Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-04-16
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
GEN'L'MAN JOE.

GEN'L'MAN JOE.
He warn't never like tho rest o. US,
Usrough an ropjckin' boys;
He never 'peared to take no stock ,
In the barracll Jokes an noise.
He war quiet sort o. chap,
With solumn kind o. smile;
Though he warn't nowisc sullen like;
Jist OF ponsive style.
We alters called him Gen'rman Joe,
He was so kinder proud;
An spoke as soft an smooth as silk.
An never quick an loud.
An we wuz orful proud o. him,
Bckase he war so fine,
An knowed sich mighty heaps o. things
That warn't In our line.
He jined down thar to Billiards. Mills,
Jist arter that thar night
We had thet little scrimmage thar;
Ye mind thet rattlin' fight
When Capn jerks wuz mustered out
An half the comp'ny, too,
An things in gin'ral round about
Wuz most exccedin' bluef
We warn't noways partic'ler like
Bout size an strength jist then;
we wuz talSin' oil whut come,
% Pervidin' they wuz men.
An brnvef Thar warn't no cooler NJ
Whut ever faced the foe,
Than thet same slender, quiet chap
What we called Genlman Joe. 81"
he took q mighty shine to Jack;
Perhaps ye member himi
He war pow'rful handsome man,
An toll an strong o. limb.
An he war gay an merry like,
An ready with joke;
His big black eyes sparklin' bright
With sunshine when he spoke.
An when we oil wuz settin' round
Tho campfire, blazin' bright
An Jack wuz tellin' funny tales,
An all wuz gay an light, .E.-
Then Genlma Joeiwu sure to be
A scttin' next to Jack,
A loolsin' up with shinin' eyes.
So big an soft an black.
An then he'd take his fiddle when
The stories wuz all done,
An play SO slow an soft an sweet
An we would ev'ry one
Set silent lool,n' in the fire d"
so dreamy like an still,
AS cf we'd hearn a angels voice
GA hoatin' down the hill.
An never yit wuz Home, Sweet Home"
So techin' like to hear, ?
Ez 'twuz them nights when Genl'man Joe
Setplayin' soft an clear. s
Where flicli'rin' light from the flamin' fire
Fell on his quiet face.
An Is u watchin' OF his hands
Amovin with sichgrace.
An when Jack kivered up his eyes
knowed II wuz TO hide
The tears thet would come swellin' up
a thinlsip' of his bride 4.-'
What he had married on the day
,Hc marched away TO war,
An when he henrn OF Home. Sweet Home,
His thoughts went roamin' far.
An 'twcnt on so till by and by
Wchgd scrimmage tough,
An though we got the best of it
Still il wuz hot enough.
An had not seen Gcnl'man Joe
Sepce early in the fight:
An likewise Jack had disappeared,
II seemed, from human sight,
An by and by seed Jack come,
A walkin' mighty slow,
An c. yin somethin' in his arms
What looked like Genl'rnan Joe
He brought him in an laid him down 49,
All kecrful like an still,
An seed his hams a shaliin' like
mans what had o chill.
Then Genl'man Joe ne 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 r'man Joe,
An sobbed; "My Joe! My bride"
An, boys, I knowcd then how 1t wuz,
About Jacks gentle pal:
He never warn't no man at all,
But iist Jacks leetle gal,
He'd married way up to the north,
Afore he went 10 war:
hn' she he'd followed after him,
An lay dyin' thar.
An'so she died. Weburied her
Tho sun wuz sinlSin' low.
when we fired the partin' volley DER
The grave o. Gen1man Joe.
An In . fight soon arter 'het
Poor Jack fell bv my side
With 'iedril bullet In his heart,
Ap' without sound he died.
We kerried him back to thet lone sp>
Whir lay HIS faithful bride.
An thar with tears We left old Jack
,A,slccpin' by her side,
But, boys, thar warn't no Drawer man
What ever faced the foe, 81
Then thct same gentle, quiet chap
What we called Gen'l'man Joe
- M. T.. Terrence, in y. Il. Magazine.