News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-08-20
A STORY OF THE WAR.
THE BIG AND LITTLE CoRpoRALs
A Little Fellow Full of Pluck and Knowing
How to Use 1t.

How to Use 1t.
You must know that belonged to the
Fifteenth Alabama Infantry, and that
we went to the front pretty early In the
war. In my company the third corporal
was powerful big chap named Sam
Chaplin, who had been overseer on
plantation near Huntsville.
Big Sam had his dislikes, but there
was one man he hated in particular. l
shouldn't have said man, for he was only
boy seventeen years old-slim, pale
| faced and as timid in look as girl.
Sam took hatred of this boy on sight,
and he let no occasion pass to nag him
and render his lot still harder. Jimmie,
as the boy was called, had no complaints
to make. He was of forgiving dispo-
sition, and no matter what he felt or
thought, we never heard him condemn
ing anybody by word of mouth.
Well, one day when part of our reg
flank movement of the Union troops, and
our situation was desperate, our captain
steps out and says:
''Boys, 1 want to send word to Col.
-. Where's the man who'll take it?"
He was looking right at Big Sam all
the time, but that individual turned two
shades whittier and hid himself in the rear
ranks, muttering that nobody but a fool
would try to push past 5000 muskets
with the message. The first thing we
knew Jimmie had mounted horse from
which some officer had been shot and
was riding away. How he ever run that
gauntlet with his life was more than we
could tell, but he did get through and
down came enough of our forces to help
us out of the box.
There was new cause for Big Sam to
hate Jimmy. The boy had not only ex-
hibited greater courage in the face of
danger and right before US all, but he
was promoted to be third corporal. This
was promotion right over the head of
Big Sam, and he felt it to the ends of
his fingers. He couldn't nag the boy
any more, and have no doubt he swore
a solemn oath to kill him at the first OPP
portunity. Indeed he limited as much,
and became SO ugly and abusive to all
that some of us wanted to kill him.
Well, in about six weeks we had an
other tussle with the Yanks. We got
into it hot and heavy, and as we were
driving them for the moment l found
myself alongside of Big Sam. We were
disputing for rise of ground, and far
in advance of US, carrying the flag
which the color bearer had dropped as a
bullet had hit him, was Corporal
Jimmie, was feeling proud to see him
there, when, as Heaven is my judge, l,
saw Big Sam raise his musket, take de-
liberate aim at the boy, and next mo-
ment Corporal Jimmie went down.
1t was hurry burly time, with grape
and lead cutting all around us, and let
the incident pass for some time, deter
mined, though, that Big Sam should
pay the forfeit after the battle.
We kept on and on, but as we rose the
hill we were checked. In five, minutes
more we were being driven, and that
was how it came about that Corporal
Jimmie, with his left arm broken by Big
Sans bullet, found himself lying beside
the ex-overSeer, who had Yankee bull
let in his leg. There were plenty of other
wounded, and some dead ones, too, but
our twojmen lay almost side by side. Big
Sam was groaning, cursing and whining,
like the coward he was, when a canteen
was held within reach, and a voice
said:
"Take it, comrade-a drink will ease
your pain"
"W-whati is it you7" exclaimed the
overseer as he rose up on his elbow and
gazed at Jimmie.
eyes; both of US are down, but you
are hit the worst. Can I help you1"
"You help me %
"Of course"
1t paralyzed Big Sam to meet with
such words from the man he had tried to
kill. After time he groaned out:
"Say, Jimmie, you orter shoot me
through the headp'
What for ?''
"'Cause I'm the man as fired that bull
let into you'll"
90 Well, L don't want revenge. Pm
now able to crawl away, but / won't
leave you"
The Yanks were massing artillery to
play on that rise of ground, and what
does Corporal Jimmie do but get up IN
the face of all the sharpshooters and,
wounded and faint as he was, half drag,
half carry Big Sam down into a shell
tered ravine. More'n that, he binds up
his wound and makes him pretty COM
and there we found em along
towards night, when a grand charge !
finally gave us the ground.
You remember L had seen big Sam
draw bead on the boy, but when Invent
to make stir over it Corporal Jimmie
said:
Please, don'tl He has been pun
ished enough. I think he will be a
changed man."
And SO he was, They took to each |
other like twin ducks and were the fast
est, firmest friends you ever saw. Big
Sam dropped all mean ways and within
a year was orderly sergeant of the com
pany, while Corporal Jimmie was a lieu
tenant.