to die with |
his boot. On indicated point-blank that he
had died by gun rowder. He was natur-
ally mortified and somewhat disappointed to |
die by Orders gun-posder, and, if those
boots of his could only be got of in time why |
then il would be point in his favor that he
had died a natural death, even if he were in |
a nud-hole, full OF Orders buckshots as
pod il with pels. This last consolation was |
denied him, and 50 he died with his boots
on, like tie Burget.s before him. 1t IS now
'ncumb.n; upon some surviving Burgett to |
kili Order before he can get bis boots of, \
and 20 on, until all the Orders and Bur |
GETS are gone, leaving behind them only a
large and miscellaneous collection of boots, |
winch iy the wsy will be much more valu-
able and serviceable thsn all the Orders
and Burse,ts that ever walked in them.