The Atlanta constitution., 1896-05-18
SARGE PLUNKETT.
Brown Smells No Danger and Puts on a
Martial Air.
SOME STORIES OF THE WAR
At Vicksburg During the Siege and
Crossed the Blue Ridge in
Virginia
For The Constitution.

For The Constitution.
II is strange how completely and suddenly
people change in these days. Brown has
taken unto himself a genuine martial spir-
it. and one would think that he never dodg-
ed from a bomb in his life, nor ever exert
ed himself to keep out of the clutches Of
conscript officers in the late unpleasant
ress."
/ cannot say how long this martial spirit
will remain with my old friend, but any
how il irdicates that all the prospects of 4
war about Cuba, or war about anything
else has passed away. 1t is Il comfort 10
me to see such evidence that we are TO have
no more war. / am sure that it VIII do TO
bank upon. for | know Brown so well that
] am sure he could smell it and feel it in his
bores if there was the least symptoms in
that direction.
But this martial spirit. which has taken
possession of Brown has filed our settle
ment with stories long forgotten. and as l
consider them better than political wrang-
ling. have joined in myself and spun a few
for the youngsters.
I mighty careful now about the sto-
ries 1 tell. for it is an easy matter to shake
peoples faitn in your veracity IL you tell
them very true things. yet strange things
to those who know nothing about war as II
really u.s.
Some twenty years ago | got up repu-
tation down in pike as being a very great
liar-just from relating war stories and in
some localities of tha1 good old county the
unjust stigma still clings to me.
one rainy day at Holland's store, when
flne-lool1ing stranger rode mp. tied his horse
and made himself easy among the boys. he
went to telling about Things that happened
on the mississippi river during the war, ana
they seemed SO strange TO the plain Pike
farmers that Tom Irwin turned to him at
last and asked;
Look here. stranger. aren't you n terri
BILE liar?"
THAT is the reputation I bear In Arkan-
sas" answered tho stranger.
Wouldn't you lik 10 see him and Plum
kett together" asked Tom, turning to hts
county friends. The stranger AT once be
came inqusitive about Ilunkett, and re-
marked that IL the old man was a liar
worthy his steel he would not mind riding
a few miles out Of his way to see such
man. They told him where / lived and
here he came on. ] was sitting on the
porch when he rode up and asked
Does Plunkett live here?"
"Yes." said /. II am Plunkett."
mir. Plunkctt, l learned over At the store
that you was n terrible liar
THAT is what they say" / answered.
We'll" continued the stranger, y have
rode by TO swap n few with you. / was wiki
Grant at Nicksburg, and very often we
loaded our cannon with rebel prisoners in
stead Of shell. and was hurt hy one of
these fellows l was rammiu% him in the
gun ana have stil some stiffness from tnat
hurt, and ! hope YOU win save me the trou-
ble Of dismounting and step this way"
"Wel, stranger" said ! slowly, 'as
happened To be one OF the fellows you ,lred
over into NicksburE and = little stin my
self in consequence, you viii please allow
n t. remain whore { nm. for 'ho tr''ti7 IS
I am not in the humOr OF tcIng ae
this afternoon"
Good day. Mr. Plunkett" and Off he rode
a good deal faster than he came. ] quit
telling lies from that day TO this. and re-
late this incident and make this statement
that people may understand that / am
entirely truthful, especially on war stories,
and as our trip down 20 the encampment at
Griffin may bring up many things long for
gotten. about soldiers ard soldering, l
hope that therc may bc mono to ever doubt
what I say whether Brown swears TO the
same or no.
But started out to tell about crossing
the 9lue Ridge In Virginia during the war
ana to confine myself 70 such things as
The young people cannot learn from books
nor pictures. as histories cannot 80 into
little details
Crossing tho Blue Ridge with an
army was mighty hard soldering. II was
hard on men and beast privates and
| officers.
Forward"
And the soldier would pick up one foot
and make step. when here would come
| the line humping back. Then they would
| stand first on one foot ana then on The
! other in doubt as to whether they We're
to go forward or be bumped back, when
off everything would start in "A run 10 50
suddenly halt ia minute as to make the
men bump against one another Ike unto
car boxes when the engine stops. This
was hard marching. much harder than TO
20 right ahead. put IL always pcrtained
III crossing the ridge, because, ] suppose.
ARTILLERY and wagons had to be KEEP, along
with The men for fear Of being raidcd.
q was a soft thing. in comparison 10
being common soldier. to be driver
during of the war. except when crossing
the ridge. Any soldier would have rather
went to battle than drive team over. the
ridge. The turns were often so quick
that the least mistake would whirl driver
team and all over a precipice, aTd it was
a sight to see them so laundering rolling
and bouncing down. down, down for hun
drcds Of feet to the bottom.
I shall never forget two little red mules
that I took great fancy to in crossing
the ridge when the army came back from
Sharpsburg. The drivers knew the danger
and took every prccaution at hand. In
going Gown they would run a pole or a
strong rail through under the body and
lock their wheels. but it often happened
that teams went over anyhow.
The little reds that / have mentioned
were the leaders in a team of six They
were fat little fellows and 50 quick and
willing TO pun every time the word was
gwen. The big fellow that was drivin.
this team thought more of these little
reds than ! did-they were his pets lie
was a tough looking old soldier, never
having shaved since the war began nor
cut his hair but little. He looked as II
he might have picked one of the little
reds up and held it out al arms length
but for all that he was tender and had
the best kept team in all his brigade.
lie had great confidence in his team
and took a pride in showing how quick his
little reds could turn around the sudden
angles and how his big wheclers would sot
themselves when he told them to hold
| This very confidence might have been
the cause OF mis- losing his own life and
| destroying his team.
Anyhow there was a quick turn Inc.
| ahead and he spoke rough to his little
| reds to have them ready and then at me
| critical point he jerked his lire and hol-
| Tered:
Look at Mike"
These were his last words. The brakes
| to the wheels broke the wagon rushed
upon the wheelerS and with all their