The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1889-08-15

deserter from either side.'"'
Said Evan Howells: The fact is no
men ever went bravely and devotedly
into any ar,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 underesti-
mate its strength. They had no idea
the north would fight. They thought
cotton was king, and southern leaders
and northern democrats had for years
united in the assertion that the north
would not fight. Nobody dreamed OF
q war. Our men tumbled over each
other to get to Virginia before peace
was declared and the Virginians had
taken all the credit. Our people judg-
ed northern men by the riff-raff that
came down here, and men used as Mig
ger-drivers and overseers, and by the
commercial drummers and bummers
who We're blatherskites. It was hon
estly thought that one southern man
could lick ten yankees.
Old Bob Toombs made speech here
in which he declared that the Yankees
did not know which end OF gun to
hold to their shoulders-didn't know
how to shoot gun.
In one Of our first engagements down
the Shenandoah Valley the Federal
troops got at us hot and began giving
us the deuce. AS they poured the shot
into us and began to drive us back,
one OF my men said to me, "Captain,
do you remember what cd Bob
Toombs said about the Yankees not
knowing how to shoot gum"
eyes" | answered. 80.
q "Well," said he, "Doesn'. it occur
toyou that they are learning pretty
fast?"
At the breaking out of the war
spoke at war meeting and held that
the South was not prepared for war.
| had been in a military school and
had accumulated a few ideas on the
subject. I declared that we had no
cannon and no facilities for 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 no cannon; we
will cut their bowels out with our bow
lie knives.'' H., r. -+... 4
This is about the idea of the war
many Of our people had. -. 81
The tlrst time we We're under artillery
lire, that same man lay by my side. It
was an awful sensation to be fired atfor
the first time with cannon, The shells
shrleked over us and crashed through
the trees, and we were frightened
out OF our wits. We lay on our faces,
and pro bably all OF you have had ex-
perience OF how close you can get to
the ground under fire. I don't think
was an inch thick. Just after a ire
mendous crash and roar, B reach
ed out and touched me and said,
Captain, guess you were right about
those cannon. We ought to have
fought this out inside of the Union.''
| was Captain OF a battery soon
after that, and was engaged in a fierce
tight where many OF my men were kill
ed or wounded. During the fighting 1
often admired the cool, brave Conduct
OF a stalwart six-foot gunner named
Jones. After the fight I said to him,
Jones, where are you from?"
From Vermont" he answered, 81
have recently settled in the South"
Vermont" said l in amazement.
care there any more soldiers like you
in Vermont?''
eyes, plenty OF them, and, seriously,
don't be deceived by these stories
about the Yankees not fighting. The
north is full of just as good and better
soldiers than l am. They'll give you
all the fighting you can attend to-
'"That made ME rather weak in the
knees" said Captain Howells laugh
ing, "and I began to question as to
whether we had not bitten off more
than we could chew.
"While 1 thought in the beginning
that one southerner could whip ten
Yankees, before we got through [ was
willing to tackle one at a time, and I
didn't mind if he had been in the hos.
pital.
Captain Howells is so witty and
brilliant a tslker that what he says
loses half it's attractiveness in repeat
ing it. He tells these old war stories
in a manner inimitable, and it is
worth the price of admission to hear
him tell of the time he and q lot OF
other young roosters, who were con-
1euefitLe OIucerS, volunteered TO Sug-
gest some formal advice to Stonewall
Jackson. .@
Howell was made the spokesman,
and when he concluded his little speech,
shaking III his boots, and handed over
the "advice," jackson took the paper.
dropped it in the waste.basket, and
hardly moving a muscle Of his stern
face, said, good night, gentlemen.
When want some more advice will
send for you.
DR.. Todd, q one-armed confederate,
said the Union flag was all right and
satisfied him. Sometimes he thought
he would like to have two flags. 1t
was hard to give up the one they sac
ri6ced SO much for. He echoed what
Capt. Howells said about the south
erners being taught to believe they
could each whip ten Yankees. Hesaid:
."There was Rice. He declared that
the Yankees could be licked with pop
guns. After the surrender he was ask
ed about that remark and declared it.
to be true; but, said he, the doggoned
Yankees wouldn't fight that way
Then Jesse Robson, a one-legged
man, described his capture, single
handed, OF a company OF Union sol
diers at Cedar Creek, through ruse