Omaha daily bee., 1895-08-04
BIBLE SMITH, THE WAR SCOUT
How He Fit Congressman 0lingman and
Served Roseorans.
CHARMING BIT OF Merry !LoQUENcE
Remarkable Bravery DiSp'"se"'
Coupled with unfaiIing Hufnor-
Riding "a "Crittcr" to Carolina
A wifc's Prayer Heard.

Copyright. 1895. by s. s. Mcclure Limiteu)
General Rosecrans was accustomed to say
that the scout was the eyes and ears OF an
srmy. Whenever one Of his scouts re'urheu
TO camp from an important trip ne was re-
auired to report personally TO hlm' anu
doubtless to this may be referred the "ohuer-
ful precision with which all his marches anu
campaigns were planned and executed
Through his scouts he was able TO See as
with his own eyes, over the whole extent oil
any section Of country In when ne was
operating.
with one Of his scouts / was personally
acquainted, and he was a man III many
WAYS so remarkable that had ne recel'eu
even the common rudiments OF BOOK euuc"-
ton he could scarcely have failed TO acquire
distinction in the civil troubles men upo"
tho country. I met him first at his home
among the mountains of tennessee III Tue
autumn Of 1850. Going through that country
on horseback | was one afternoon oVertaheh
nv a storm and sought shelter at his house
,or ,be night. II was one Of the better class
Of backwoods dwellings-what is termed a
double- barreled cabin-a log house with two
rooms ON the ground floor, separated by an
omen passageway. 1t was simply but COM
fortably furnished, and everything about 1t
lnQtCdItu Aihl it N"'
country, fright well forehanded..
His family consisted of his wife ana threc
neatly clad children, the Oldest ABOUT Q
years Of age His wife was a cohely youns
woman. who could read and write, ana hau
very thoroughly studied the hall dozen
volumes that composed the family library
He could himself neither read nor write,
"You see, stranger" he said TO me, Saily
has all the larnin' OF the iampiy, 50 sm1
SAYS par, instead of dad, which is the natural
way"
BIBLES START IN LIFE.
soon dis covered that he was an original
character. with a talent for huinorous-ahu
also fctitious-anecdote that | never knew
equaled. He RECALLED me win ms SUITES ~
mast midnight and N the course OF the even
ing gave me something of his history, when
| will repeat nearly in his own words, as
soon afterward | took them down In my
note book.
He was born on a farm not far away and
worked for his father until the day he was
21. when, he said. dad aXed me out ter
Their barn, an %toterin' out a mule-brute as
had been in the family ever sense Adam
warn't no higher nor little Sally, he SEE ter
me. SEE he, Thar, Bible, thar's my last will
and testament. Tuck 1t, an go an seek yer
FORUM
81 hen't nary chise, so l tuck 1t, an moseyed
out to seek my forum; squatted down
right sauar outer this dsad'nin', hired my
mig Jake q owns him now, and me an Jake
and the mule-brute went to work like blazes,
all but the mule-brute, he was too tarned
lazy to work; he was so lazy mad to hlre
an OK ter help him draw his last breath,
Well, Jake an me added acre ter acre, an
mule-brute to mule-brute. as the scripture
says, till | had 1000 acres and fifty mule
brutes, and then one day | SEE to Jake,
Jake SEE |, 'yeZ got a wife, an ye knows
what durmestic ~furlicity Is; ter be shore
We has ter keep 1t seven miles away, an 1t
b'longs ter a burned 'ristocrat; but what's
that when l gives we Saturday afternoons
-, n.lu. m ta- ynYynlf Nnvv hninft
airy furliciiy at all; what shall | do"
C a wife. Massa.' SEE Jake, git a
wife. Saddle de mar, Massa, an got out on
a 'splor'n expedition. Jake'l look arter de
farms while you'rn away
Now, that mig has a head longer'n the
mortal law, SO saddled the mar an sailed
out arter Sally
He found her and the result was the
double -barreled cabin and as happy a family
as might be seen In many a days journey.
HOW BIBLE FIT" CLINGMAN.
Many of Bibles anecdotes were worthy Of
record, but | have space for but one OF
them, which was in regard to Thomas L.
Clingman, the godfather of "Clingman's
Peak and long a member OF both the unior
and confederate congresses. Go" said
Bible, Eye never yered how I fit Clingman
that big whig chap, over thar in western
North Carolina. Well, 1t was just afort
the last election, when we put in old Zach
for president. The wings they had a bis
barbecue down ter Jonesboro, an Clingmar
an a whole lot of 'em went inter speech
ifyin' ter kill. III the course of Clingman''
speech he said that Cass, our candidate, wa
a niger trader down ter Newbern way
Ohere was one Of that name at Newbern al
that time), an was in Jail for passin' counter
felt money, an II we 'lected him we'd hey
ter bail him out ter nougerate him.
couldn't stand tibet nohow, so l right up il
msetin' an telled Clingman he lied lik'
blazes. Well. he stopped short ter once an
axed me fur my redress
Address" said his wife, pausing in hel
work and looking pleasantly at lie.
"Thet's so, Sally" responded Bible. T."
telled we, stranger, Sally has all the larnin
Of the family. l guy Clingman my nam
and where l hung out, an shore enough
Just arter dark, a Teller rode up here with
challenge"
Bible accepted, and as the challenged per
son has the choice of weapons, he chos
Swords mounted" at "sun,up' the mex
morning. 81 had he said, "a drefful smar
OK brute that Use raised up for my privat
rldin'. The brute he don't like a spur, ar
when we puts one inter him he'll pitch head
foremost inter the fust thing he comes tel
be 1t man or beast. In the morning l tue
out the COW horn-ye'd think Gabriel was
soundln' the last trump when l blows it-gc
out the ox-brute, tied a red rag ter hi
horns, put on him my wife's best kiverlet flu
a saddle, an moseyed off ter the duellir
ground. Clingman he was thar with
second, a doctor an a hull 'pothecary store G
cuttin' instruments, all waltin' an ready t
make mince meat of my carcass. Soon a
he seed how | was 'cOutered he up al
'jected ter 1ghtin'. but / counted out tn
terms Of the duel-swords mounted-an'
telled him II he didn't stand up an fight liS
q man I'd post him all over the state
North Carolina fur a coward. Well, inerl
he 'cluded ter do il. So we tuck our stand
the seconds they guy the word, Clingman h
put spurs into his horse an | put spurs int
min, an, stranger, ye'd better believe whe
my OK moseyed down onter his mar, with
horn BLOWN an kiverlet a hyin', that ma
she piked out quicker'n Il whirly gu'
chasln' a streak O. lightnin', and she nevt
helt up till she got clean inter North Care
lima"
This duel l relate to show Bibles humol
Gus propensity. Except the single fact
tho challenge. the rest was no doubt III
product Of his straightforward he intende
TO have done had not Hon. Mr.. Clingma
declined the duel.
On the following morning, as I was abol
to mount my horse TO ride away, all II
children gathered about me for a partin
kiss-thelr comely mother, too, looking as
she expected no less. | was younger the
than ! am now and didn't know any bette
so l gave her the same caress | had give
the children. and then turned to say goodt
10 Bible. Holding my hand in a war
grasp and with a face as grave as a funer
procession, be said; I'm right sorry
hev we go. stranger. and ye'd better sta
and settle yere. II we will, Wen send