Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-04-30
COWARDLY CONDUCT.
Relations OF n Martial Hero
and Carpet.Bagger.
HOW CHEAPLY REPUTATIoNS 70
corRAGE WERE ACQUIRED DURING
THE RRBEILIoN-THE FOR
TIME OF THE MEN WHO
FOUGHT AND RAN
AWAY.

made my fortune III conSequ' nee VI
my heroism during the war. My mill
,arv rank was only brevet title, but II
was conferred on me for gallant SER
vice in t c field, and at the close OF the
war /. enabled me to advance myself
politically in the course OF Southern re-
construction. Throughout my life. up
70 This time. | have been living cut a
le but doing it so adroitly that no one
could by any possibility suspect the
truth.
THE fact is. was born coward
When a boy dared not 90 to bed IN
,be dark. A thunderstorm struck ter
ror to nv soul. and the sight OF pistol
ond the smell of villainous saltpetre on
the Fourth ofJuly always made me SICK
was possessed of physique however
ond GREAT strength. and at school USED
70 cnfr the small boys about in way
that cot me a reputation as ouliy'
,,l.ich was sbrewd enough 10 preserve
without suffering it to be put to the test
20 combat with one who was phvslc-
ally my equal or an unusually plucNy
onnonent. l attained my majority two
voors bclore the rebellion broke out
and armed with the gift OF CAB es-
uoused the cause which foresaw would
prove most popular and profitable l
hecome q REGULAR stumper Tor 'he
Republican, party. and campaigned '''
Lincoln with an easy flow CT bOmpas'
and a easco ade that won me great re-
nown.
Once. IN a little town in Ohio a
uarli,an of st phen Douglas took OIL
f. nse at nv zone aid called me out. ac
cent, d his defiance in public,and blather'
ID so loudl, about 1t that the authorities
;o,ertered and was saved. | express
"a GREAT regret. and the utmost desire
70 GET at him but the leaders OF my
own party Gained me by protes'acon'
AGAINST my hot.headed courage ana oN
uroinc the necessity that my lie anc
courage should be preserved TO the par
tv. which was likely to stand IN suci
Great need OF my heroic services
reluc,antl, agreed to fight no duels' II
b order that l might preserve my vaIua
s ble life for my country's sake.
j When the war broke out was a
. once quoted as bulwark OF the party
Hotspur. who would find just the hei'
for my fierce and dauntless nature II
the wild scenes of carnage of The ba'tl'
field. was forced TO display myself
b much against my will. went aoou
= ,be State of New York making speeche
!. OF q rapid Union tendency, breathing
fire and patriotism, blood and thunder
in equal and nicely mingled parts
t. induced the poor country boys to enlis
r. N scores. and in scores they lie IN un
marked Southern graves.
i kept up this recruiting buslneS
r until after the campaign OF the PENN
,ula. Then came the second Bul. ks
and the crushing disasters to the gas
k conading general (my prototype II "a
k wavs seemed to m,), who had his hea'
uparters IN the saddle l was s'i
recruiting. with the pay OF captalI
"a aud certain perquisites, which amount
ed TO three times my regular pay 1
my horror. though, my enthusiastic az
- n,irers concluded that now was the TN
for me to take the field and throw n
beroism in the scale on the side OF u
rel Union. In their unbounded admlratic
ID for me. | really think they were Co
.H sH yinced that my presence IN the lie
iuil would nut the forces Of the Coniedera'
M 70 rout. aud would end the war III
lp- immediate blaze of glory.
leu i mildly hinted that | was OF u
greatest good to the country by displa
= in nv herosm in the sight of hesitati
'o' recruits, and in arguing the cause oil t
Union at home. to the dismay oil
copperheads' who would assam
.hovs in blue in the rear. But
friends would not agree that shot
hide my LIGHT under bushel any Ion
er. They would not permit me to ST
Mt, rj6ce myself longer in my countr.
70, cause by keeping myself in the oa'
ground when fame awaited me IN
tore. front of the fight. They forced
to 90 where glory waited me. In
last regiment raised by my persuas
eloeuence was importuned to acc
IS. the Colonelcy. Out of pretended MI
esty I preferred an humber rank !
Colonel of a regiment, remarked,
the eyes of 900 men on him In an
&c. papement, and his whereabouts Is
ways known to even the smallest bug
q or d,ummer.boy. Such post was
the one I desired. was made a
are ior. Ny friends made great ado 40
nv modesty, and quoted this clrc'
stance as a proof of my unbounded
,rio,ism and selfsacrificing love tor
Union.
T MY regiment was ordered to
front while the guns If Antietam "
laundering. and to my intense del
ssss, ;ns. that battle was over before we reac
49,, Baltimore on our way. Mcclellan
won his victory. and we were held b'
,inis , with other reserves and reinforceme
H.