Arizona weekly enterprise., 1881-11-12
The St0rr nt q Veteran.

In a fashionable saloon on Kearny street, two distinguished-l looking militia men were recounting their numerous campaigns at Sacramento and San Bru- no, when man with one sleeve of his coat empty lounged up to the bar. As he did so he touched the elbow of one of the tuition bound warriors, and at once apologized to the fierce military glare fastened on him.
 Beg pardon, said he, "but I'm al- ways kind of careless when any of the boys in blue are round. l used to be one myself"
 The warriors in blue and gold did not deign to respond, but the stranger was not on the alert for any obvious sliGhts.
 "I lost this arm," he continued, Cat Vicksburg. And this cough" he add the same place.
 !" Rather a poor reeempense, wasn't itP' asked one of the militiamen. Couldn't you get anything better?'
 |" Yes," said the WI ok of humanity, with touch of genuine. pride, 1T got this, too" and he threw back the lapel of his lu5ty coat to exhibit 8 small medal.
 As he unclasped it and handed it over for inspection, he said: "I got it for being the best-dressed soldirr in th- Thirt enth Army c rps at Miliken's Bend, b. fore the capture of Vicksbu 2. We had been slashing arc md VicAsbur il whoe month, and, for a change, had gone up the White river and taken Ar kansas Post, with 5000 rebs. When we got back to Vicksburg again We were a pretty tough; looking crowd. We were stationed ill swampy timber ground that every shower useu to make slough of, and the fellows were mud all over. The lay b, fore Grant took command at Mil- iken's Bend we had orders to fix up for he occasion, and 1t was given out that
 e best-dressed man in each regiment " )dld get medal. We all went to work scrubbing and polishing, but it vas no use. A fellow couldn't rub the uud ont of his clothes, and, ii he washed It out, the minute they got half dry they looked as bad as ever. Most of the fel- LOWS gave 1t up for bad job, but I'd made up my mind 1 was golng to get the medal. had Q pretty good pui- form, and after I'd sewed 1t up on the bows and tack-d the skirt of the coat up 1t 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 thing; 1 inted 1t to be better. What do you think I did ?"
 Bought new one, l suppose" said the barkeeper.
 The veteran smiled "I went down and stood up to my chin in the Yazoo for an hour before parade. I'd bur nished up all the buttons and blackened my shoes with p!ece of burned leather and pork fat, and when I walked up with my wet suit just parGlyzed the crowd. 1 looked as II d come out of bandbox when I stuck on my shoes and cap and threw my musket over my shoulder"
 "And you got the medal?' said one of the militiamen, handing back the trophy.
 " Yes, got 1t, and more, too. got the rheumatism and pneumonia. IL was in January, you know, and 1t set in to blow from the west, and before the pa- rade was over l was most froze to death. To finish me, the Colonel was so tickled with my appearance that l was detailed for orderly duty at headquarters, and iliil to uldfcu AIOuHN TOT lOtE uOulS, uu- til the icicles We're hanging out of my elbows and coat-tails; and do you know what Grant said after the parGde?"
 "What?"
 "He remarked, with considerable :celing, its long time between lrlnks.' ;"
 The barkeeper showed three glasses lver the mahogany, and tie militiamen both put their hands m their pockets to pay.
 "Yes, gentlemen" said the veteran, IS he wiped his gr,zzly mustache on his coat sleeve and edged toward the door. 1T got the medal, and don't you forget t."
 "I shouldn't wonder" said the bar keeper. a., the veteran fitted through the ..ooI way, "lf that fellow isn't an eight en-carat fraud and lost his arm in T l ,aw-mill. "
 You do him an injustice, assure nu," said thoughtful bat dilapidated person, bending over the lunch-counter. II recognize him as an individual who had a limb shot of in Virginia City while robbing wood pile. San Fran- cisco Chronicle.