West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-09-13
gen. Forrest. Game of Poker.

Several years ago General Forrest visited
Nashville, and stopped at the old City llo-
tel That night several gentlemen called
TO see him, among them "A gentleman now
connected with the Banner The room had
been crowded during the early part of the
night and Forrest had received the usual
attention bestowed ON him. Now, however
/ he was sitting OIL hy himself. and appeared
worn and tired out Our informant, wish
/ mg TO have "a talk with him about himself.
sought him and entered into conversation
/ with him.
General SAYS hc. I've heard YOU were
/ IA great poker player i'm your time
Yes, says the general. II have played
some, and his eyes began to sparkle with
/ the memory of old times, and hc at once
seemed interested i'm the subject, for bc it
| known that mo- one was foudCr of recount
crug his wonderful exploits
"low much, general was tho largest
stake YOU ever played ~
/ Il once called SiS, 900 lu Now Orleans
"Dd YOU VIM
| 'Oh, yes ! won it
"What was your hand, general"
'lt was three kings
/ But, says hc, 'Ihe hardest game
/ ever played was AT Memphis Just after
| the war closed me and my wife went to
/ Memphis and stopped at the MOrsham
/ House The next morning we got our
/ things together, and | cmptcd all OF my
papers out of my trunk ON the floor, and
\ Mary, G'm not certain his wifc's name was
| Mary, but that will do for the talc) went
over and over them, hunting for something
.1 raise money out of. | cmptcd my pock-
cts and Mary cmpticd hcr'n, and between
us we had $3.50 After huntin' over cv
| crythng We found That every man who
owed us was either dead or broke had
not one single paper ON which could raise
| "a cent out'n.
"Aitcr we got through the pile | looked
at Mary and Mary looked at me. Now
what's to bc done, Mary, says l. i don't
! know, says she, but the Lord will provide. y
! You see. Mary was one of the best women
in the world and she had heap of faith
in her religion. | looked at her straight for
"A long time, and at last says "Mary, you
are "a mighty good woman, and I'm going to
tell you something. There's to bc big din
ucr at - this evening and I'm invited.
| They always play poker at that house, and
| you have always been agin me playing, and
! | reckon you are tight about it, But things
| have become desperate with ms, and some
!
would pray for me, could make raise
tonight
"Says she: Bedford, can, do IT, It's
wrong for YOU TO do it, and Ed ahcap rath-
or you wouldn't
| " But Mary, says l. i never was in
such fix before. Here we are with no
money but $3.50, and that won't pay our
tavern bill. | can't lose no more than that
| for ! swear | won't bet on "a credit II
lose that III come home; and if win then
Wen have something to start on
"Well, | argued and argued with her,
but she wouldn't say yes. But at last she
says:
" Bedford, ] know your mind is set on
| IT, and know you are going To bet, whcth-
cr am willin' or not 80 l won't say moth
/ ing more about it.
But, somehow felt when started that
she was for me- and jist knowcd how
'twould be.
! "Wcll, | went sometime before dinner,
and, sure enough, they were at H. They
had three tables had "a quarter ante,
One "a half, and one a dollar and half
| wanted my seven dollars to last as long as
! could make it, 80 ! set down to the quar-
ter table. We bet on until dinner and by
that time / had enough to do better and
after we had eat, sat down TO the dollar
and-a-half table Sometimes / won, aud
thea again I'd lose ON until about midnight
and then ] had better luck. / knOw'd
Mary was setting mp and praying; / felt
, like it, and it made me cool ! set my hat
down by my side Oh the floor, and every
time I'd win I'd drop the money in the hat.
/ We played on, and ] didn't know how
much I'd won. didn't keep any count,
| but ! knOwd ! was winning.
81 thought may be- ld won a hundred
| dollars, or may be two hundred dollars but
/ ] didn't know. ] set there until day broke
and then wc went home TOOK my hat up
in both hands and mashed % 1n my head
and went home without ttsUr un When
/ / got 10 my room there sat Mary boo her
gown, and the bed wasn't mashed She'd
set up all night waiting for mc. She seem
ed tired and anxious, and though sbo look
cd mighty hard at mc She didu say a word.
/ walked right up tO her, and pulling on
my hat with both hands ! umpucI it all
right iu her gown. And then wc set down
and counted it.
GLOW much was there general f'
/ 'Just fifteen hundred dollars even"
"And that, added the general, us hc
walked of, "givc me % start