River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-08-09

had SO CALAMITY met and repulsed
their impetuous assault. They
clasped hands over ''the Bloody Angle"
and held prolonged mutual admira-
ton society on the spot where they
had once fought hand to hand. Doing
the fraternizing act" was the way Gen.
Wagner characterized it, for he isn't SO
much given to post-bellum sentiment
as are some of his fellow veterans.
The Pickett survivors, accompanied
by their wives and daughters, were
shown all the sights in Philadelphia,
too, among them the big white marble
elephant that blockades Broad and
Market streets-the city hall. Gen.
Wagner was sitting there in state in
his official capacity. As he was intro
duced to the various members of the
Virginia party gray-haired. but dap
per little ex-colonel stepped forward
and grasped Gen. Wagner's hand effu-
sively.
so this is Gen. Louis Wagner?' said
the petite ex-colonel. and then with a
bow he produced from his wallet an
old 5wenty-dollar confederate bill,
and, holding it toward the general. he
said, in tone loud enough to be heard
by the entire party: General, your
name is very familiar to me, and |
have long owed you a debt which
have pever heretofore had the oppor-
tunity to cancel Permit me to cancel
it now. ! think this sum will about
square the affair"
Pardon me-" Gen. Wag aer retorted,
pleasantly, but really cannot accept
this note as collatera, security unless
it bears your personal Endorsement,
colonel"
Certainly" said the Virginian, en-
tering into the spirit of the peasantry.
and Selling a pen from the generals
desk he inscribed his autograph across
the back of the till and returned it
with another profound bow.
And now. colonel, said Gen. Wag-
ner. ''since our little debt is so pleas
antly cancelled. you must be kind
enough to tell me how in the world
you came to be my debtor"
Nothing easier" said the little colo
mel. Don't you remember during the
Wilderness fight, that in a certain
skirmish your lines were driven back
one day, and our boys occupied your
camp and captured your headquarters
tent along with it?"
Eyes, regret to say that do re-
member that distinctly" the general
admitted with just a shadow of cha
grin.
well" the little colonel went on.
and by this time every one present
was listening. lit happened that it
was my regiment that captured your
headquarter,, and | found there. in
your tent, very nice straw hat W tn
wide brim. 1t had your name in it.
wore that hat often after that, and
naturally your name was familiar to
me. Allow me, therefore. after all
these years, TO pay you for the hat"
Now, Gen. Wagner might have re-
torted that he was not in the habit of
wearing straw hats during his cam
paigniug days, but he choose to get
the laugh back on the little colonel
in a more subtle way. So he chuckled
good naturally and said simply:
"Well, colonel. you must have cut a
great figure riding at the head of your
regiment in that old straw hat of
mine"
The colonel walked straight into the
trap laid for him. ''Yes, indeed" he
sal |, that's what all the boys used TO
tell me. :"
And just to give our friends here
some idea of how You must have
looked" SAID Gen. Wagner, permit
me to illustrate" AMI taking up his
Z 5-s headgear that lay conveniently
on the top of his desk, he advanced
gracefully and elapped it over the
head of the astonished Virginian.
The little colonel was comp ctely ex-
tinguished. The rim of the generals
hat rested upon his shirt collar and
compile tely concealed his r.
There was shout of laughter at
the little colonel's discontinue, and
then somebody remarked in a stage
whisper:
Either the colonels head must
have been a good bit swelled thirty
years ago or else the generals has
swelled trifie since he left the army"
r,lalr plo1a