Sharp County record., 1879-08-28
Gen. Forests Desperate Game OF
Poker.

Several years ago Gen. Forrest visited
the city and stopped at the old City Ho-
tel That night several gentlemen call
ed to see him, among them 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 off
to himself, and appeared worn and tired
out. Our informant, wishing to have Il
talk with him about himself, sought him,
and entered into conversation with him:
General" says he, give heard YOU
were a great poker-player in your time"
"Yes," says the General, 81 have
played some," and his eyes began to
sparkle with the memory of old times,
and he at once seemed interested in the
subject, for be it known that no one was
fonder than he in recOmting his won
derful exploits.
"How much, General, was the largest
stake you ever played"
81 once called S4S,0O0 in New Or
leans
"Did you win?n
"Oh, yes! | won it,
"What was your hand, General?'
"It was three kings
"But,n says he, " the hardest game |
ever played was at Memphis. just after
the War closed, me and my wife went
to Memphis, and we stopped at the Wor-
sham House. The'neXt morning we got
our things together, and | emptied all
my papers out of my trunk on the floor,
and Mary 0'm not certain his wife's
name was Mary, but that will do for the
tale) went over and over them, hunting
for something to raise money out of. |
emptied my pockets and Mary emptied
her'n, and between us we had seven
dollars and thirty cents. After huntin
over every thing, we found that every
man who owed me was either dead or
broke | hadn't one single paper on
which | could raise a cent outen. After
we got through the pile, | looked at
Mary and Mary looked at me. Now,
what's to be done, MaIy?' says l. L
don't know says she, but the Lord
will provide You see, Mary was
one of the best women in the world,
and she had heap Of faith in her relig-
ion. | looked at her right straight a
long time, and at last says I, Mary, you
are mighty good woman, and I'm 90
inc to tell YOU something. There's to
be a big dinner 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
right about it. But things have become
desperate with us, and somehow | feel
if you wouldn't be agin me, but would
pray for me, l could make a raise to-
night
Essays she Bedford, I can't do it..
It's wrong for you to do it, and I'd heap
rather you wouldn't
"'But, Mary says |, | never was in
such fix before. Here we are with no
money but $3.50, and that wouldn't pay
our tavern bill. | can't lose no more
than that, for I'll swear | won't bet on a
credit. If | lose that I'll come home,
and if | win then We'll have something
to start on Well, I argued and argued
with her, but she wouldn't say yes. But
a. last she says:
Bedford, | know your mind is set
on it, and | know you are going to bet,
whether I'm willin' or not; 50 / won't
say nothing more about it,
"But, somehow, felt when | started
that she was for me, and | jist lmowed
how 'twould be.
"Well, went some time before din
ner, and, sure enough, they were at it..
They had three tables-one had quar-
ter ante, one a half, and one a dollar
and a half. wanted my seven dollars
to last as long as I could make it, and
so | sat down to the quarter table. We
bet on until dinner, and by that time |
had won enough to do better; and, after
we had eat, sat down to the dollar-and-
a-half table. Sometimes | won, and
then again I'd lose on until nigh about
midnight, and then I had better luck.
| know'd Mary was sitting up and pray
ing felt ike it and it made me cool.
| set my hat down by my side on the
floor, and every time I'd win I'd drop
the money in the hat. We played on,
and | didn't know nothing about how
much I'd won. l didn't keep any
count, but | know'd | was win
ming. l thought may be I'd won a hun
dred dollars, or may be two hundred,
but | didn't know. | set there until day
broke, and then we went home. took
my hat up in both hands and mashed it
on my head, and went home so without
taking it off. When | got to my room
there sat Mary in her gown, and the bed
wasn't mashed. She'd set up all night
waiting for me. She seemed tired and
anxious, and, though she looked mighty
hard at me, she didn't say word. |
walked right up to her, and, pulling off
| NV hot with hnth hands 7 an1Dtip1 If all