The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-05-17

Gin'rl, an they had Colonel an Ma
ior, an Leftenant-Colonel. an Cap'n,
an Fust and Secon' Leftenant, an
Sargent, an Corp'l. The 'sogers was
my pop, Libby Conlir'ght's pop, Joe
Hosslip an Pete Smiley. Toby Grindle
played the fife an Simon Filkins the
drum.
by rights, Peleg, my pop orter ben
the Giner'l, cause he had big cooked
hat an shadbelly coat with big brass
buttons on it, an sword. Them regi-
mentals had been handed down in the
family by somebody or other th't fit in
the Injun wars. But pop didn't git to
be Giner'l, an so he listed ez soger,
purpose to let folks know, b'gosh, th't
he had the makin's of Giner'l, an ca
c'lated to wear 'em. The res o. the com
p'ny mowt ha' ben Never Sleepin' SEN
tinels, but wen the fife an the drum
struck up on that great day in Sugar
swamp my pop were the only Powder
Burnin' Son o. Liberty 'mohgst 'em, fer
not another soger or Giner'l or any
thing else had n gun. To see my pop
marchin' in the ranks, wearin his
cooked hat and feather and his
reg'lar regimental coat an brass but
tons, with his ancestors sword strapped
round him, an his gun on his shoulder,
l tell ye, Peleg, it were sight th't
filed me so full o. the spirit O Bunker
Hill th't | riz up on the fence and hol-
Tered:
"'Make way fer liberty an my old
popr
"'That's the ticket, Siler hollered
pop Let EN- Shrek, b'gosh. Ginerl
II no Giner'ln
"Giner'l Hannibal Tidft was ridin' on
1ossback, with no sword but corn-cut-
ter an wearin' coonskin cap. He
didn't hev brass button nowhar' about
him, an my pop were jist a walkin' soger
an rugged out like a Giner'l. The
Colonel was a-hossback, too, an so was
all of 'em clean down to the Corp'l, who
carried big brass hoss pistol an wore a
white hat with squir'fs tail in it, an
red woostid comfter tied around his
waist. The arms O. the sogers, sides
my pops gun an sword was an eel spear,
carried by Lippy Conkright's pop, a
brush hook shouldered by Joe Hosslip,
an a two-tined pitchfork which Pete
Smiley handled. Pete's pop had been
secret lodge man O some kind down in
Jersey, an mongst his belongin's Pete
had found wife apron wit a lot o plas-
term tools pictured on it, long with
big wide-open eye.
"'That wideopen eye III fit the Never
Sleepin' Sentinels amazin',' says Pete.
San so he tied the apron on hisself,
an mex to my pop had the takin'est uni
form O. the hull comp'ny.
"It were a-cheerin sight to see the
Never Sleepin' Sentinels an Powder
Burnin Sons O. Liberty make their fust
start at trainin'. Ginerl Tidft slung
up his sword arm with the corn-cutter in
it, and hollered:
" 'For-r-e-e-e-d motchn
"The sogers started forrid, but the
Giner'l hollered:
'' Halt there, goi ding ye!
"The sogers halted, an the Giner'l
toll 'em th't they want to start till the
order got down to 'em regular. Then
he hollered: 'For.r-e-e-e-d-motch"
wunst more. The Colonel took it up,
an the Major took it up an hollered it
down to the Leftenant-Colonel. Lippy
Conkright's pop an Joe Hosslip thort
the order were reg'lar enough by this
time, an begun to march. Giner1 Tidfit
yelled to 'em to halt an fall back or he'd
hev 'em court-martialed fer goin' agin
the rules o. war. Then he started the
order all over ag'in, an it went to the
Colonel, an on to the Major, an from
him to the Colonel, an from
him to the Captain. who yelled it to the
Fust Leftenant, an the Fust Leftenant
passed it to the sargeant. Then my
pop an Toby Grindle, the fifer,
got it in their heads th't the time
was to hand fer movin. Toby struck
up tune, an him an pop begun to
march. They was halted by the Ginerl,
who said he had half notion to borry
my pops gun an shoot both him an
Toby with it fer mutiny in the camp.
Then he started the order to forrid
march ag'in. 1t got all down along the
line to the Corpl this time, an then ii
were regular fer the sogers to march but
not a consarned soger moved. The
rules of war had got 'em all mixed up.
The mex time the order kim down the
line from the Ginerl to the Corp'l things
was Strengthened out, an away the
Never Sleepin' Sentinels went. The
fife squeaked, the drum ratified, an
the people hollered. l can't begin to
tell ye, Peleg, the steps an the twist
in's them sogers WINS put through. They
sashay'd, they crossed over an back,
they swung their corners, they ally
manded left an they allymanded right.
Bout all th't the Ginerl an the rest of
'em on hossback had to do was to keep
their hosses from gittin' in the way O.
Joe Hosslip's brush hook, an Lippy
pops eel spear an Pete
pitchfork, fer either one or
t'other of 'em was allus a-bringin' up
the rear on the double quick, an
slingin their weepons around per-
miscus.
"Arter it were all over the comp'ny |
were halted in front o. the tavern, an
Giner'l Tidft perceeded to give 'em
partin' drill. Wen he hollered out to
EN- to ground arms my pop let his gun
come down pooty heavy, an she went |
of with q bang that shook the tavern
Giner'l Tidfit's hoss hadn't |
oeered much for the Never Sleepin' |
Sentinels, but wen 1t kim to the Pow
Sons part O. the sogerin'
he pertested. Wen the gun went off
be give an all-pervadin' snort an
sprung ten foot in the air. The Giner'l |
quit the saddle in hurry. He went up
n r,iaca an, thau lin, down in q ourya