The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-07-17
THE OLD SETTLER.
Peleg Asks a Few Questions and
Starts Him Talking.
He Enlightens His Grandson on Matters
Military and Recalls the Particu.
lars of an Old-Time Train
Ing Day.

mo, sonny" replied Peleg's grand
father; Il never done no sogerin' ez I
knows on, but 1 kim nigh to bein' a
soger wunst"
aHow was that, gran'pop?" asked
Peleg,
''P2iull, Peleg, you've hearn tell, o.
course, o the war 'twixt ns people up
North here an the folks th't riz up agin
US down South, replied the old settler.
ssFore the war were over our side run
leetle short O sogers, owin' to folks
bein' busy a-gittin' in their buckwhit
an a-cuttin' o their hoop poles an a.
chcppin' ont their railroad ties, ct
eetery, ct cetery. The conscience were
tat a lot o US patriots in Sugar swamp
got notice from the Government th't we
needn't be Altered thet we wouldn't
hev chance TO sackerfce our
sells on the altar of our kentry,
cause special invites was goin' ter
be sont to setch of US ez was lucky
enough to have our names drawed outen
list th't were gointer be made O the
able-bodied citizens O. the deestric' wat
want more'n forty-five year old. Th'
we're a big fallin' off in the healthiness
o the deestric' right away arter that
notice were received. Consumption,
reomytiz, agur, hard O. hearin', missin'
front teeth, plumbago in the back, nigh.
sightedness an giner'l breakin' up O.
the constitution took holt o. the dees-
trlc' wuss'n woodtick to a houn's nose.
EY'ry body was ailin' amazin' bad, an
was took suddenly helpless with the
roomytiz myself, an the agony-Jee-
Hhizz. Peleg! how the agony did swoop
down on me! Iyooped with it like an
0l-fashioned dinner-horn. TIL want
an able-bodied man under fifty year old
IN the hull deestric', an took on awful.
cause | thort | wouldn't git on the list
o them th't was to STAN a chance o.
bein' invited to go an bleed an
die fer their kentry. But some
how or other l did git on the list.
An so did Jehiel Covercorn, though he
had been took with plumbago in the
back 50 bad th't he were doubled up like
ship knee. An Hiram Spudley got
on the list, too, though he were shakin'
with the agur so that it were all he KID
do to gitEis glass to his mouth without
epIllin' the rum, an Hiram had to shake
pooty bad wen he done that. Jehiel
we're down first on the list, then come
me, then come Hiram. Iwere picturin'
g myself, Peleg, how I'd go down inter
Nirglnny with my trusty OF b'ar-killin'
gun, an march to glory or the grave,
ogosh in spite o the agony an the
soomytiz, wen wat sad misfortun' do
oat grab me an spile the pictur'! The
last we're draw'd. Jehiel Covercorn got
IN invite to go an do some marchin' on
70 glory, an so did Hiram Spudley, but |
we're left out in the cold. went to bed
seepin' scaldin' tears o. Disappointment,
leleg, but wen got up the mex morn
y the roomytiz had took wings and
new away, ez Dominic Van Slocum
Io@t put 1t, an the azmy had un-
slutcned my wizzen, an were breathin'
g soft an mild ez May mornin'. So
mats the way kim nigh to bein'
sOger wunst, Peleg. Would you like to
ae asoger, sonny?"
You bet | would, gran'pop," said
feieg. sand that's what I'm going to
oe too Wait till you see me on a skit-
Asn horse, with gold tassels iingling
on NY shoulders, and a red sash tied
around me, and a cooked hat with a
aeather in it longer than our old
t0Ossers tail. I'll have nv picture
0ok with my horse rearing up on his
ana teet and mis- nose up in the air,
~ lne pointing my sword up toward
ae SKY Why do soldier horses always
s'aaa up on their hind feet, with their
ae4as up SO high, like we always see
~ IN pictures, gran'pop?"
mat so they kin sniff the battle
.sOn aiar off all the quicker, sonny, an
eve the men th't's ridin' 'em a chance
y go on in t'other direction fore it's too
.a'e' replied the old settler. 'sBut yer
,a1ong' Peleg, in thinkin th't them fell
~ ~ on hossback is sogers. They hain't
sssefs' They'm Giner'ls an Colonels an
s.s30fs. Sogers don't hef to ride hoss-
y ssoA q rlskin' their lives by bein' throwd
sA.ss, A : run away with. Sogers walks, an
nv, ssa sneF nuthin to do but carry a twenty
s. ssaa gun, with a nice shinin' bagonet
=. sss0A @ 1t, an with only few blankets
~ 8 Alsties an tin cups strapped to their
s-sAs 70 keep 'em balanced good, SOS
M kln travel easier. Them chaps on
,sssosck ~ has to sleep nights in hot tents,
ss sne soger can march up an down |
sOns OF 'em all night, gittin' tbs
ISL = ar, an seein' the stars shine, an
s,os sas'a the owls sing, an inj'yin' natur' |
II 49, . me ground up. It's the Giner'ls
s me Colonels and the Majors th't |
~ : aOssbaek, Peleg. not the soger.
na 81 I speakin' O. sogers, sonny, minds
sw.s sne time | were boy in Sugar
fIp an O the company O. sogers
aese.y make freedom Shrek in that
gsss. 1t were called the Never
Sogs =. oentinels and Powder Burnin'
sioa.n Liberty. l member the fust
M,r.. ealnin' day th't them Powder
isrtAa. s.s.a sons turned out-school let out
ia 49, 49,, 0ay, the saw-mill shut down,
mis- quit work an the store put
.Iass, shutters Tn want an eddvca-
nOtia. Industrial or commercial insti-
Re ~ = the hull deestric' open cent
Hannibal Tidbit were the
= laey had Colonel an a Ma.