The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1877-04-04

Custsr's Mark.

1t was q horrible scar. Commence
ing at the roots of the hair, just over
the left temple, it ran down across the
face to the right hand corner Of ihe
mouth. The flesh had closed together
in great ridge, and the nose seemed
to have been shortened half an inch
by the process Of healing. The man
with the scar sang two or three songs,
and then passed his hat around for
pennies.
"Did a blow Of ain Injun's tomshswk
do tbat?' he repeated. "No, sir; / got
cut down in Old Virginia during the
war, bout the time it looked as If JEFF
Davis was the biggest patriot in the
country"
"You were in the cavalry :"
"You bet was | smashed up so
many horses that was owing the Con-
federate government $500, 900 when it
collapsed. If she hadn't collapsed, I'd
been forced into bankruptcy"
He chuckled, and raised his hat so
as to reveal the scar in all its hideous-
ness, and continued
Il don't believe a tomahawk could
leave a scar like this. 1t takes a good
sharp sabre to spoil a mans face go
that he daren't look in the glass or
have his photograph taken. A Yank
slashed me, of course bat who do you
suppose it WASP You couldn't guess
to save your neck, and so I'll tell you
it was Custer, that long haired, dare
devil Yankee general, who used to ride
around with blood in his eyes and an
extra sabre between his teeth. He
thought he'd done for me when he
gave me this lick, but he didn't knew
our family"
elbow was it p
cit was down at Travillian Station.
He was riding around with q lot of
cavalry. and our folks got him in
box. Somehow We got around him on
all sides, and we had cavalry, infantry
and artillery. We were two to one,
had him fairly coopered, and by all
decent rules Of warfare he ought to
have hung out the white flag, handed
over his sabre and politely said: Boys,
you've got the grapevine twist on me,
aud | cave We expected it but,
blast him he didn't do any such thing.
No, sir. He massed his troopers, gave
'em TO understand it was hell or home,
and the whole ca5oodle Of 'em como
from dozen hills our infantry fusi-
laded 'em good and strong, and our
troopers get the word to charge.
"Durn my buttons, but wasn't it a
hot fight? We were all mixed, bullets
flying, sabres hacking, men yelling.
horses neighing, everybody shouting,
and it was the DEVILS dance all aroundl
| heard q Yank shouting orders as if
he was some big gun or other, and /
worked up to him through the smoke.
1t was Custer. / had seen him before,
and knew what fighter he was. I
pushed right up to him, gave my old
sabre twist and a cut, and eff went
his head !"
He looked up with wicked twinkle
in his eyes, aud added
''In a horn rose in my stirrnps,
and struck at him with force enough
to cut clean down to the saddle. but he
parried the blow, leaned over, | saw y
flash. and the next thing | knew | had
been in the hospital for two weeks,
and the surgeons wefe trying to look
into my boots through the sabre cut
across my face. was whole year
getting over it, and then looked go
handsome that | was turned over to
the home guards for the rest of the
war. Sometimes l feel like suicide,
and ag'in don't care. | didn't bear
no grudge ag'in Custer for the slash,
but he might just as well put his cheese
knife through me as to give me this *
his mark TO lug around. And that's
what ails this old reb, and that's how
l feel. IN Y. Sun.