Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-10-30

Jtfn frnnt lln--lhe NecIuit
lIc came to cur mess from the old
country uelehhorhood shortly after the
first battle OF Manassas and just DO.
fore the battle Of Leesburg, in the Ton
Of 1861. He was long, lank aIab-
Eidol country youth with the cOllow
down on his face. and with foot 20
long ana huge that Bill Day, our Irish
wag. was OF opinion IF he hadn't 10
much turn down fur foot there's no
filling where he'd Of stopped climbing
upwards" lie was OF the genuine YER
dant green yurlv;y', but was wei up In
Sunday school reading and kept his
Bible In hand most Of the time when
on duty. obey!ng his good mothers
last words to search the scriptures for
eternal life Jim meant every word he
anid about Anythlng ana was an all
round plain. simple, guiieless country
boy, who had never been further from
home before than the church. the mill,
and the old log school house In the
barren nclds." We were herocs--vet-
Grams you may ray, Tor we had Just
passed through the greatest battle OF
modern times as Nlctor4. No account
was taken, IN our estimate OF our
selves or how badly broken up oar
fcclingg were at the first boom OF the
cannon and the nrut time we heard
minnie ban sing, We forgot all that.
and only remembered our suucuHs
BY letting the Yankees run first, IL
they had not, we certainly would!
"Now." says Jim one day, NOW. n
you'n3 ~ sich great heroes, VIII YOU
please tell me what am Ig3 jim was
droll and dry In huuor, and his inter-
rpgatory was promptly answered 10y
the Judge advocate " the moot court
OF our camp, by. YOU why YOU are a
raw recruit. Jim, and are only Mt FOR
the awkward squad drill or moot court
mnrtial at the very frat miss you
make In dril and discipline" Jim
heard the reply and the laugh that
went round the camp with mingled
feelings akin to laugh and cry
He was 'mammn'a boy" Jim was aud
would burst into tears at the drop or
the hat and drop it himself He had
just seen how a raw recruit was taken
out of an awkward squad drill and
dumped" by four boya grabbing each
hand and foot. knocking him down"
10 a tolorablc sized pine tree till no
hullcrad nun" Jlms time rolled round
pretty soon. The battle OF LecRburg
or Halls Bluft, came TO US with an
| other Victory, Two Victories Jest
applied you-una," as Jim put Il, for he
| was behind uB one, YOU sec we dou-
| ble-Quickod for three miles that sun
day afternoon up to the Blur, just Ia
time 20 get In az the run, with power
] full little ngntirg bout IT," as Jim truly
said. but after IL was all over and we
had taken 100 prisoners dhRt was tho
number for Jim counted them, and dim
toyOr HEIDI down to the old Manassus
battlefield. to send them down TO Lib
| by prison, We got Jim on the moot
| court martial. Jim's offenae wan that
4.
ground all hands were ordered to shuck
I l,napsaclsa. and all obeycd but Jim.
He run the whole race and Ut the
whole light, aud ran ahead OF the
whole crowd with his knaps0ck flop
ping about his shoulders like 4 camela
hump. and never shuolsed once" Suph
were the charges and specifications
read 20 him by the prosecutor, ana
when the Judge advocate, with q WIS.,
age as grim us the fiickering ligh: OF
tho campfire and a stern young face
could make II. asked Jim how he plead
to the charge guilty or not gulltyf"
~ ain't neither OF tother." said jim,
II declare boys are so akeer0d plum
forgot It; honest to God l did, boys"
said jim In a pleading, whlmpcrlnE
way, nearly ready to cry. The Judge
advocate lost his judicial poise and
foil over backward of the camp stool
on TO the bunk at the side OF the tent
and simply hoilered. convulsed with
laughter. The prosecutor threw up his
hands In despair, and the impanellcd
Jury cried mot guilty" nnd Jim was n
| happy veteran. lie had passed taroUgh
successfully his nrst battle and iirst
| court martial.
The dnya went by on the swift ehut-
| tle OF time and battles came TO us thick
| and fast. The Peninsula, Seven Pines,
| savage station, Malvern Tlill Second
Mananaus, Harper's Ferry. Shnrpsburg,
and last OF all. Jim's winding sheet Ia
| the anow on tho nth OF December,
| 1862. at the bomhardmen, OF Freder-
| iclSshurg Here Barksdaic. Miss. "ri-
| gade OH daT held the historic town
where Waahlngton's mother, Mary
| BAH, Hes buried. and not far away