The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-07-25
The Old Soldier.

He was quite an old man, and he had quite
a bad limp, and he remarked rs he touched
his hat:
GAN want is money enough to get to Sa.
yannah. feel that I have not long to live,
and want to be buried in that nice, COO
graveyard just outside Of Savannah"
The appeal didn't open single wallet.
He was talking to three men who had found
shady spot under grocery awning, and
he seemed little disappointed. Pulling q
new string, he remarked:
aGentlemen, won't you DO something Tor
an old soldier!"
"Were you soldier IN the last war! -
asked one OF the group.
81 was" was the prompt reply.
"What branch Of the service!"
"The heavy artillery"
"Where were you stationed?"
"Well," slowly replied the stranger, as If
he hadn't expected such q question, eve
were sometimes here and sometimes there.
The fact was, our artillery was so heavy that
we generally kept it on a hill. The Con-
federate Government didn't seem to expect
that us three or four men were going to
drag a big cannon all over the country and
whip the Yankees to boot. Yes, l was
wounded in the left Leg"
elm what action?" was asked.
"I never knew what they named it; my
business was to git up and hump and knock
thunder out OF whole Union regiment to
once, and you just bet didn't have any
time to fool around and ask what they were
going to name the battle. went into the
war to fight, and didn't l just throw myself,
thought"
g Did you throw yourself under a
wagon! =" quietly asked one Of the three.
n I
didn't. They used to let me fight any way
to win. Pve fit from under wagon and
from the top OF . tree, and the boys used to
call me the wild cat"
"They must have seen you 'clawing' to
the rear" suggested another Of the trio.
every likely, gentlemen. Sometimes I
could tight better at the rear, and went,
back. Then I'd change and fight on the
flank, and then I'd advance and NOW 'em
down in 'front.'"
"Where did you say you were wound
ed?"
SIN the leg-just about there. The SUR
geon said that three or four bullets hit me to
once"
ssBe honest, now, old man, and tell us IL
you didn't get that leg hurt in u mill or
around machinery"
"Great God! do you doubt my word?"
gasped the man, starting back.
owe dol" they replied in chorus.
He closely scanned each face, and was in
dulging in gestures to show how he de-
plored such conduct toward one who had
fought brayely, when one OF the men said:
"Come, now, speak the truth, and Well
raise you thirty cents"
The old man turned to go, halted, hesita-
ted, and then replied:
~ suppose, gentlemen, that fell of
building in Atlanta and hurt my leg, but it
happened so burned close after battle that
] could never really tell whether the fall OR
the fight hurt me the most. Now, please
pass in your ten cenrses l"-Rdteigh Ser
tine!.
Judge Davis, it is said, has been very
much cut up, or rather cut down, by the
unaEimity with which his presidential aspi-
rations were overlooked at st. Louis. He
has dwindled away TO very ghost Of HIM
sell, has had three reefs taken in his vest,
and when he puts on 8 linen buster and
walks down tbs street he is SO ahrunken
that his friends, looking after him. ask,
g What are those fellows doing under
sheTep ~ a,akeye.