Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-02-18
Il had foot, or rather l had one foot


81 had o good deal of time to think
II over and ! came to the conclusion
] was the blamedest fool in the corps.
They wanted me to go home They
wanted me to take discharge. I
wouldn't do IT, couldn't afford TO-,
you see, so as began TO get about
again the colonel took pity on me and
put in me in the quartermastcr's de-
partment, and then when | was spry
enough to look after things better he
had me detailed to look after his horse
and keep things in order in his tent,
and in the course of the next year or
two got to see good deal of fighting,
even If ! was minus foot.
81 didn't make pretty picture rid
ing q horse, but rode horse good
deal The boys laughed at me when
ever they saw me. They couldn't get
used to the foot, that wasn't there, you
know. They couldn't get used to that
stump, They said fellow that had
only one foot ought not to ride horse.
But there was time when the boys
cheered me, and you may know when
they cheered wooden-legged man on
horseback that there was something to
cheer for II was this way: The regi-
ment was having hot time and about
half the boys were down and the
colonel had lost his horse and
was on foot and swearing mad
about it, when concluded I'd take
him another horse. jumped on with
out thinking much about style, you
know, and | started into that hornets
nest and the devil was to pay general
ly. | had to fight for the horse; had
to fight to get to the colonel but got
there. jumped off and he got on and
the boys rallied round him like flock
of partridges and we all got out Not
much style about 1t, you see, but the
boys cheered me.
THE thing has been great bother
to me ever since the war. There are
great many things that could have
done we'll If had had two legs or two
feet that couldn't do with only one
foot, People don't like to have you
stamping around and making a noise.
1t is very troublesome, they say, for
man with n stump foot to go upstairs
and down, and fellow may try as
hard as he pleases to step easy and he
can't 1t is stump, stump, stump,
stump, and people don't like it. 1t
isn't business, you know, so haven't
had any great success in life, but !
have got along better than if had
touched live wire.
"Then have the cussedest dreams
you ever heard Of Cannon balls bang
at lac from every direction, bounce over
me or scoot under the bed; knock off
leg or an arm, and keep me busy dodg-
ing, and occasionally big forty pound
err knocks me out of bed and wake up
on the floor. But this isn't as bad as the
jim-jams
THE great trouble came when
went home. wouldn't go back to the
old neighborhood. was very sensi-
tive on the question of losing that foot.
came west, and for good many years
had pretty good luck. OF course, am
down now, but I'll be up again-that
is to say If don't get the grippe. ! am
not as strong as was and am not as
clipper as bird, but I'm none of your
grumblers. a..
"Whyadon'tyou apply for a pension?"
asked the colonel.
Great Scott, ask for pension on
that foot; ask my captain to testify as
to how lost it; ask the boys to tell the
story of what they saw that morning?
Wouldn't do it for all the money Jay
Gould ever had. No sir, no pension for
! me. I've told lies about that foot for
twenty five years. The general I'M
preston is that lost it in some sneak
ing, undetermined way, and that don't
care to talk about il, You see If had
stood still and let that blamed cannon
ball strike me it would have been all
right But didn't do tl.at. ! met the
, thing half way ! was like the monkey
that put his tail in the swapping turtle
month. | did fool thing, and got III y
reward in about half a second"
Didn't you ever have trouble with
the lame leg? Don't you have trouble
now?" sitce
always have had, always will have.
! 1t gives me enough trouble to keep me
. from being lonesome. Every once in
. awhile there is sharp pain in the big
, toe that isn't there, you know. Now,
, what in the nation can fellow do with
big toe that he can't get at, but here
4 comes the lady and will now put in
2 the coal" And as the colonel turned
4 away the one-footed man stood straight
? and at attention and gave the salute
< The colonel returned the salute, took
G in at glance the number of the house
] and the lady who had stopped to talk
n to his new acquaintance and passed