The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-02-20
- JIM SHANKS."

The boys used to say that you couldn't
understand man until you hsd tented
with him st the fronssaBd there was
considerable weight to the saving. 4
comrade might BE- known ss jolly.
good hearted fellow at home, but his
whole nature would change in week
when YOU hsd him where the real man
hood and worth of man came to the
surface. OF where g miserably mean
spirit took the place Of it and Disguised
YOU with him. A comrade who shared
his last cracker, performed his iull share
of camp and field work, stood by you in
sickness and divided clothing with you
in heslth-such & man was more to you
than si the brothers at home, snd /. be
lived 10 come out of the war has not
been forgotten. TIE army is the place
where 8 man can be mesuer Than dirt
and ug.ier than wolf, and yet retain
his place in the ranks, or he can re g
white man all through snd rece We nc
reward except the gratitude of his tent
mate.
Now. I never saw meaner private
soldier or a more sulky and morose tent
mate than luck gave ne in the year OF
1864 D.. He came down il the fall q
recruit, having enlisted for the big
bounty. and st that time the cid vets
who had faced shots AMI smells or
several wears had al edgewise feeling
against these fresh FISH, who had
pocke,ed i've or six hundred dollars and
came down to spend the winter IN s
warm hut. Some Of the recruits realized
this, and by their gooa-nature and pleas
ant ways soon barished tie feeling 50 far
ss they were concerned. Others were
uetted and indignant, and were not in.
clin,d that the old vets should get
relieved Of one single camp duty because
OF the arrival OF new men.
Fate or luck sent noe Jim Shanks F"
for teut-mate. He was jim some one
else, bat the nickname wsy very appro
pirate. He was doggod and sul!en from
the fret. and we hadn't known each other
two hours before We had aguarrel. Next
day we fought again, and sitter thst We
did net exchange q word for four weeks.
When / saw how mean he wss, and
found that kind words, kind wishes and
& friendly interest would not touch him,
l let him alone a. far as ! could, and
couteuced myself with knowing that
every other member of company Z "
hated him as much as / did.
One night a band of twenty-five men
moved-Gut Of our camp for a scout across
the LQudon valley, then held by Mosby,
and luck placed Jim Shanks alongside
Of me. he was selected by accident, it
being tue intention 70 take better man,
hut he was there Just the same, silent,
suller, and ready to elbow or bayonet
snyoBe who accidentally brushed him.
That nj gbJ as We filed along the muddy
highway, speaking only in whispers, l
saw Jim in front OF me and | whispered
C. my sell:
J.nl Shsnks, If you don't get killed
down here you II be hung for murder
before you are out OF the army year y
Just in the grsy of morning, and
when within mile of Union Town, Jim
Shsuks and myself were sent forward to
reconnoiter. | would have sooner gone
alone, and ten times sooner had the
compsuy of any one else, but LUCK
decided it. We said not word.
watched Jim and saw thss he was as cool
S. sn old soldier. He knew as well as |
did that we were advancing on Mosov's
HEADQUARTERS, but he stepped out boldly
and with no change in his demeanor.
When we had nearly reached the
church. standing on the hill above the
town and facing the road leading away
to Leesburg. | halted, knowing that a
picSet post must be near. / had not
exchanged q word with Jim for days,
hut row | whispered to him that we
must proceed with caution.
IF YOU are tired, cit down in the
mud" be growled. stridiuq along, and
after minute l followed him, both Of
us walking on the side OF the highway
z knew h. would soon strike the Iicket,
u, i; vas either follow jim or turn
ack Suddenly, ana without a word,
I've or six men rose up in our path. |
had barely discerned them when one
seized nv csrbine and another tripped
me down, while third growled out:
If you make any fuss, you'll get 8
bullet mighty quick"
l didn't propose to make any fuss, but
lin Shsnks did. The two men who
grabbed at him were brushed of like
fies. and, whirling his carbine around
his head, he cleared a path for himself
and was lost in the darkness. More
<hsn s dozen shots were fred after him.
and being intercepted on his retreat
down the rosJ he made for the cLUl CT