The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-09-25

claim to sOldlerly prowcss and skill. lie
always asserted that there was mill
tary strain running through his family
for generations back and though he Of
fered no proof of II, his claim was al.
ways allowed. Whenever tho Indians
were troublesome and the neighbors
would organize n company to defend
the settlement Joe was always chosen
Captain. His great stature and his rifle
talent, no doubt, had much to do with
the choice, but his military claims had
weight in the selection. 1--WE no eddi-
cation, boys" he used to say, "but
when 1t comes to military duty. Joe is
thar" AS he always made his boast
good, and always drove the Indians
hack to the reservation, why. Captain he
afways was. 1t Is not surprising, then,
that when the young men "all along
the creek" enlisted in 1861 Joe Nee was
elected captain of that company.
They were all smoking pipes when 1
went in, and wishing to make myself
sociable with everybody, rs the custom
is in our profession, held out'a hand
full of cigars and said: Would any
gentlemen join me in smoking good
cigarp"
They all would, with pleasure, and
they did-all except the Major. He
said: Thanks, young man. prefer
the pipe to-day"
1t was meerschaum pipe of curious
workmanship. The butt of it was
carved into the shape of an eagle s
claw, which grasped the bowl. 1t had
a silver lid on Which was engraved a
soldier on horseback waving the Amer
lean flag This patriotic pipe was very
black with service, especially the eagles
claw.
II prefer the pipe to-day"
AS the Major repeated his refusal he
blew three strong clouds of smoke into
the air, one from each nostril and the
other from his mouth. l saw that by
long practice he had acquired peculiar
skill in twisting his lips and modulating
his breath SO as to form the smoke into
the shape of rings, flights of stairs,
tlocks of sheep, and other curious
formations.
"You prefer something stronger
favored than mild cigar" said l, for
twas easy to see from the age and color
of the pipe that the taste of it must be
very pungent and high-seasoned.
mot that" said the Major; "old
memories"
Had it for long time, ! suppose,
said /, in an intcrrogative way, for l
suspected the pipe had history.
"Yes, this pipe was given to me at
of '61, after the Missouri campaign. 1t
was present from Peaceful Miller, that
used to live up yander at Masonic
Grove-a wild, harm-scarum chap that
walked all the way down from thar to
jine my company. He was good stock,
sound hickory, clar through to the heart
of the tree. He was corporal and a
sergeant, and by the time we got to Ben
ton barracks Peaceful was First Lieu
tenant of the company. His correct
front name on the muster-roll was Pa
cificus, an onnateral name given him
by his parents as a punishment for a
habit he had of holding his breath when
he got mad. But the boys all called
him Peaceful for short. No fight was
too hot nor no march too hard for him.
believe that Peaceful would have
dropped dead on the road afore he d a
got into wagon. He was killed in the
fight around Atlanta, the same day that
we lost Mcpherson. They was two very
onlucky shots that killed them two men
that day; for, mind you, Peaceful Miller
was as heavy loss to our regiment as
Mcpherson was to the Army of the Ten
nessee.
Peaceful always knew that he was
to be killed, and that wasn't. When
lie gave me the pipe, he says: Captain,
l want you to smoke this pipe for luck
all through the war; and / want you to
smoke it in your old age in remem-
brnnce of me- pretended not to no.
tice it, but saw IN omen and u prophe-
cy in them words as plain as 1 could see
the pipe"
"Only a fancy. Major" 1 said.
''There was nothing remarkable in those
words. l don't see any connection be-
tween them and the event-no evidence
of any premonition."
"You mean the omen?"
.Yes."
"Well, suppose was twice as old a
man as he was, what wonld you say to
thatp Wouldn't it be curious talk
thenp"
mo; don't see that that makes any
difference"
II do. never had much book larn-
in, but can hear voices in the air us
well as the schoolmaster himself My
own opinion is that it was the fates that
spoke, and Peaceful Miller was only the
medium of news from destiny to men;
same as the prophets were. God speaks
through his prophets to-day, just rs He
ever did. I believe too. that the very
same fates made that. pipe charm for
me, and, out of respect for Peaceful,
granted his wish that should smoke it
in old age. Provided, mind you, pro-
vided, that didn't lose it. If lost it,
the charm was gone, and was just as
liable to be killed as anybody, wasn't Ip
Tho gift of the pipe from man already
marked for sacrifice was the good omen
that saved me. wasn't itp"
The old man had grown more and
more animated as no spoke. He had
removed the pipe from his mouth and
used it rs wand to emphasize his
words. His eyes beamed with strange
spirituality. He had found, or thought
he had, another compensation for his
want of learning, the power of COM
munion with the unseen world, the gift
of interpreting the messages of that
mysterious influence that ''shapes our
ends, rough hew them how we will"
AS he had asked a question, answered
it as best could, somewhat timidly, for
felt that | was touching q sensitive
spot. l said that belief in omens was
superstition, and that he had no evil
dence that the loss of his pipe would
have made any difference in the result