The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-10-21
"And in 81. Tom"

"And in '61. Tom then IT was all us
women folks gathered together in an
old vacant store down on Main street,
to fix up clothes, and lint, and band7
ages Effie and | were making a suit
for you. and we went down with the
others to finish it and do what We
could to make up things for the rest .
declare, I'll never forget the turn it gave
me, when old Mrs. Tatum. after sewiDg
on coat for awhile, laid 1t down onl
her knee and, looking around at the!
rest of us, said: i do declare. feel just
like we was maxim the grave clothes for
them boys Well, you should have
seen those women folks! They focked
up around her and scolded her. and!
asked how she dared talk that way,l
and she cried. and said she had two
boys in the army, and she wanted thei
Yankees TO be whipped Just as much as
anybody, but she couldn't help her feel1
ings. tell you, Tom, it made me feel
awful queer, and Ellie, she went right
white in the face. / hope I'll never get
such another turn" And Mrs. COla
looked at her son with far away exj
preston in her eyes.
Strange how things do turn out,
she continued. There was Jim Toser,I
who was so awful fierce in them first
days. saying what he could do and what
he would do when he met the Yankees,i
and laughing at little Eddie Tatum be-
cause he said he didn't care to have the.
Yankees shooting at him if he could
help it. Jim loser, he allowed that he,
could take his shotgun any morning.
and whip dozen OF the best Yankees
that ever crossed Mason and Dixon'si
line. Now, they do say when Jim went
to war, and when his company got tol
where the fighting was, he dropped his
gun and ran like a mountain eat, and
that was the last ever seen of him till
he showed up here last fall And therel
was little Eddie Tatum and Bud Tatum.J
too. in that same company, and they
never run an inch; and Bud told usi
when he came home afterwards with
only one arm, that little Eddie fell byI
his side, with three bullets in him, andt
even then lie wanted 10 get up and sight
some more. and when Bud kneeled bV
him, and lifted his head up, he looked
up in his face and smiled. and said: Be
good to ma, Bud. and tell her not tol
cry; aud tell her how | got the new.
clothes she sent me yesterday, and how
nice they were; and tell her. Bud, that
every one of the three big holes the
Yankees made in my new coat was I'M
the front, Bud; and now, Bud, leave mel
they want you over there. Good-bye,l
Bud, goodbye And Bud kissed HIM
and put his canteen and his gun by his
side, and went into the fight again-''i
and here old Mrs. Cole paused to wipeI
her eyes, while Tom swallowed heavily
once or twice. and two bright drops
rolled down little Effie's cheeks upon
her work, where they sparkled like dia4
monds.
And Bud went into the fight, and
when he came again, with his shattered
arm to his brother, there lie sat where
he'd propped him against an over
| turned cannon. His gun was on his
knees, and to the edge OF his coat he
had pinned a piece of paper-a leaf
| from the little Bible which lay open bN
his side. its leaves fiuttering in the
breeze-and he'd written his name on
that leaf and Il little message to hisi
mother, and told who he was, and asked
that he might be brought home somel
time to be buried. And poor Bud, he
fell down across his feet, as he sat there.
dead. with smile Oh his fair young
face The Life. Little Rock, DIRK.