Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-07-11
eEM MlLEs roKrm sronr.
The Figures We're High, but the Game
Was Harmless All the Same.
From an Unidentlned Source.

The Figures Wore High, but the Game
Was Harmless All the same.
From an Unidentified Source.
81 don't play poker myself" said
Major-Gen. Miles; tin fact l am glad
to say TINT the game has rather gone out
in the army, but think can claim 10
have been witness of the biggest game
as 10 stakes that was ever played"
"Tell US about il, general" said Col.
Ochiltree, II have some pretty good
poker stories in stock myself"
And 30 have / r said Henry Waiter
son. ''For instance, Joe Blackburn's,
about the gamd played in the trenches
at the battle u Shiloh, with a table
made of the bodies Of the comrades Of
the players"
SWELL" said John w. Mackay, "as to
stakes, will enter claim for some OF
the games played in the good old days
in-Nevada, when the boys had the Com
stock lode to draw upon; but, general,
let us have your story"
at was in the spring Of t865-just 30
years ago this week, when come to
think Of it--when Davis, Lee and the
rest of you Confederates, Col. Watterson,
were in full retreat from Richmond
toward Danville and we were pressing
you night and day, hardly stopping to
eat or sleep. On the eve of the battle of
Sailors Creek"
II was there" said Col. ochiltree.
at was in that battle that / was
wounded"
"That day" continued Gen. Miles,
I'VE oyerhauled and captured Confed-
crate wagon train, and found, greatly to
the delight Of the boys. that several of
the wagons were loaded with Confed-
crate bonds and counterfeit bonds, and
Confederate money in transit from the
Confederate treasury department in
Richmond to wherever the Government,
now on wheels, might make its last
stand. The soldiers simply helped
themselves to the bonds and the money,
and the officers did not care to deprive
them of the spells to which they were
richly entitled. At night we knocked
OF work for supper and few hours of
rest and sleep. / had occasion to ride
along the line. and found, greatly to my
amusement, poker game going on
around almost every camp fire. Stop.
ping to watch one of the games, this is
what heard;
HOW much IS the anleF
"a thousand dollars
"'And how much to fill
"'F'ive Thousand
"Well, here goes. l raise it ten
thousand
"'Good; | see you and go you ten
thousand better. Twenty-Five thousand
to draw cardsp
Then cards were drawn, and pres.
emily bet was made of fifty thousa nd
Some one went a hundred thousand
dollars better, but was ruled down,
Fifty thousand was tue limit. However,
there was five hundred thousand dollars
in the pot when it was hauled down by
the winner, who had three treys aud a
pair of jacks. | expressed my surprise
at the size of the game, and told the
boys that they had better 60 slow or
their funds would run out.
"'Never fear, General, replied one of
them.
"'We will keep within our means.
You ought to have been here just now.
Why, we had jack pot of ST zoo, 900.
II think you will agree with me-"
continued Gen. Miles, "that no bigger
poker game than that was ever PLAYED,
and for my part | am sure that Con.
federate money never served better
purpose than to amusc those Union
soldiers in that resting hour in that
most wearing Of brief campaigns"