The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1896-04-30
GENERAL SHERMAN'S JOKE.
How He Gave Two West Point Cadets a
Had Quarter of an Hour.

Anecdotes of Americas great gen
erals are always good reading, and
the following story, illustrative of
one Of the best traits in General
Sherman character, is no exception
to the rule. The narrator thereof
was Lieutenant David Du B. Gail
lard OF the corps of engineers, U. S.
A, who told. how the general once
paid memorable visit to himself
and his chum while they were ca
diets at West Point.
"You know" said the lieutenant,
"that all the rooms occupied by ca
diets in the barracks have big open
stone fireplaces, with correspond
ingly large chimneys. In these
chimneys the boys, even since the
academy was established, have been
in the habit of rigging up shelves as
storehouses and places of conceal
ment for Injuries in the nature of
food and drink, which are forbidden
by the exceedingly strict military
regulations imposed upon US. This
struggled provender we were in tho
habit of devouring with great gusto
late at night, after final inspection
was over.
Now, it so happened that my
roommate and myself occupied tho
quarters which had once sheltered
General Sherman when he also
wrestlod with his comic sections and
military engineering at the Point.
One June afternoon, just before ex-
animation time, we were both sur
prised by smart rap at the door. l
opened it, and in walked the illus
trious former occupant, with party
of ladies and gentlemen, who were
anxious to see what cadets quar-
tiers looked like. Of course my chum
and myself saluted and stood at at
tention' all the time the old general
was bustling about showing his
friends around.
The veteran looked happy enough
as he pointed out the hard mattress.
es and iron bedsteads which consti-
tute the young West Pointer sleep
ing accommodations and illustrated
the manner i'll which we folded up
our trousers and slept on them to
keep them from becoming knee
sprung, closing his explanation with
a detailed account of the cadets
method of sweeping out and keeping
their rooms in order. We both
thought he was through, but he
wasn't.
Just as the party was about to
leave the room their. experienced
guide went up to the fireplace and
said in an eXasperatingly cool way:
When was a cadet, the boys used
to secrete all sorts of plumber that
was contraband of war in their
chimneys. wonder if they do it
now?' Then he took his 'cane and
poked it up the chimney. Chummy
and | looked Mt each other with anx-
ious eyes, and nearly had a fit.
Tho eminent strategist's recon-
noissanoe was one of the most sue
cessful in his career. He knew just
where to look, and his cane hit the
mark at almost his first poke. The
Dies, cakes and bottles of prohibited
iuids fell on the hearth with q clat- |
er and dull thud, breaking to pieces.
BY this time chummy and I were |
'eady to faint. The old general must |
nave observed it, for he turned to |
Is with hearty laugh and a merry |
wrinkle in his eye, saying: You |
needn't be afraid, young gentlemen. |
It was all my fault. l shan't say
about it
''We were on tenterhooks for sew
eral days, fearing court martial and
dismissal. But our distinguished Wis
itor religiously kept his word, and
we heard nothing moro about the in
cident. Sherman's bummers burned
my grandmother house at Column
bia, S. c." concluded Lieutenant
Gaillard refectively, "but liked the
dear old fellow all the same. He was
so genial and considerate of others"
New York Herald.