Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-11-22
THE BATTERY's PRIDE.


''One touch of Nature makes the whole world
kin. n--ShdkeSDodre.
rThe main idea of this little story was sug-
gested by some anonymous verses current In
the newspapers some time ago, called 1.-The
Pride of Battery B." 1t is the suggestion
only, however, that is due to the verses
the tale, as 1t is here told, is the writer's
own.
We were a party of artillerymen,
rough, Western men, for the most part,
although Ramson, our sergeant, was a
fine featured, delicate-handed fellow,
not overbearing nor proud, since he had
always pleasant word OF q kindly
smile for most of us, and yet, with a
certain distinction of bearing, which
made one wonder how he had come to
TO be a simple sergeant. l, at least,
knew him to be a gentleman, for al
though it is tale too long to be told
now why had left home and friends
and refined surroundings for the rude
life of private soldier in time of war,
/ could very we'll see that Ramson's s
past had been no less refined than my
own; and during the campaign of 1864
we had been assigned to the same post
of duty, and fraternized at once, most
naturally. | shared his tent through
out that busy summer, but although he
proved to be the most agreeable of
companions he rarely spoke of his past
life, and when he did cloud of such
painful remembrance seemed to pass
across his fair, handsome features that
soon learned to avoid all allusion to
it, and only enjoyed the good fortune
which had thrown this pleasant debonair
comrade across my path.
For Ramson was the life of our camp.
He had rich baratone voice, which
had evidently been carefully cultivated
q wonderful memory, which retained
with the most vivid distinctness every
occurrence, and powers of narration of
the highest order, so that he was
eagerly welcomed at every campfire
for the times when soldiers is not on ac-
tive duty are very sure to be tedious.
Neither Ransom nor myself set up for
saints among our wild western con-
freres, and yet there were times when
their lawless ways shocked us both,
and this fact, probably, made our SER
geant even more willing to turn the
thoughts of the rollicking boys to more
innocent alnusements than even draw
poker and such like evil devises. Even
the charm of draw-poker would often
yield to Ramsor's powers of entertain
ment, and first one and then another
of the great-bearded gamblers would
throw down the cards and steal across
to the little knot of listeners which were
sure to be grouped around the sergeant
whenever the trickling of the guitar,
which he carried everywhere with him,
was heard in the stiffness of the sum.
mer evenings.
We had chosen Il very romantic spot
FOR the camp. We were part of the
advance guard of the army, and yer,
well knew that across the wooden hill
to the right the enemy's outposts were
stationed, only a stones throw, as il
were, from our own. Indeed, the
pickets often came in sight of one an.
other beyond the rocky mountain
stream which dashed around the foot
of the hill, while the drums could be
distinctly heard when the wind blew
from the west, where against the hori
zon the South Mountain rose, blue and
misty in the summer distance. 1t was
beautiful valley, smiling and peace
full, when we first saw il, but month
of constant fighting had left its mark
even upon the calm face of nature, fol
scarce a day had passed without g
skirmish of some sort, and one or two
desperate battles had been fought.
1t was only an evening or two after
one of these skirmishes that we were
grouped as usual around the sergeant
and his guitar. Somebody had brought
unnA fnhanon int kn i
it was circulating freely among the
men. Every one of us was smoking as
we listened to the sergeant, and the
pleasant evening wind blew great
whiffs of smoke up the hillside, where
1t hung in little clouds among the bush,
es. The tobacco itself was sufficient tc
put us all in a good humor even haC
we not come out best in the fight, anC
as we sat in the moonlight beside the
stream, some one called out to Ramso1
to sing wild, daredevil kind of a song
that was a great favorite with some o.
the men.
There was no harm in the song, only
a happy-go-lucky species of compost
ton, hitting off with considerable hu.
NOR the life of a soldier in camp, and
AN"AoNh hoO SSdiNCA1 utItTCu Ile ldSl
words of the first verse before every
man of us was startled by the reyerber.
alton of childish laugh, which came
from some point in the thickly-wooded
hillside close by.
The moon was pouring her clear
white light over the hill and upon the
foaming thread of water which dashed
around its base, and in second or two
we saw, picking her way over the great
rocks which lay in the water, a tiny
barefooted child, little girl, who came
quite confidently toward us across the
stream.
She was such a tiny tot of thing
and she looked so weird and eiriC
standing there in the moonlight, will
little grey cap on her head, beneath
which thick mass of glossy blacl
curls hung wildly over pair of great
bright. dark eyes, that we all stopped
smoking and stared at her in unfeieneC
astonishment. 1t was long since {
child had been among us, and this lit
tie creature came across the stream
and up the steep bank toward us with
out shadow of fear or embarrassment
upon her pretty gypsy face. She stop
ped when she had climbed the bank
fat1f har hara faoN 49,