The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-02-15
Reb and Yank War Stories.

Alter Ell PERKINS /. VI. I. y. lecture
said the Nashville Banner, he was invited
to a COnfed camp fire. The old fighting
Rebs are always glad to meet Yankee
who drew his sword but refused to draw
Il pension.
Speaking of fun between the North and
South soldiers during the war, said the
humOrist, we had a good deal OF fun eX-
changing prisoners at Richmond. The
soldiers of each army talked with the ut
most freedom. One day a car load OF
these returning rebels had just arrived
at City Point on their way back to Rich
mond.
GLOW fab is it to Richmond emmy way p
asked q grizzled old rebel prisoner of a
smart Yankee major on Buffers staff.
ooh, not far. How far do you think ~
"Reck' II cts near onto three thOusin'
mile drawIed the Confed weakly.
Nonsense, You must be crazy re-
torted the officer, staring.
wall, | cant a-reck' min adzact," was
the slow reply. Jest tho't so, kinder
"Oh, you did. And pray whv?"
COOS cts took n you 'uns nigh onto fo'
year to git thar from Wash nton.'
The difference between Democrat and
a REBEL said Eli, twas nicely illustrated
by the reply of a culprit in the Richmond
courts
Judge Odds was examing an old SOL
der who had pleaded guilty of bank
robbery.
"'Did you have any confederates p
asked the Judge.
No, Jedge,' said the prisoner, the
fellers that helped me was Democrats, O
course, but they wasn't rebs.'
''Speaking OF the simplicity and hon
esty of the old rebel sodier,' said Eli,
cit was best illustrated in Old Zeb
Nances corps. Old Zeb received a squad
of raw rebel recruits from the mountains
of North Carolina, and during the Skin
mishes around Washington ordered them
into battle for the first time
"'Take a stand on MonsOn's HILL he
said, and scare these Yanks away,
"'Skeer them 1anks Off, repeated the
sergeant; why. we'uns KEN all the way
heah from North kayalena to whip them
Yanks, an ef we skeer 'em off how'n
thunder ez we gwine to lick em?'
When the COnfeds asked Eli about pol
tiles, he said:
well, boys, politics are good deal
mixed. I'm Republican up North and
Democrat down South. Any one can
see that the intelligence and blood OF the
South is in the Democratic party, but il
you intelligent Southerners were up
North, you would be Republicans. But
by and by, when the negro question is
settled we will all get together again. 1t
is the negro that we are still fighting
over.
"The savagest thing ever said about
| the Northern Democrat continued Eli
"Was said by Old Ben Wade One day
| Old Ben met an Irishman and said:
"' You re q Democrat, amt you, Pat?"
90 lis, sur; livery inch of me-
"'A pro-slavery Democrat, too"
1is, sur; I'm agin the nagers.
But what made you a Democrat
Pat?"
"What made me Dimocrat? I'll tell
yez. Ie see, sor, | did it to bring dis
| grace on an uncle of mine up in New
York. Iez see, sor, the spalpeen treated
me very badly when | was a boy, and
thin / took fearful oath, | did, to dc
something to hu-mil-i-ate him. l wanted
to disgrace him, and be CORY iined the
| DimOcrats and done it.
"What business is your uncle engaged
in asked Ben.
''' He is making shoes, sor, in the Au
burn Plenipotentiory.
Well, Pat, you have disgraced him,