Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1891-09-16
S1irginia 9rse gress.
W.W.B. GALLAHER, Editor.
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Jefferson County, TYest Va.
September 10, 1891.
The story of the Sabre.
II. quad in Neto York World.
nD;I ,-nn honr thnf 2O

"Did you hear that?"
| listened, and after moment it came
again-some one on the street sounding
the call of "Boots and Saddles" on a bu-
gle. 1t wasn't well done, but it had
something of the old familiar ring-some-
thing to make the blood leap faster.
Il couldn't help but rattle about, " said
the sabre, as the notes died away. cts
a quarter of century since I've heard
those notes, and yet it all comes back to
me in a flash. l hear the commands
Prepare to mount ? Mount and once
more l am jangling alongside of a troop
er's leg"
"Do you remember when got you ?"
| asked
"Of course I do. Twas hanging in the
kitchen of a farmers house at Brandy
Station, Va, and you bought me for two
silver dollars. That was so soon after
the war that | hadn't time to rust. You
can't find many &C. S. A. belt-plates
around these days, reckon ?"
"They are very scarce. What your
story ?"
"That of thousand other sabres.-
You've heard of Stuart, the Chevalier, as
our boys used to call him? Well, | had
the honor to make that famous ride
around McClellan's army with him.
This was my first active service. | be-
longed to a captain, as you can see, and
he knew how to handle me well. You
remember when Stuart was killed? Well,
on that day my captain was beset by
three troopers at once, but we won vic
tory. The very first down-stroke he
made cut one of those common sabres
slick in halves, and at his first point |
was driven through a troopers body
Ugh Makes me shiver to think of it
Poor Stuart l saw strong men weep like
children that day when they heard of his
fatal wounding. Ever up the Shenan-
doah Valley" ?"
eyes"
,'Well, after time my captain was
transferred over there, and | was carried
up and down until l knew every crook
and turn of the highways. My captain
was killed over there in a skirmish, and
second lieutenant of cavalry somehow got
hold of me. This was promotion back
wards. but soon found out that he had
strength and skill. 1t wasn't over three
month, though, before he was also killed,
and from then on l had dozen owners.
1 was in the cavalry, infantry, and arril-
lery by turns, and l always got around in
time for the big fights. You've heard Of
Fitzhugh Lee?"
"Yes."
"And Wade Hampton
"Of course"
"Well, at different times I served un-
der both. The night General Jackson
was killed at Charlottesville l wasn't
quarter of a mile away. Wasn't that a
terrible blow to US They kept the news
from US as long as they could ; but when
it became known some men looked white
and scared, and others hid their faces and
wept. You were at Gettysburg of course?
Rather hot work there, eh ? When Gus
ter drove at US, thinking to get hold of
our wagon train, | had the honor of CIV
ing one of you 'uns' a slash across the
face which made him a homely man for
the rest of his life. You men under Gus
ter followed US over the mountains
Lands but didn't it rain as Lee began
to fall back We turned on you two or
three times and left the road foil Of dead !;