The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-09-07

From the Nicksburg Herald.
He had a wooden leg, three finger
were gone from the left hand, and he hsd
to use cruteh. In the dusk ofthe even
ing he sat down on q dry goods box on the
street corner, and striking the ground
with crutch, he exclaimed:
well, old psrd, the wars over!
Gimme your hand-shake hard"
He shook the crutch with hearty
good will, and continued:
There's no more Reb-no more Gank
We're all Americans, and standing
shoulder to shoulder-South Car
olina alongside # observation-disclosures
can lick the boots Of n any nation I'M
der the sun"
He waited awhile and then went on:
mo more skirmishes-no more fouts.
Uncle Robert is dead, Gen. Grant wants
peace, and they're melting down swords
and bayonets to make cotton mill ma
chinery. We're about through camp
ing out, old pard, and we amt sorry
not bitr
He leaned the crutch against the
box, lifted his wooden leg, and said
Lost good leg up at Fredericks-
burg when ] WAS under Barksdale, and
Burnside thought he could whip old
Uncle Robert and StOnewall jackson
together! Good Lord! but wasn't it
hot that day, when the Yanks laid their
pontoon and got up and got for Us! And
when We got up and got for them, wash
it red hot!
He stopped TO ponder for awhile, and
his voice was softer, Us he said:
But l forgive EN-! | took the
chances-and lost. I'm reaching out
now to shake hands with the Iank5
who shot me, and I'll divide my tobacco
half and halt with him! 1t was n big
war. Iank and Rcb stood right up and
showed pluck, bat It's time To forgive and
forget.
He cut chew of his plug, took off his
battered hat and looked ut II, and con-
tinued:
Didn't We all come of one blood;
Hain't we the big nation? Isn't this
here United States the biggest planta-
ton OH the river, and is there nation
IN the world that dares knock the chip
oft our shoulder?
He put down Lis leg, and looked at
his crippled hand and soliloquized:
Three fingers gone-hand used up,
but I'm satisfied Folks who go to war
expect to feel bullets We stood up to
the Yanks-they stood up to us-it waI
fair tout, and We got licked. Two
fingers haint as good ss five, but they
are good enough to shake hands with!
Come up here, you Ianks, and grip me!
We raise cotton down herc--yOu raise
corn up thcrc-less trade.
He lifted his crutch, struck it down
hard and went on:
"Durn family who i fight each other!
We've rot the biggest and best country
that ever laid out doors and if any tor
eign despot throws club at the Ameri.
can eagle, we'll shoulder arms and shoot
him into the middle of next week.
He sat and pondered while the shad
ow, grew deeper and by and by he said:
There's lots OF graves down here
there's heaps Of war orphans up North;
m crippled up and half sick, but I'm
going to get up and hit the emery cuss
who dares say word agin either
We've got through ighting-were shak
ing hands now, and durn the man who
,ay, word to interrupt the harmony!
Its one famly-old Uncle Sam boys
and gals and babies, and were going
to liyei in the same house, eat ut the
same table, and turn out bigger eros
than any other ranch on the gioh-.
He rose up to 20, raped on the box
with his crutch, aud continued:
"RcsoLccd, That this glorious old tnmi-
ly stick right together in the old home
stead for the next million years to come }