The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1895-04-24

in the wake of the driver, who was
helping the storekeeper with the mail
pouch, and once on the porch stopped
and nodded a gruff greeting at the
three men who we're seated on the
bench kicking their heels together
the Chronic Losfer, the School Teacher
and the Miller. The trio gazed at the
new arrival solemnly; at his broad
brimmed black slouch hat, which,
though drawn down over his left tenn
pie, did not hide the end of band OF
courtplaster at his blue coat, two oi
its brass buttons missing; Mt his trou-
sers, several rents in which had been
clumsily sewed together.
''From your appearance one would
judge that you had come home from a
battle instead of a reunion at Gettys-
burg" the School Teacher remarked.
"He'd never come out of no battle
lookin' like thet," the Chronic Loafer
cried.
'1've come home fore my 'scursion
ticket expii ed, said the G. A. r. man,
removing his hat and disclosing the
great patch of plaster that adorned his
forehead. ''Getteespurg was sight
hotter fer me yesterday 'an in '63.
But I've got to the end of my story.
$50 thet same old yarn you've ben
tellin' at every camp fire senoe the
war is finished at last. That's a
blessin'."
The veteran seated himself comfort
ably upon his upturned satchel and
began:
''Fer the benyfit of the Teacher, who
/ amt never seen at our camp fires,
I'll repeat my experience at the pattle
of Getteespurg, and then tell yer all
bout my second fight there. served
as O corporal in the 295th Pennsylvany
Volunteers, an was honorably dis
charged in ga"
FOR which you draws a pension, -
the Chronic Loafer ventured.
"Thet amt SO. got the malary
an several other complaints that got
down on the Peninsula thet hinders
me workin' steady. But thet amt
here nor there. Our retchment was
allus known as the Bloody PennsyIvany
Retchment, fer we'd been in the front
in every fight in the Wilderness and
he'd some very desperate engagemApts.
Whenever there was any chartchin'
to be done, We done ct; ef there was
fylorn hope we was in ct; if they
was a breastwork TO be took, we took
it; an by the end of two years seeh
fghtin' we was pretty bad cut up.
When We come ter the fight at Get
teespurg ct was decided as they wasn't
many of us left we'd better be put to
guardin' baggage wagons. Thet was
q kinder work didn't need many men,
but took fighters in caset the enemy
give the boys in front a slip and
sneAked in on our rear.
'"lhe trains, with several brigades,
among which our retchment, was a
couple Of miles behind Cemetary Hill
during the first days fighting; but on
the second day We was ordered back
about twenty-five miles. Et was pretty
hard ter have ter be drivin' off inter
the country watching lot of mules
when the boys was hevin' ct hot bang
ing away at the enemy, but there was
orders, and a soldier allus hes ter obey
orders
'"The fightin' begin early on the sec
ond day an we could hear the roar of
the guns an see the smoke risin' in
clouds an then settlin' down over the
country. We got our wagons going
an / tell yer We felt pretty blue, fer
the wounded and the stragglers begin
ter come hobblin' back bringin' bad
news. They would tell how the boys
was being all cut up along the EN-
mettsburg road and how we'd better
move fast, fer we was losin', an then
they'd hobble away agin. Then be-
sides the trouble with the mules and
wagons and the wounded, we had TO be
continual watchin' for them Confed'rit
cavalry we was expectin' ter pounce
down on us. Eyenin' come an we lay
to an prepared for the night. The
fires was started and the coffee set
boilin', an the fellers had a chancet 10
set down and rest for a while.
''The wounded and the stragglers
that jest filed the country were COM
in IN all the time, sometimes alone,
sometimes in twos and threes, some
with their arms tied up in all sorts of
queer ways, their heads bandaged, or
hobblin' on sticks, about the misera-
blest lookin' set of men ever seen.
The noise of the fight had stopped, an
the whole country was quiet, as though
nothin' had BEN happenin'. The quiet
aud the dark and ths feAr we was 60