The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1875-08-19
And That's tIle Way He Felt.

the left hand, and he had TO use 4
crutch. In the dusk of the evening
he sat down on dry goods box on
the street corner, and striking the
ground with his crutch, he exclaim-
ed:
swell, old pard, the wars oveFl
Gimme your hand-shake hard!'
He shook the crutch with hearty
good will, and continued:
aThere's no more Reb-no more
Yank! We're all Americans, and
standing shoulder to shoulder
South Carolina alongside Massachu-
sctts-we can lick the boots offn any
nation under the sum-
He waited awhile and then went
on:
aNo more skirmishes-no more
fouts. Uncle Robert is dead, Gen.
Grant wants peace, and they're melt
in up swords and bayonets to make
cotton mill machinery! We're about
through camping out, old pard, and
We hain't sorry-not a Bit"
Uo loaned tho crutch AGAINST the
box, lifted his wooden leg, and said;
"Lost good leg up at Fredericks-
burg when was under Barksda!e,
and Burnside thought he could whip
old Uncle Robert and Stoacwall Jack
son together! Good Lord! But wasn't
it hot that day, when the Yanks laid
their pontoons and got up and got
for usl And when we got up and got
for them, wasn't it rcd hot"
He stopped to ponder for a while,
and his voice was softer as he said:
"But / forgive 'em! l took the
chances-and lost. I'm reachingout
now to shake hands with the Iank
who shot me, and I'll divide my TO-
bacco half and half with him. 1t
was 4 big war. Yank and Reb stood
right up and showed pluck, but its
time to forgive and forget"
He cut chew off his plug, took of
his battered hat and looked at it. and
continued:
didn't we all come Of one blood?
Hain't VIC the big American nation?
Isn't this here United States the big,
gest plantation on the river, and is
there a nation in the worldthat dares
knock the chip Off our shoulder?
maryland, my Maryland,
Michigan, my Michigan"
He put down his leg, looked at his
crippled hand, and soliloquized:
"Threcfngcrs gone-handused up,
but I'm satisfied. Folks who go to
war expect to feel bullets. Westood
up to the Yanks-they stood up to
us-it vas fair fight, and we got
licked. Two fingers hain't as good
as five, but they are good enough to
shake hands with! Come up here,
YOU Yanks, and grip me! We raise
cotton down here-you raise corn up
thcre-lcss tradc!"
He lifted his crutch, struck it down
hard, and went on:
'Durn family who'll fight each
othcrl We've got the biggest and
best country that ever laid out doors,
and if any foreign despot throws a
club at the American eagle, well
shoulder arms and shoot him intothe
middle of next week.
He sat and pondered while the
shadows grew deeper, and by-and-by
he said:
There's lots Of graves down here
there's heaps o war orphans W
North; I'm crippled up and halfsick,
but I'm going to get up and hit the
emery cuss who darcs say word ag'in
either. We've got through fighting
we're shaking handsnow, and durn
the man who says 4 word tointerrupt
the harmony! It's one family-ole
Uncle Sans boysand gals and babies
and we're going to live in the same
house, eat at the same table, and turn
out bigger crops than any other ranch
on the globe" He rose up to go, rap
ped on the box with his crutch, and
continued:
Resolved, That this glorious old
family stick right together in the ole
homestead FOR tkc,next million year:
TO GOMEZ.
.Ab0U: the WOuSc.
Nns my. nnol hnnSctnnnnr nrn,