Thomas County cat., 1890-08-21
"Lanky Jim Didn't Skeer."
By CAPTAIN JACK CRAWFORD.

~f X WAS Jim,
u Greener than a young
persimmon,
AEyes with sort O skeery
III glim,
-s,sseXA Bashfulier n most o
A6 T wimmen;
-1&Q& Jined US at the startin
&x out,
!:
Come in homespun to
HH6SA be mustered
~ @ % -NtSEA Just q long, green coun.
TSs S @ try lout,
y kRD HAS Sort o. shy an easy
H RN fustered.
- When he came to camp
Q Lord. but how us fellows jeered
. him,
II An the ereeny skunk away,
W Like as il our treatment skeered
wv him:
But the Colonel swore i'm in,
An in uniform we rigged him,
An with sort o. snee1in' grin,
On his brave appearance twig9ed m.
Was reckoned as the tough
OF our company, and used ter
Play some tricks eyceedin' rough
On the awk ard country rooster
But he never lost his grip
On his temper for a minute
Lei ehcu SUR give Ill sip
Like thar was no insult in 1t.
Thought we'd have q stack O. fun
When we TUX i'm out to drill i'm
Fer oil Sargent Burlington
Einted that he'd nearly kill i'm;
But the varmint Earned the moves
IL manner most surprisin
Seemed to slide along the grooves
u the manual as slick as plzen.
From the mornin' reveille
Cl'ar till taps, almost unceasin',
That poor devil heard from me
In q way beyond all reason.
Never let the least chance pass
Fur to aggervate the feller,
But the green, clod-hoppin ass
Tux it all without beller.
When at last the orders come
Fur our regiments advancin'
Squeal O. fife and roll o. drum
Sot each soldiers heart dancin'
Of We went towards the South
On the steam-cars jest a ktin,'
Every feller with his mouth
DOM lots O. future fightin'.
Wal, few days travel found
Our big regiment standin'
On the comm battle ground
Known to fame as Pittsburgh Landin'.
We was placed in the advance,
Though we'd niver yit smelt powder;
But that very circumstance
Made us howl fur fight the louder.
When the shells and bullets come
Round our dodgin' heads hyin'
And we saw the faces dumb
OF the mangled dead and dyin',
All the fun o. soldier1n'
Left us in holy minute,
An we very plainly seen
The reality that's in it.
Of'entimes we'd said W at fun
1t d be in time o. battle,
Fur to see oil Lanky run
When the guns began to rattle;
But want to state right here,
To remark it 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 steady, like he led
Men thro' dozens o sich muses..
Held his ground in bulldog way,
Caught the Ginerals attention,
An on dress parade next day
Special orders give i'm mention.
Said as how fur bravery
Which the Gineral had noted,
And fur gallant conduct, he
To a Sargent was promoted.
Riz right over us as thought
Mighty little o. oil Lanky.
An of course some on US got
Purity tolerable cranky.
Thought it was a tarnal shame
That the Gineral d shove us
To the rear, an put his name
In authority above us.
Twas hot, and you kin bet
That run him moro n l used ter;
But my comrades seemed to get
Sort O. social with the rooster.
Wal, 1 hain't much more to say.
'Cept that when the war was ended
An we got back home one day,
And q big reception tended,
No one seemed to notice me
He'd the eyes Of all beholders;
Twas Private Tom McGee-
Jim had eagles on his shoulders.