The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-11-20
REPORTED HIM TO SHERMAN.
It Was Rather Late, but tho Union Gene
 ral Was ficased.

~ " H1 AMtneF A8Ies UuL Nuo SuiOn sCut-
 ral Was fioased.
 From the Buffalo Express.l
 When the national convention of law yers met in the west some years ago. Mir. Du Bignon was sent to represent Georgia, his native state. Being one of the rising young men of his region. he was also invited to respond to the toast. 'The Young Manhood of the South." at the large banquet to be given.
 The young lawyer prepared his re- ply with care, feeling he had done his best, which was all the bar could ex- pect of him. His toast was the tenth in line, and the toastmaster had pro- ounced in distinct tones the title of the toast. and added that Mir Fleming Du Blgnon, of Georgia, would reply.
 The lawyer rose slowly to his feet, glancing as he did 50 down the long double line of expectant, polite. up- turned faces smiling at him, encoura- ging him to proceed.
 His piece was all clearly In mind; he remembered every planned gesture, every turn and point" he proposed to make.
 Gentlemen of the bar," he began. IT"
 General sherman" delightedly broke in the toastmaster and "Sher- man." "Shermanw was echoed all down the table. which saw dozens of men stand to their feet to greet the great soldier-lawyer as he entered the room.
 General Sherman promised to attend this convention, but had been detained | by other engagements until this late hour, and his advent was hailed with a burst of welcome as he advanced down to his vacant chair. Every one was shaking hands with him, ,crea- | ting quite a hubbub.
 When 1t finally subsided the toast master turned again to the young Georgian and said:
 twill MT. Du Bignon now proceed with the toast. ''The Young Manhood of the South?'"
 The Georgian sat for a instant dazed. He was young, and the excitement breaking into his speech had "fioored" l him. ,~.,
 What was he going to do? What was he going to say? Every line of his prepared speech had left him, every bit of his plan of thought had deserted him. To stand there a confirmed dull ard; to be unable to respond to the toast that involved all his patriotism, when that speech was intended to show the northerners just what the southern CTS could do and be! It was humilia- ting; 1t was agonizing.
 All this, however; did not occupy the space of time it takes to tell 1t. It flashed through ashas brain like light ming, and even daEing the latter part of these thoughts hAwas Hsing mechani- cally to his feet.
 He stood still a second and saw Gen. eral Sherman's face looking at him with interest The silence was appall- ing! He felt that every one, was think ing, Poor fellow, he doesn't know what to say" $
 In quiet tone, fn which, however, he felt a. quiver, he commenced | "Gentlemen, r am confounded! The advent of so noted warrior as Gene ral Sherman has made me forget every word of my speech"-the men all looked anxious and interested-"but I think you can scarcely wonder at my confusion. Georgians are so used to the fact of General Sherman following them that 1t is enough to simply para lyze any one of them to be asked to fol- low the general" There was pause for an instant over the young fellow s audacity, and then the room rang with appreciative applause of his excellent wit.
 Men leaned over their plates and im- mediately fixed themselves into atti- tudes of interest. They at once per- ceived that at least an original young chap was going to speak.
 Mr. Du Bignon felt the personal mag netism he had excited reflect on him. self, and continued with more assur- ance.
 He said that he would tell story about the young manhood of the south, the very young manhood, including his first impressions of General Sherman.
 The time was the civil war, the place Milledgeville, Ga. "I was only little shaver" he started, staying at home. taking care of my mother and younger brother All the men had gone to the war. The cry started early in the morning, Sherman is comingv It in l creased from whisper to 8 fright ened shout The old negroes who were at home left the field and plough and gathered in their cabins. exactly as if it had been said, The judgment day is comingp People stood irresolute in the street, not knowing what to do, or whether 1t was best to go anywhere. l "And later on he came. Soldiers and horses, they began to fill the town and the peoples houses, and fear was the prevailing element.
 1 II insisted that my Shetland pony and my brothers pet rooster must be saved, My mother equally insisted that I was to stay in the house, for if not the soldiers would carry me away. II was made prisoner. but owned a window, and when saw one of the sol- diers go under our house and catch the rooster and wiring it's neck I was cer- l tain that my pony would go next. So, humping out of the window, I ran to the