The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1892-01-13

had just eaten supper and was en-
joying smclSe with my only lieutenant,
Walter Arnold, when mounted troop.
er rode up to the fire, cooked pistol in
his right hand and gaunt old man,
with leathery cheeks and butternut
clothes, marching before him.
"Came into our lines, SIR" said the
trooper, saluting with the hand that
hel2 thu pistol, "and says he wants to
see the officer in command"
This man was fair type of hundreds
of Union refugees had seen in the early
part of the war. He was as straight as
an Indian and there was much of the
aborigine in his complexion and i'm
passive bearing.
The soldier turned and rode away,
and before could frame question to
put to the prisoner, he advanced boldly
to the fire, and in the peculiar accent of
the mountain men in that region he
said:
Hits fine ev'nin', Kernil."
sit might be worse" ! replied.
With inimitable GOODNESS, the old
man took bite from plug of tobacco,
then, sitting down on his launches be-,
side me, he asked:
BE you the head one har?"
ssI am
"Hear from Kaintuok?'
eyes"
"a gwine on ter help weuns' an
Meester Burnside down Knoxville way?''
Yes
"Wa'ai, he needs all the help he kin
git"
81 suppose So"
"Ya-as, indeedy. But say, Kernil."
What is it?' asked, my amazement
at the old mans GOODNESS and loquacity
increasing every moment.
''Thar's right smart deenger tween
har an Knoxville"
THAT isn't news said.
81 reckon not, but hits heap sight
wnss'n you'uns think fob. Wy, thar's
Chenowith's men. an Wheeler's men,
an Brent's Partisan Rangers iist q
swammin' har bouts"
Feeling that 1t was my place to do the
questioning, / checked him and asked;
Ibid you say Brent's Partisan
Rangers are near HEREOF
"Ya-as, Kernil, been har nigh onter
goin' two MONTHS" he said, promptly,
adding, after he had sent stream OF
saliva into the fire: "An' or-ni-ar-ier
lot o. hounds ! amt never seed.
us Captain Brent with them?n
mo, he left"
ssDid you ever see him?n
ysi3eC your life did,
when did you see him last?"
Before answering this question the
old man shut one eye, cooked the other
contemplatively up at the sky, and be-
gan stroking the gray tuft of hair on his
chin with both hands. At length he
said: 81 remember hit was nigh onter
bout the middle o. last month. He was
over near my place when he started off
alone fob KaintuclS. I've heard his
men say OF how hit was all coz o. q wom-
an, for SIGH / SEE noah fool he. But /
wish they'd all clared out bout the same
time"
This certainly confirmed Frank
Brent's story. Concealing the pleasure
the old mans words gave me, deter
mined to take him in hand seriously.
what is your name?'' asked.
George McKee," he answered,
promptly.
ION which side do you stand?"
"0n the side o. the Guv'ment an Aist
Tennessee.
been in the army?"
"Ya-as, kinder off an on like; but
can't go too far away from the ole wom-
an; howsomdeyer got two boys fight
in fob the Guv'ment. Did have three,
but one got shot down Shiloh way long
with Meester Neelson."
What commands are your sons with?"
''One's in the Second Aist Tennes-
see Cavalry, but ulster be Kee-ahtah's
critter regiment foah he got to be gin'ral,
an the other--that's Mike, he's long