The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-10-11
HE HAD A FAULT.
But Compared with His Virtues It Wa
Very Small One.

But Compared with His Virtues It Was
Very Small One.
"You can talk all you want to about
faithfulness and steadfastness to duty"
said an old army captain to a number OF
listeners, but when it comes to being
true to trust, the colored race takes the
blue ribbon every time. During the war;"
he continued, "a slave came to my head
quarters and begged me to let him stay and
make himself generally useful and act as
my private body guard. Well. l didn't
need the fellow, but sort of took pity ON
him and let him remain, and was always
very glad did, for he would do anything
told him to, no matter how much of an
effort it cost him.
"He was pretty handy as a forager and
never seemed to have much trouble in
locating hen roost. We always had
chicken to eat If there was any in the
country. remember one time told him
to go out and bring in some poultry. He
said, All right, NASSAU and started off.
Morning came and he failed to return. A
week had passed and saw nothing more
of him. felt sure he had grown tired of
camp life or had been captured or killed.
But one morning he came into camp with
two large ROSTERS. He looked ragged and
worn, and as he threw down his burden he
said: Thar, massa, is yere blame ole
chickens. Them rebs got tween me an
de lines an made me trabble bout foah
hun'ed miles to git yere,'
cat another time l had stored some
valuables in my tent, and on starting out
with a skirmishing party told my colored
man not to allow any one to enter the tent
We had no more than got away when the
enemy rode into camp and took everything
except my tent, which my negro defended
against the whole army, and all because
had told him he should keep every one out.
| have thought since that if had only
told him to 60 out and put down the re-
bellion he would have done so. l had be-
come very much attached to him, when
one time he went with me on a secret re-
connoitering trip.
my horse had been shot from under me
J and was riding a mule. We reached a
thick clump of bushes when dismounted
, and told him to hold my mule till re
turned, and started away on foot. had
} gone some distance through the woods
when saw several Confederates between
me and where l had left my mule. M!
safety demanded that hurry still further
on to another thick growth of timber TIL,
= enemy seemed to be following me, and
, kept going forward until finally l reached
, camp Just before the opening of a sever
g battle. We were forced to fall back, ant
, during the night started on long march
n | had but little doubt that my negro ant
p mule had fallen into the enemy's hands
never saw either Of them again durin
q the war, and after it was over came north
1 "Twenty-five years later took a tri
r south and visited the old battle grounds
found the same dense cluster of brus
. and trees, where in the midst Of which
q had left my negro with instructions t
q hold my mule until returned. And, a
+ though it was no more than had RICH
It to expect of him, will confess / was som'
4 what surprised to find standing there tn
# skeleton of that negro, it's bony finger
:. clutching the strap to which was attache
' the skeleton of q mule.
"Just the instant said, There, Jeffe
son, you needn't hold the mule any longer
both the skeletons fell in a heap and
II threw few leaves and some dirt over I'll
~ bones, and, turning away with tears
. nv ewes, said: How seldom do we 81
+ such fidelity to duty But, notwithstan
u. ing that negro's good qualities, he had b
IL fault. He would lie. Do the best cou
with him, he still seemed to have but Ii
es tie regard for the truth. But Pve oftt
10 thought if he could have associated wi
y me till the end of the war it might ha
p made different man out of him."-Cl
~ cago Times.