The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-31
\ GUNNER WHO
LOST HIS HEAD.
BY w. C, MORROW.

Post. One was that although he was never
able to give an account of his connection
with the war, he apparently either had
seen service or had picked up knowledge
here and there which gave him the air and
tastes of soldier, and the other was that
he was the only man in these parts who
could give so graphic and circumstantial
history OF the daring feat of Black Harry
at Gettysburg. His apparent close knowl-
edge of this extraordinary affair caused
some of the veterans to think that he must
have witnessed it, but there were others
who believed it more likely that he had
heard the story from an eyewitness and
had been SO strongly impressed by it that
1t was the one thing which remained clear
in his mind.
That difference of opinion, however, had
no effect upon the treatment which Rum
mage received from the members of Gar
field Post. 1t was reflected that Rummage
never claimed to have been soldier, had
never applied for pension or for admis-
sion to any Grand Army post, and hence
that he could not be called an .impostor.
When questioned particularly on these sub
lects his deeply lined face would wrinkle in
the most perplexed fashion, and he would
look as foolish, helpless and bewildered as
when some of the good housewives of the
neighborhood would rail at him for inno-
Gently making too free with such back
yard chattels as did not properly come
under the jurisdiction of scavenger.
Nor could his real name ever be learned
unless, indeed, it was Rummage. But
there were many who insisted that he was
called Rummage simply because as
scavenger he rummaged.
This assumption was borne out by two
circumstances. One was that he had no
Christian name, or, if he had, he would
not confess it; the other was that he could
never be made either to affirm or deny
that his right name was Rummage. When
asked about this he would exhibit that
same foolish and helpless look with which
all who knew him were familiar. Those
who believed that his real name was Rum
mage insisted that it should be spelled
Rummidge, which made it respecta bic:
and SO his official name, SO far as the rec
ords of the Associated Charities went, was
Rummidge. But, for my part, believing
as L do in direcuness and simplicity, pre-
fer Rummage, and it shall stand at that.
These were about the words in which
Rummage, upon the least encouragement,
would tell the story of Black Harry's he
roic act:
at was at Gettysburg, sir, and Black
Harry was a-standin' by his gun waitin' for
the chargin' rebels to come close enough
for grape. Rebel shells were screamin' an
rippin' over the works, an some of 'em was
Dustin and knockin' the boys about. The
air was jess full O. shells, an my, how them
shell screamed Purity soon long come
piece O. shell an clipped the halyard O.
the flag that was wavin right above Black
Harry; and fust thing he knowed he was
all buried up in flag. Nothin' but flag to
see, nothin' but flag to breathe, an if he'd
"a been hungry nothin' but flag to eat.
Harry unfags hisself so-jess digs out.
Then he takes the clipped end of the line
in his teeth, leaps up on the works and
shins up the pole like q monkey. He
ketches the other end up there an knots
it, an all the time the whole worp is
screamin' with rebel shells. Jess as
Harry gets it tied and it begins to float out
gran an free over the works shell hits
him an busts inside his head. He don't
felt nothin' hurt him, but jess sees big,
blindin' flash O. light, an when he comes
to he's a-walkin' along the road, but"
Here Rummage would look wistfully
about, and then up at the sky, and then at
the ground.
"But what, Rummage?"
"His head was gone," the old man
would answer simply. and then he would
tighten the knot of the old bandana
which served as his head-covering, and
from the edges of which hung his snow
white air.
Rummage would always have been con-
tent to stop his narrative there, for he
feared somewhat the cruel laughter with
which some people would greet his story.
"And SO the shell had blown his head
off, Rummage?"
"Clean off, sir"
''But he got well?"
sob, yes, he got well, but he couldn't
fight any more. How kin a man fight
without head? To be sure he wanted to
fight, but they told him the war had been
over a long time" And then he would
look grieved and foolish when they
laughed.
Up to the point of Black Harry's being
struck On the head by a fragment of
shell Rummage's narrative agreed with
ward the two accounts went apart. While
it is not to be accepted as a fact that Black
Harry, famous daredevil who had per-
formed other feats of valor in the war,
could have gone through life thereafter
without a head, the official record failed
to account for him after he fell; and it
was very sensibly assumed that as his
name did not thereafter appear either on
the muster-ron or in the hospital record
the shell had dashed out his valor with
his life and his body had been inferred
among the Unknown.
Although Rummage could never be
brought to say that he had known Black
Harry or had witnessed the tragedy, he
had certain knowledge of Harry's per-
sonality. He would explain, for instance,
that Harry was called Black because of his
very dark skin and coal black hair, and
that tattooed on his breast was large
Union flag, done in proper colors and bear
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