The Irish standard., 1895-06-08
.5addest and Funniest Incidents
. That Came Under Their OBJ
servation iii War.
Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, Lee
Johnston and Others Relate
interesting Stories.
The Last Story in the Lot Came
From den. Sherman Only q T
Short Time Before He Died.

For years a gentleman OF prominence
during the war made a practice Of asking
every naval and military commander OF
both the Northern and Southern service
whom he met to jot down his own words
what he considered the funniest and sad
dest incidents arising from the great
conflict that had come under his obser-
walton. The greatest men in the naJion
complied with the request at various
times and some of the stories have been
! put together by the collector and are now
published. The last story in the collec-
tion came from Gen. Sherman only a
short time before he died; Each is re-
produced exactly as written:
GEN. GRANTS SADDEsT AND FUN
NIEST.
SIT was III a field hospital, within
! whose canvas walls many Of our brave
| boys lay wounded and dying; among
| them were two comrades who were more
nearly like Damon and Pythias than any
| other two men I ever knew They had
been born anG bred in the same town,
ihad enlisted at the same time, and had
never been separated for a moment since
they first donned Uncle Sans blue uni
| form. am sure that either would glad
ly have laid down his life for the other.
] They had both been slightly wounded
| before, the one having received a bayonet
thrust in the left arm and the other
having had the index and middle fingers
they lay side by side, however, their in
juriess were Of a much more serious char
acter. The surgeon looked very grave,
and he turned from one to the other,
and the gravity of his expression deep
ened as he concluded his second exarnin-
alton. A L Then, as was, his custom for he
Iheld It a physiGian's duty, always to in.
form a patient Of the true state Of his
case--he he told them plainly, but not with
outgfeeling that they both had but few
moments to live.
All right said one family but firm
/ ly, we will die together, as I always
hoped we would.
$ want to go il Tom goes naurmur-
ed the other Gave me your hand, dear
old boy, he continued, and he reached
put, his left hand toward his conrade.
The dying man grasped the extended
hand but fndingit whole and unnained
cast it away from him, saying, No, no,
not that hand! want the one that was
partly shot away on the battlefield
M. His comrade extended his wounded
hand, and Tom, his eyes fast glazing in
death, clasped it and felt for the stunps
Of the missing fingers. .5#
s g. " This is the hand.I want he eXclaim-
ed, and raising it to his lips his spirit
passed; without a struggle. His friend,
Isby: great sexertion, raised his head and
Hooked at his comrade. Seeing that he
twas no more he uttered a loud cry and
| the two friends were reunited.
\, There was no better, more fearless,
| or more loyal soldier than old Jack Dub
All foyerWeening fotldness for the whisky
tbottel, or rather for its contents. He
|! Had boon companion whose name I
never knew, but every one called him
| Uncle Si. While in camp old Jack was
taken ill of a fever; and despite the TN
remitting attention Of Uncle Si, died.
The corpse developed an unusual rigid
iity after death and q strange tendency
to fly UP into a sitting posture. Accord
lingly on the night before It's burial it
was stretched out upon a board at full
length, resting upon two wooden tres
! Ties, with it's head and feet tied down
/ by ropes. Old Uncle Si insisted upon
watching the remains of his dead friend
! Shortly after midnight he became very
1 thirsty and stepped out to a neighboring
IsutIers to procure drink. During his
somewhat protracted absence two stray
leafs found their way into the tent con-
Etaining the remains of old Jack. When
/ Uncle ST returned he was. naturally in
i Eiignant at seeing these felines sitting
on the corpse one at the head, the other
\ at the feet. Selling billet OF wood
4 from the ground he aimed a powerful
blow at the pussy sitting near the head
1 1T missed its mark and struck and severed
1.-THE rope holding down the head of the
llcorpse. which irlmedi lately few into a
i sitting posture. Selling the dead mar
1 by the shoulders and forcing him back
i into ,recum bent position Uncle Si ex-
detained ia an aggrieved tone: Darn We
Eold man, lie down and keep quiet; III
lattend to the cats '' 81
GEN. JOE JoHNSoN's YARNS.
Perhapsat the most touching incident
Il Iarising Is connection with the war that
i sInoW recall came to my notice on a rail-
|sWay train which also bore as d passen-
Eger the pretty young wife of a brave
4 yonne sold who by daring bravery
1 had secured promo lion from the ranks
i to Al cont nfederate capt tainey The wife