The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-07-24
THE STORY OF A VETERAN.

on Kearaey = ca. two distinguished
looking mlliti@al were recounung
their numerous campaigns. st Sacrs-
mento and San Bruno. Whe man
with one sieve OF his coat empty,
louuged up to the bar, As De did so
he touched the elbow of one OF the
bullion bound warriors, and at once
apologized to the fierce military glare
fastened on him.
Beg PARDON said he, shut Pm
always kind OF careless when auy of
the boys IN blue srs round. [ used to
be one myself"
The warriors in blue and gold did
net deign to respond, but the sGran-
ger was not on the alert for any obv-
ious slights.
Il iOs' this arm." he continued,
sat Vicksburg And this cough,
he added, as he shook on q spasm,
Il got in the same place."
Rather poor recompense. wasn't
it?" asked one of the militiAmen.
Couldn't you get anything better?"
Yes" said the wreck OF humanity,
with q touch OF genuine pride. II got
this, too;" and he threw back the lap
ell of his rusty coat to exhibit small
medal.
As he unclasped it and handed it
over for inspection, he said. &c got
it for being tle best dressed soldier
in toe Thirteenth Army Corps a.
Millken's Bend before the capture OF
Vicksburg. We had been slAshiDg
around Vicksburg a whole month.
and for 3 change bad gone up the
White River and taken Arkansas
Post with 5000 rebs. When We got
back to Vicksburg again We were a
pretty looking-crowd. We were sta
toned in swampy timber ground that
every shower used to make slough
of. and the fellows we're mud all over.
The day before Grant took command
at Miliken's Bend We bad orders to
fix up for the occasion, and it was
given out that the best dressed man
in each r, giment would get medal.
We all went to work scrubbing and
polishing. but it Was no use. A fel.
low cOnlGn't Iub the mud out OF his
clothes, and il he washed il o1t, the
minute they got bali dry they looked
as bad "a ever. Most of the fellows
gave it up for bad JOB, but I'd
made up my mind | was a going to
get the medal. | Lad pretty good
uniform, and after I'd seWed il up on
the elbows and tackled the skirt OF
the cost up it looked good enough,
only for the mud. It was about As
good as any other uniform IN the
corps, but, of course, that wouldn't
amount to nothing; I wanted it to
look better. What do you think l
did2"
Bought new one, l suppose"
said the bar.keeper,
The veteran smiled. Il went
down and stood up to my chin in the
Yazoo for an hour before parade. I'd
FURNISHED up all the buttons and
blsckened my shoes with piece of
burned leather and pork fag, when |
walked up With my wet suit I just
paraIyzed the crowd. l looked as
if I'd come out of handbox when l
stuck on my shoes snd cap. and
threw my musket over 10Y shout
der"
"And you got the medal?" said one
OF the mliItiamen, handing back the
trophy.
Eyes, I got it, and more too. l got
the rheumatic and pneumonia. II was |
in January, you know, and it set In |
to blow from the west, and before the
parade was over, | was most froze to |
death. To inish me, the Colonel |
was 30 tickled with my appearance |
that was detailed for orderly duty at
headquarters and had to march
around tor four hours, until the
icicles were hanging out ofmy elbows
and ooa,-tails, and do you know what
Grant said after the parsde?"
What"
"He remarked, with considerable
feeling. It's a long time between
drinks"
The bar keeper showed three glasses
over the mahogany. and the militia
men both put their hands in their
pockets to pay.
Eyes, gentlemen, said the veteran
as be wiped bis grizzly mustache on
his coat-sleeVe and edged toward the
door. II go. the medal. and don't
you forget It F"
81 shouldn't WONDER" said the bar
keeper, as the veteran fitted through
the doorway, "if that fellow isn't an
eighseen-csrst fraad and lost his arm
in a saWmill."
"You do him an injustice, I assure
you," said thoughtful but dilapi-
dated person. bending over the lunch
counter. II recognize him as an in
6ividual who had a limb shot Of In
Virginia City while robbing wood
pile. San Francisco Chronicle.