Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-05-12
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
cEN'L'MAA JOE.

GEN'L'MAH JOE.
He warn't never IKE me rest o Us,
UsrOugh az roliickin' bows,
He never 'peared 10 take no stick
In the barrack j,kes an noise
he var quiet sOrg o. chap.
With solurn kind o. smile.
Though ne warE'r noxise sullen Hkoi
Jist Of a pensiTe style
We alters called hin GenI man Joe,
He was 30 kinder proud.
An spoke as soft an smooth as silk.
An never quick an loud
An We wuz orful proud o him,
BekaSe ne war so fine,
An knowed sieh mighty heaps o. things
That warn't IN our line.
he jined down thar 10 Billiards. Mills,
Jist arter that thar night
We had ihet little scrimmage thar;
lie mind tibet rattlin fight
When Cap'n jerks wuz mustered OUT
An half the comply, too,
An things in gin'ral round about
Wuz most exceedin' blue:
We warn't nOway5 particler ike
Bout size an strength iist then;
We wuz takin all whut come,
Pervidin' they wuz men
An brayef Thar warn't no cooler man
Whut ever faced the foe.
Than tibet same slender, quiet chap
What We called Gen1'man Joe.
He took mighty shine to Jack;
Perhaps ye member HIM.
He war a pow 'rful han some man,
An tall an strong O. limb.
An he war gay an merry like,
An ready with Joke;
His big black eyes a sparklin' bright
With sunshine when he spoke.
An when we all wuz settin' round
The campfire, blazin' bright
An Jack wuz tellin' funny tales,
An all wuz gay an light,
Then Gen'lman Joe wuz sure 70 be
A settin' next TO Jack,
A lookin up with shinin eyes,
So big an soft an Hack.
An then he'd take his fiddic when
The stories wuz all done,
An play so slow an soft an sweet,
An we would ev'ry one
Set silent lool4in' in the fire
So dreamy like an still.
As ef we'd hearn a angels voice
A floatin' down the hill.
An never yit wuz Home, Sweet Home"
So techin' like to hear,
EZ 'twuZ them nights when Gen1'man Joe
Setpayin' soft an clear,
Where fiick'rin' light from the tlamin fire
Fell on his quiet face,
An us a watchin' Of his hands
A movin with sich grace.
An when Jack kivered up his eyes
l knowed 1t wuz to hide
The tears tibet would come swellin' up
A thinkin Of his bride
What he had married on the day
He marched away 70 war,
An when he hearn OF Home, Sweet Home,
His thoughts went roamin' far.
An 'twent on so till by and by
Wehad scrimmage tough,
An though we got the best Of It
Still it wuz hot enough.
An had not seen Gen'lman Joe
Sence early in the fight:
An likewise Jack had disappeared,
1t seemed, from human sight
An by and by seed Jack come,
A walkin' mighty slow.
All tdfEylu SOI0Etuln III MS arms
What looked like GenIlnan Joe
He brought him in an laid him down
All keerful like an still,
An I seed his hans shakin' like
mans what had chill.
Then Gen'lman Joe he raised his arms
All feeble like an slow.
An put it gently round Jacks neck,
An whispered soft an low.
An Jack dropped down like he'd been shot
An clasped his hans an cried,
An kissed the lips Of Gen Imam Joe,
An sobbed: My Joe My bride,"
An. boys lInowed then how it wuz,
About Jacks gentle pal.
He never warnt no man at all,
But jist Jacks leetle gal,
He'd married way up TO the north,
Afore he went to war;
An She he'd followed after him,
An lay dyin' thar.
An so she died. We buried her
The sun wuz siukin low,
When we fired the partin volley DER
The grave O. GenTman Joe.
An in fight soon arter tibet
Poor Jack fell by my side
With fedril bullet in his heart,
An without a sound he died.
We kerried him back to tibet lone spot
Nhar lay his faithful bride,
An thar with tears we left old Jack
A sleepin' by her side,
But. boys, thar warn't no drawer man
What ever faced the foe,
Then thet same gentle, quiet chap
What we called Genl'man Joe
M. E. Terrence, in n. f. Magazine