River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-08-06
AND THAT'S THE WAY HE FELT.
from the vicksburU Herald


He had wooden leg, three fingers
were gone from the left hand, and he had
to use crutch. In the dusk of the eve-
ming he sat down on a dry goods box on
the street corner, and striking the ground
with his crutch, he exclaimed:
swell, old pard, the wars overl Gimme
your hand-shake hard!'
He shook the crutch with hearty good
will, and continued:
"There's no more Reb--no more Yank!
We're all Americans, and standing shout.
der to shoulder South Carolina along.
side MassachuSetts-we can lick the boots
off n any nation under the sum-
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 up swords and
bayonets to make cotton mill machinery
We're about through camping out, old
pard, and we haiR't sorry--not bit!''
He leaned the crutch against the box,
lifted his wooden leg, and said;
Lost a good leg up at Fredericksburg
when was under Barksdale, aud Burn
side thought he could whip cid Uncle
Robert and Stonewall Jackson together
Good Lord but wasn't it hot that day,
when the Yanks laid their pontoons and
got up and got for us! And when we
got up and got for them, wasn't it red
hot!"
He stopped to ponder for while, and
his voice was softer as he said:
"But l forgive 'em! / took the
chances-and lost. I'm reaching cut
now to shake hands with the Yank who
shot me, and Ill divide my tobacco half
and half with him 1t was big war.
Yank and Reb stood right up and showed
pluck, but it's time to forgive and for
get"
He cut a chew off his plug. took off his
battered hat and looked at it, and contin.
ued I:
didn't we all come of one blood
Hain't we the big American nation
Isn't this here United States the biggest
plantation on the river, and is there
nation in the world that dares knock the
chip off our shoulder!
Maryland, my Maryland,
Michigan, my Michigan"
hC pun uOWH Dlo icEs loOhtu dl his
crippled hand, and solilo1uized
Three fingers gone-hand used up,
but I'm satisfied. Folks who 60 to war
expect to feel bullets. We stood up to
the Yanks-they stood up to us-it wa
fair fout, and we got licked. Two fin
gers 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 there LESS trade!'
He lifted his crutch, struck it down
hard, and went on:
"Durn family who'll fight each otherl
We've got the biggest and best country
that ever laid out doors, and if any for
eign despot throws club at the Ameri-
can eagle, well shoulder arms and shoot
him into the middle of next week !"
He sat and pondered while the shad-
ews grew deeper, and by and by he said
There's lots of graves down here
there's heaps O war orphans up North;
I'm crippled up and half sick, but I'm
going to get up and hit the onery cuss
who dares say word ag'in either.
We've got through fghting-we're shak-
ing hands now, and durn the man who
says word to interrupt the harmony
It's one family-ole Uncle Sans boys
and gals and babies, and we're going to
live in tho same house, eat at the same
table, and turn out bigger crops than any
other ranch on the globe"
He rose up to go, raped on the box
with his crutch, and continued
"ResoLUed, That this glorious old fam
lily stick right together Ia the old home
stead for the next million years to
come !"