Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-16
sHERMAN's HUMOROUS SIDE.
The Old Soldier Always Loved Joke or {
Good Story.

A
telling anecdotes illustrative Of that wonderful
personality that has made so deep an impress
upon American history during the third Of a
century past. It was in the presence Of his old
army friends, when the civilian world was shut
out, that he was at his best, and the flow of his
spirits ran unchecked and joke and story ran
into each other, sometimes ut the expense of
his neighbor and often at the expense of
himself No conceit gave him more amuse-
ment than that his friend Gen. Howard was a
cornwall spirit, given to the bowl and kindred
| pursuits; whereas the hero of the one arm is
the most temperate of men. It was this fact
that gave point to the joke, and Sherman was
never more happy than when he could corner
Howard at one of their little Loyal Legion din
ners and lecture him upon the errors of his
ways.
| Perhaps Sherman never forgot great prac-
| teal joke which Howard unconsciously played
upon him back in the days when the Union
| army was resting upon its arms at Goldsbor-
ouch. sherman paid visit to Howard tent
where neither wine nor anything more invigor-
! atng than cold water was kept As luck would
| have it, DIR. John Moore. the medical director,
dropped into Towards tent Here WIS n man
sherman could depend upon in an emergency
l Ike this
sherman gave Moore wink when Towards
| back was turned and said: doctor, have you q
seidiitz powder in your quarters? don't feel
just right and l know one would do me good.
Moore had not supplemented a liberal college
education by several years in the army In VAIN
He was equal to any drug clerk Of New York in
| his knowledge of the meaning of q wink.
"A seidlitz powder. gencraR Certainly! Come
right over to my quarters and can fix you out
Immediately"
Gen. Howard sprang to his feet. "That won't
be necessary. DOCTOR" said he. II have plenty
of powders here and good ones, too. will get
tine general one."
Sherman had little desire and less need for a
| seidlitz just then, and he followed Howard to
his feet. ''Neyer mind" said he, II can get
along very we'll without it..
No trouble at all" Howard answered, as he
began 20 get the powder and the glasses ready.
sherman turned to Moore for relief, but that
gentleman was busy in examining the landscape
aid to keep his face straight. When that
was accomplished he turned about and grayely
| said: by the way, general, don't believe l
have one about the promises and You had better
| take the one Howard has prepared" Moore was
something of Joker himself aud knew a Joke
when he saw one.
sherman was a soldier to the backbone and
would not retreat III the face of an enemy.
When Howard came up with the glasses he
bravely took them and swallowed the foaming
stuff. But he never again complained OF need
ing medicine when in Towards tent.
a joke good, but of different character.
was that almost unconsciously perpetrated on
Sherman by an Indian chief. Out at Fort Bay
ard there lay for long time an old cannon. of
no use to any one. but which mad greatly taken
the fancy of an old Apache chief. lie daily
asked the commander for it, but was put off
with the excuse that it belonged to the govern
ment and could not be given away. One day
Gen. Sherman arrived at the fort and the re-
quest of the chief was referred tc him. He ex-
| amined the cannon. saw that it worthless.
and told the Indian he might have it. Then,
putting on n grave air, he said to the chief: Il
am afraid you want that gun that you can
turn it on my soldiers and kill them"
.Umphl no" was the unexpected reply.
Cannon kill cowboys. Kill soldiers with
club"
Gen. Hickenlooper of Ohio tells story Illus
trating Sherman's dry wit, rather at the ex-
pense of Gen. Corse. In the fight at Altoona a
rifle ball took Corse alongside the head. making
q slight wound that, at the time. was thought to
be great deal more dangerous than it really
was. When the word reached Sherman, 1t
had been greatly maSnlfed, and he were in
formed that Corses car and cheek was gone,
but that he would still hold his position and
fight it out.
Meanwhile Corse had tied up his head and
gone on with the business he had been sent
there to do As soon as possible Sherman hur-
ried over, full of anxiety as to the amount Of
damage done his officer. Nothing would do
but that the bandage must come of, 30 that lie
might judge of the damagc himself. The sur
geon carefully took off the cloths and revealed
a slight cash across the face and hole through
the ear. Sherman looked for q moment and
then dryly said: why, Corse, they came ID
near missing You, didn't they!"
Many are the stories told Of that march to
the sea, and occasionally the general would tell
one himself. Here is one of his own narration:
On one occasion he had halted for rest Oil the
piazza of a house by the roadside, when it
came into the mind Of an old confederate who
was present that he nigh. pick up a bit OF valu
able information by little careful quiZzing.
He knew by Shermaus dress that he was
officer, but had no suspicion as to his tank.
When he beard staff officer use the title of
general he turned to Sherman in surprise
and said: Are you a general!
''Yes. sir, was the response.
what is your manner!
SHERMAN"
sherman? You don't mean Gen. Sherman?
That's who mean"
show many men have you got?''
Oh over a Million.
''Well, general, there's just one question I'd
like 70 ask, if you have no objections"
| .'Go ahead"
Where are youns going to go when you go
/ away from here?"
''Well. that's pretty stiff question to ask an
| entire stranger uahder these circumstances, but
if you will give me your word to keep it secret
1 don't mind telling you"
.! will keep it secreti don't have no fear Of
| me-"
But there is great risk, you know. What il
I should tell you my plans, and they should get
| over to the enemy"
Il tell You there is no fear of me-"
''You are quite sure can trust YOUR
''ks your own brother"
The general slowly climbed into his saddle
| and leaned over to the expectant confederate,
who was all eyes and ears for the precious ill.,
formation. Il will tell you where am going.
am going-just where please" And he did
and there was not enough power in the south to
stop him.
Sherman never forgot that little drummer
| boy who came to him in the hot fight at the
rear Of Vicksburg. and when II came in his
power he had the youngster appointed to the
Naval Academy at Annapolis. The troops were
| in the heat Of the engagement, when sherman
heard shrill, childish voice calling out to him
| that one of the regiments was out Of ammuni-
| ton, and that the men would have to abandon
their position unless he sent to their relief He
| looked down, and there by the side of his horse
was a mite OF boy, with the blood running
| from a wound in his leg.
IAN right, my boy" said the general, 'Tll
send them all they need, but as you seem to be
badly hurt you had better go and find a sur
| geoh ard let him fS you up"
| The boy saluted and tarted to the rear,
| while Sherman prepared to give the required
| order for the needed ammunition. But he
| once more heard the piping voice shouting
back at him: General, caliber fffty-eight
Caliber fifty-eight." CHANGING back, he saw the
little fellow, all unconscious Of his wound rum
ming again toward him to tell of the character
| OF the ammunition needed, Us another size
would have been Of no Use, and left the men
| as badly of as before. Sherman never could