Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-04-25
When Bill Let Go.

hotel several veterans of the war OF
the rebellion were seated around IN
circle telling of some of their war ex-
periences, one of them relating the
following incident:
"0ur regiment was in camp at Har-
per's Ferry, and one bright morning a
comrade and secured permission to
visit a farmhouse some distance away,
where we knew there was some poul-
try. We rode horses and had some
money in our pockets to purchase the
chickens and turkeys we desired, for
on this occasion we had made up our
minds to forego foraging, but later
circumstances arose that made it nec-
essary for us to forget our good reso-
lutions. Turning our horses into
grass6eld, which was but a short dis
tance from the house, we left them to
Craze at will. On reaching the house
we met the farmer on an old fashioned
porch that ran the whole front of the
quaint farmhouse. l told the farmer
that we had come to buy some of his
poultry, at which his southern blood
began to boil. He swole he'd rather
see every chicken and turkey on the
place rot before he would sell them to
any id Yankee for a thousand
times what they were worth.
That settled it with us. We could
not stand such an insult and went
straightway to the barn, where fine
lot of fowls were kept. 1t did not
take us long to tie the legs of goOdly
number of chickens and turkeys. AS
l was in the act of tying up the legs
of a proud gobbler | looked up, and
to my dislnay saw coming up the lane
A small company of Confederate cav
airy. l took in the situation at a
glance. l knew we had not time to
reach our horses, and to escape on foot
was impossible. In the barnyard were
two fine, sleek mules. Throwing my
string of fowls over the back of one
and jumping astride the animal,
shouted to Bill-that was the first
name of my comrade-to follow my
example. He did so, and l took the
lead for the camp. The mule that |
was on had taken but few jumps
when I heard Bill shout:
"Holy smoke He's baked, Jim.
looked around, and sure enough
the mule had baked. The Confede-
rates were close at hand, and | shouted
back to Bill:
Crawl on his neck, Bill, and chew
his ear.
Bill lost no time in trying the sI-
pertinent. He got the end of the an
imal's long ear into his mouth and be-
gan operations. The mule gave a
squeal, like that of a stuck pig, and
rushed madly after its mate, which |
was riding on, for dear life. Sudden
ly l saw something loom up and rush
past me. 1t was Bill and his mule.
Bills teeth were imbedded in the ami
mails ear, and blood trickled down
the side of it's head. Bill was all
bumped up on the back of his mad
steed and presented a most ludlcrous
sight. The turkeys Topped their wings,
and the chickens made terrible clat-
ter, which only served to make the
mule 90 faster. l heard the Confede-
rates behind us laugh. They fred at
us, but we were not hit am sure
that they could not have hit Bill, for
he was being carried along at a great
speed.
Through the picket line Of our reg
iment and on through the camp went
Bills mule, the fowls bobbing up and
down at every jump. As soon as |
knew we were out of reach Of the en-
envy gathered all of my lung power
and shouted
LET go the mules ear, Bill; we're
safe
Bill heard me and let 60. He final
ly succeeded in stopping the mule,
whose sides went in and out like a big
bellows. An examination showed Bill
had chewed over half of the mules
ear off. Bill allowed it was the tough
est bit of meat he had ever tackled,
but that night he got square on roast
turkey and chicken. We lost two OF
the best horses in our army"
Divorce in Burnah.
Suppose Burmese husband and