The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1890-05-15
CAMPFIRE STORIES.
.LANKY jim DIDN'T 5KeER,"

@fAMI;-I tI\E OlONlEN
b. a. -
;LANKY jim DIDN'T GREER"
Long an iunky, sich was Jim>
Grcener tina a young pcrsimmoa,
Eyes with sort O. skeery glim,
Bushfuller n mosto wimmcn;
lined us at the startin' out,
Come In homespun to be mustered
: lust q long, green country lout,
Sort o. shy, an easy Mustered.
When he come to camp that day,
LordI but how us fellers jeered IN
An the groony skunk away,
Like as II our treatment slSeered i'm
But the Colonel swore i'm in,
An in uniform We r'gged i'm,
An with n sort o. sneerin' grin
On his bravo appearance twigged lin.
1 was reckoned rs the tough
or our company, an used ter
Play some tricks eXceedin' rougl.
On the pwk'ard country rooster;
But he neverlost his grip
On his temper fur q minute
Let each slur l give i'm slip
Like thar was no insult In IT.
Thought we'd have n stack o fun
Wen we TUX i'm out to drill i'm,
Fur oil Sargent Burlington
Hintcd TINT he'd nearly kill I'm;
But the varmint Harmed the moves
In u manner most surprIsin'-
Seemed TO slide along the grooves
o h manual as slick rs pizen.
From the mornln' reveillo
Crur TIL taps, almost %unceasin',
That poor devil heard from me
In a way beyond all reason,
Never let the least chance pass
Fur TO nggcrvate the Teller,
But the green. ~clod-hoppin' ass
Tux 1t all without a heller.
When at last the orders come
Fur our regiments advancin',
Sgueal o. fife an roll o. drum
Sot each soldiers heart n dancin'.
ON We went towards the South
On the stcnm.cars jest n kitin',
Every Teller with his mouth
Dom lots o future fightin'.
Wal, q few days travel found
Our big regiment a standin'
IN the comm battle-ground
Known to fame as Pittsburgh Landin'.
We was placed in the advance,
Though we'd never yit smelt powder,
But that very circumstance
Made us howl fur fight the ouder.
Wen the shells and bullets come
Round our dodgin' heads a-f1yin',
An we saw the faces dumb
or the mangled dead an dyin',
All the fun o'soldierin'
Left us In n holy minute,
An we very plainly seen
The reality that's in it.
Ofentimes we'd said wat fun
1t d be in n time o. battle,
Fur to see OIL Lanky run
Wen the guns begin to rattle;
But wartt TO state right here,
To remark 1t incidental,
That the feller didn't skeer
Worth q cussed continental.
Skeer? Not much-he was ahead
Every time we charged the cusses,
Cool an siiddy. like he'd led
Men through dozens o. sich muses..
Held his ground in bulldog way,
Caught the Gineral' attention,
An on dress parade mex day
Special orders give m mention.
Said as how fur bravery
Which the Gineral had noted,
An fur gallant conduct, he
To a Sargent was promoted.
Riz right over us ms thought
Mighty little OF OIL Lanky,
An, OF course, some of us got
Purity tolernblr cranky.
Thought 1t was n 'tarnal shame
That the Glneral d shove us
To the rear, IN put Ms name
In authority above us.
was hot, and you kin bet
That ] run i'm more'n fused ter,
But my comrades seemed to get
Sort O social with the rooster.
Wal, Ihnin't much more to say,
'Cept that when The var was ended,
An we got back home one day,
An a big reception tended,
- one seemed to notice me-
He'd the eyes OF all beholders;
was was Private Tom MCGEE
Jim had eagles on his shoulders.
Captain Jack Crawford, in National Tribu