The Dawson journal., 1885-04-30

his declaration, remarked: 8 w
Then you are an admirer OF
Grant's?' 'Admirer? WeIlI should
smile. Why, I slept on the ground
for years, eating hard tack, wears
ing old clothes and drinking mud
and water just to be near him.
Those were good old days, howev-
er, and full of fun. You see, Grant
and his boys would come down to
our quarters, now and then, and
we would get up the liveliest en-
tertainment you ever saw. Some
times fellows would get killed or
wounded, but that didnt make any
difference. We were obliged to
entertain him at any cost. NY
own brother was mangled, and
they carried him off to take care of
hIm. He never came back, nor
did lot of the fellows they took
care of. | learned afterwards that
IN the rush and excitement of
those old days, they were allowed
to go without food too long, or ex-
perlments on their particular cases
failed, and they pegged out. But
that was nothing, and when acci-
dentally our guests burned down a
house, run over a child, or provok-
ed an over sensitive woman by a
harmless joke, we passed it by,
for Grant is great man. Any
man must be great who can capture
Lee
There was something cruel in
the fellows language it struck me,
and | was surprised that one of
the Generals did not stop him.
They, however, appeared to be
locked IN a dreamless sleep and
spoke not. The Confed continued:
1T used to be said that the man
who whipped should treat. new
er could understand that. Why
should he treat? He has nothing
to except, nothing to gain. 1t
strikes me that the fellow that gets
cleaned up should treat, and the
faster he does it the better. He
has everything to gain, and moth
ing to lose. Lots of fellows treat
ed to-day on that principle
l did not like the chuck accom-
panied this remark. 1t made the
joint Of nay backbone rattle like a
string of buttons; [ could not col
| lect my thoughts for an answer,
but it was all the same; he appear
ed to be bent OH doing the talking.
He started out in a reckless tone
again.
L want to get on spree to-
night. l would give pretty just
to come down of this post and
take in the town. [ want to raise
HI once more; only once, and
this appears to be the correct sea-
son of it,
This aroused my indignation, l
spoke to him sharply, moving off
a little, however. You had better
stay where you are. How would
you look on a bum leaning over
bars and calling for 'straights' and
'smashes,' Or punching billiards ?
You ought to be ashamed Of your
self
Yes, I know it, knowit,' he re-
piled, little sadly, 'but what s
the use Of my standing? Why, to-
day, [ heard a fellow say, 1et by
genes be bygones; hurrah for
Grant; the sooner we forget the
better My crowd is no more.
The boys are all asleep and their
biyouac can never be broken;
peace has come. Why not let the
sentinel lie down and rest, when
his presence but reminds you of
what is bygonc. l am tired of the
whole business. If the town
wants a statue, let it put up one
Of Grant. [ want to resign any
how, and 60 where people have
some consideration for a fellows
feelings. Why, laying all Jokes
aside, ] have felt like a whipped
cur up here all day. Yesterday,
with Wright's brigade, [ stormed
cemetary heights; the blood upon
my old mu8ket has not yet rusted
away, the breastworks are not yet
level with the ground. To-day /
heard the echo of the old-time
yell, but it brought me what!
The name of Grant. Well, was it
that on this stone was carved the
record, for who will keep our le-
gend through the coming year? l
am ashamed, when / remember
what L am. The soldiers head
sank forward on the gun; his
hands clenched. L could not an
swer him, but the answer was Civ
en-. There came through the
night the rumbiug of a carriage;
party was out enjoying the
moonlight. l saw the vehicle
quietly draw up before the monu-
ment, and in the shadow there
Anch..A y inrunl On n lnIr,,r hnrL