New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-07-14

men ever went bravely and deVotedIy
into any war more ignorant OF the
real situation than we did. Oar peo-
pie had been deceived and misled by
their leaders. They had been taught
to despise the north and underestf-
mate it's strength. They had no idea
the north would fight. They thought
cotton was king, and southernleaders
and northern democrats had ryears
united in the assertion that the north.
would not fight. Nobody dreamed OF
a war. Our men tumbled over each
other to get to Virginia before peace
was declared and the Virglnians. had
taken all the credit. Our people judg-
ed northern men by the riff-raf that
came down here, and men used as Mig
ger-drivers and overseers, and by the
commercial drummers and bunlmers
who We're blatherskites. 1t was hon
estiv thought that one southern man
could lick ten yankees.
Old BobToombs made speech here
in which he declared that the Yankees
did not know which end of a gun to
hold to their Misunderstanding know
how to shoot a gun
In one of our first engagements down
the Shenandoah Valley the Federal
troops got at us bot and began giving
us the deuce. Ashley poured the shot
into us and began to drive us back,
one OF my men said to nae, Captain,
do you remember what cd Bob
Toombs said about the Yankees not
knowing how to shoot q gum"
T
tssWell," said he, "Doesn' it occur
to you that they are learning pretty
.fast?"
At the breaking out of the war I
spoke at q war meeting and held that
the South was not prepared for war.
| had been in military school and
had accumulated few ideas on the
subject. 1 declared that we had no
cannon and no facilities Tor making
them.
Mr.. B--got up and made a fiery
speech. He said the assertion was
nonsense. "What do we want with
cannon. We want 40 cannon; we
will cut their bowels out with our bow
lie knives.
This is about the idea of the war
many OF our people had.
The. first time we were underartillery
fire, that same man lay 10y my side. It
was an awful sensation to be fired atfor
the first time with cannon. The shells
sshrieked,over us and. crashed thaough
the trees, and we were frightened
out of.our wits. We lay on our faces,
and probably all OF you have had ex-
periencerof how close you can get to
the ground under fire. don't think
I Twas an inch thick. Just after ire.
mendous crash and roar, b reach
ed 'out and touched me and said,
HCaptain, I guess you wereright about
those cannon. We ought to have
fought this out inside OF the Union"
I>was Captain OF a battery soon
after that, and was engaged in a fierce
fight where many OF my men were kill
ed or wounded During the fighting I
often admired the cool, brave conduct
OF a. stalwart six-foot gunner named
Jones. After the fight Isaid to him,
4s(ones, where are you frolm?"
1flrom Vermont" he answered, 81
have recently settled in the South"
~'Nermont!" said l in anaazement.
care there any more soldiers like you
in Xermont?''
Yes, plenty Of them, and, seriously,
DON'T be deceived by these stories
about the Yankees not fighting. The
north lis full of just as good and better
soldiers than l am. They'll give you
all the fighting you can attend to-"
'"Tlssht made ME rather weak i4a the
knees, said Captain Howells laugh
ing, "aaa began to question as to
whether I'VE had not bitten off more
than we could chew.
"While / thought in the beginning
that one ,southelner could whip ten
Yankees, before we got through was
willing to tackle one at a time, ara I
didn't MIND If he had been in the hos
pital.
Captain Saowells lis SO witty and
brilliant a .tall1er thai what he says
loses half it's settractiveness in repeat
ing it. He tells these old war stories
in a manner inimitahle, and it is
worth the price of admission to hear
him tell Of the time he and q lot OF
other young boosters, who were con-
federate officers, volunteered to sug.
gest some formal advice TO Stonewall
jackson.
Howell was made the spokesman,
and when he concluded his littlespeech,
shaking IN his boots, and handed over
the advice" jackson took the paper,
dropped it in the Maste-basket, and
hRrdly moving IL naaascle OF ais stern
face, said, good might, gentlemen.
When want some NOSE advice | will
send for YOU
DR.. Todd, a one-arnsed confederate,
said rtlae Union flag was all right and
satisfied him. Sometimes he thought
sae would like to have two flags. 1t
Was 'hasd to give up the one they sac
rlfced SO much for. He echoed what.
Casat. Howells said about the south
er,rers being taught to believe. they
could each whipten Yankees. Hesaid:
There was Rice. He declared that
the Yankees could be licked with pop
guns. After the surrenderhe was ask
ed about 'thaG remark and declared it
to be true; bud, said he, the doggoned
Yankees wouldn't fight that way
Then Jesse Robson, g one-legged