The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-21
FOUR WAR STORIES.
They Were Told by Gen. BaslI Duke.

They Were Told by Gen. BnsII Duke.
From the Louisville Courier Journal.
While the confederate army was In camp
near Dalton. having been put to rout by
Gen. Sherman, the conditions as regarded
food and clothing were serious and
brought great suffering upon the soldiers.
Ordinarily the rations were a half pound
of gummy beef. perhaps piece of crust
and as much water as the soldier could
drink. There was one part OF the camp.
however. that Jared better. the soldiers
from Georgia. the latter having been daily
sent large boxes Of fine edibles from the
friends Of the neighborhood, especially
from their sweethearts.
The good luck Of the Georgia men could
not long be kept from The ears Of the 9th
ers, and the natural result was several
good-natured raids on the consignments OF
food. One branch of the camp that saw
the GeOrgians' big boxes was the Orphan
Brigade, especially that part under the
command of Capt John II. Weller Such
men as those who formed the Orphan
Brigade could not endure the sight Of
such feasts and keep their hands to them
selves.
one dark night they determined to make
a raid on their neighbors' fat boxes, and,
gathering a small detachment, stealthily
made their way to the depot. There was
considerable hazard attached TO such an
act, but they succeeded In their design
Reaching the depot. they swooped down
upon the biggest, latest looking box there
and made way with 1t. They were suprem-
ely happy.
When, at last. they reached their quar-
tiers they pried open the box, their appe-
utes scarce allowing them to take time
to remove the lid. one gaze told them
they had got hold Of The. wrong box, for
they beheld corpse. 1t was a bitter dts
appointment. but they returned the box
and the corpse to the depot. and learned
that a thoughtful soldier was sending to
the family the body Of a comrade who had
died of fever. ..-.
The raiders were called before Gen.
Roger Hanson. what do you mean2''
he demanded Stealing! -- you, you
fools" And after Il sever reprimand for
stealing the general wound up: ANY fool
would know better than to steal a corpse
when he is starving to DEATH" turning the
laugh on himself
jeff Sterrett was q confederate soldier
who served as a private, and who is one
Of the two or three privates who survived
the war. He was somewhat sentimental,
and naturally fell in love with any good
looking girl he might see. He fell in love
with young woman of Murfreesboro, and
slipped off to see her every opportunity
one day his feelings so overwhelmed him
that he suddenly found himself proposing
marriage to her.
NO" she replied, her eyes filling, II can
never marry you"
sterrett was surprised why not?"
"Oh, my heart Is gone. It's in the
grave. 1t was buried when they buried
Capt - FIVE months ago"
That was too much for Sterrett. He
at once became angry.
VERY well, Miss" he said. IF you can
love a dead captain better than live
private you can scratch for IT,"
Gen. Cosby had a mania for burning
down bridges. Whenever he heard there
was bride in his neighborhOod he prompt
ly had IL laid low. His continuous &C.
struction of bridges several times got
himself and his men IN tight places.
where bridge would have come in mighty
handy, and resulted in an uneasy feel
irg among his men.
He moved into Virginia in the neigh
borhood of the Natural Bridge, and one
day gave his men permission to inspect
the great natural wonder. Two cavalry
men, one of poetic turn, and the other
a worldly practical turn, happened to go
there together
isn't this the most stupendous. mag
nificent, grand view you ever saw" ex-
claimed the poetic man, grandiloquentiy
Gaze upon that landscape See how
beautiful are the works of nature" He
continued in this strain several minutes
and finally asked the other his opinion.
Il don't know much about its bein'
stupendous. nor and O. that sort o. thing,
but I'm id glad that we've found one
bridge that Cosby can't burn up"
-.
soldier named Jack SlSllman, who was a
great hand at telling yarns. His yarns
were about great acts which he said he
did, but which he never performed, Ig-
ncIng con pletely several astonishing
deeds Of bravery he really did and which
really were more remarkable than any
alleged act he told about The scene Of
one Of his yarns was strip along the
bank Of the Tennessee river lying be-
tween Chattanooga and Knoxville. AT
the point mentioned the river flowed in
a deep caaon and appeared from above 20
be a thread winding about. hundreds of
feet below. 1t was dizzy hight
81 was a-goin' long here one day all
by myself" said he, IAN when came 10
this pint l see a blamed yankee all by
hissep, a-comin, toward me. l says to
myself, says /, 1t amt no use o. our
hghtin' here, where no one amt lookin'
and where we'd like as not fall down the
cliff
Il tor the Yankee we needn't fight.
Yes we win says he. 1 said no. Our
nghtin' wouldn't decide the war says !,
an we mought as well be friends. An
1 tor him to come along an have a
drink.
1.-The blame yankee kept on tellin' me
we was a-goin' 10 fight. an fore l knowed
It he had Jumped onto me. Well, sah
how we did fight! We knocked each other
down an walloWed an scratched an
tore roun' an I see more stars than you
can think Of. Oh. we did fight
Pretty soon I saw we was a-goin' over
to the edge Of the precipice. In another
minute I seen we wuz lost. over we went
a-whirlin' an a-whizzin', a-fghun' an a