The National tribune., 1894-01-18
for TIE NATIONAL TRrsUEK.
IKE SIMMONS.

Written for TIE NATIONAL TRTsUsE
IKE SIMMONS.
BY C. II. DOING, 73D IND, WASHINGTON, D. C.
wonder If Ike Simmons is still on top OF ground,
And If he's well aud hearty. aud his constitutions
sound
For IFS more than eight aud twenty years since
last gripped his hand
Ihe day We parted company down there in
Dixie's land.
It's the queerest thing in nature how a triie will
Some half.forgotten memory. yet It may be, after
all,
That the frosts Of many Winters have only half
froze through
Tie mental apparatus that makes old times seem
new.
For I've just now been reminded, in the oddesi
SORT of way,
OF thing tina. happened long ago in a country far
away;
And that's how 1t comes I'm thinking at this
moment ss am,
OF my old friend Isaac Simmons, and that night
at Stewards Dam.
We were comrades in the Army of the Cumber-
land, you see,
Belonged to tine same regiment 10 fact, same conf
paHy;
Marched together. messed together, slept to-
gelher. when could,
And anything that suited me, Ike Simmons
thought was good.
And what was good enough for Ike. was good
enough for me,
And what we foraged round and got was about
enough for three;
Best hearted fellow ever lived, brimfui Of lively
jokes,
Didn't seem to care nickel for himself, If other
folks
We're comfortable and happy. and he'd stay up
half the night
To nurse a comrade that was sick and make him
feel all right.
Coolest fellow In a skirmish or charge you ever
Seemed as happy In q battle as q grounding In q
tbaw;
Always ready for his duty. never heard him
growl or kick.
If we had to make q dozen miles at double
quick;
Tie crack shot of tho regiment, with rife always
clean
In Short better soldier no army ever seen.
One night late in December of eighteen sixty-two.
Before the march which brought to Stone
River was quite through,
Ike and on picket at @ place called
Stewards Dam,
With "a squad of other fellows In charge of Cor.
poral Lamb
Twas the darkest night of any. Of those dark
days of the war;
And the shadow Of the eedars made the spot as
black tar.
And the narrow channel of Stewards
rocky creek,
tba
them with stick.
And I'll make affidavit that what say is right,
That I've been in some tight places. before and
since that night,
And l fought in many battles while worked for
Uncle Sam,
But never was more shaky than that night at
Stewards Dam.
The guard changed at midnight. when Ike
Simmons's trick came on,
And everything quiet till about the hour of
one,
When arustIe in the bushes, to the left of where
lac stood,
Brought his rifle to his shoulder as quick rs
lightning could.
And the challenge he sent flying through the
cypress and the pine
Like arrow pierced the darkness, "Halti and
give the coantersign."
Dead silence for moment. then swift footsteps
glided on. ,-,,..- -.
As If in sheer defiance of the pickets pointed gun;
And we heard Ike Simmons mutler. as each man
held his breath,
"As sure as Pm sinner you're rushing on to
DEATH"
But second. ere his finger pressed the trigger
of his gum
The faint cry of an infant changed tragedy to
fun. -- at- ta.
Twas a woman and her baby, who wanted to get
through
Our lines to where her husband was among the
boys in blue;
And Simmons stood dumfounded with gun glued
to his cheek,
As if by ghosts surrounded. too much surprised
to speak.
And I'll venture the prediction, IL he's still on top
of ground
Tho he may be old and feeble, yet with memory
good aud sound,
He'll tell you that In all the time he fought for
Uncle Sam,
He never was so ratified as that night at
Stewards Dam.