The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-12-09
A HERO OF THE WAR.
Story OF an Old Man who was in the
Confederate Lines at Gettysburg.
Eya Pettv, in Ne,U York Sun.

EUa Petty, IN New Yoyk Sun.
"Here's to Major McKinley's very
good health" said the jolly clnbman,
as he raised his glass to his lips. A
half dozen other jolly clubmen follow
ed suit thirstily.
"You fellows still celebrating, and
the election more than week old,
too?' asked an eighth man, as he join
ed the group. "Still talking about
! the returns, suppose, and prosperi-
ty, and all such good things?"
''No, said the man who had offer
ed the toast, 'we are only drinking
every thirty minutes by the clock to
the returns and to Major Mckinley
and to prosperity, but we are talking
about heroism and heroes.
'Looks to me as if you might bunch
the three and do your drinking to
them in lump, say every fifteen min
utes.
The late conner was evidently short
of drinks, but the crowd was not to be
moved out of the even tenor of its
way.
''Every half hours the rule this
afternoon" explained the toastmas-
ter. EVERY man of US has told of
some deed of heroism that has come
under his personal observation. One
told of man whom ne saw throw
himself into swift current to save a
child that had fallen overheard; an
other, of woman who went to State
prison to keep her guilty brother from
going there, and two others of men
who had rushed into burning build
ings and willingly gave their lives to
save others. told of two heroes that
I saw in battle. So you see, we've
had heroes Of food and fame and shot
and shell. Now, who is the greatest
hero that you ever ran across, and
what kind of stuff was he made Off"
IT don't know his name," said the
eighth man, looking up at the sky
through his empty glass, "butI know
that he was made of the very best
stuff that hero is made of. l met
him just after the battle of Gettys-
burg, before we got the smoke of pow
der out of our res. Somehow I found
myself with slight flesh wound over
in the Confederate lines, just the tag
end of the battle. The dead and
wounded were lying all about me.
Suddenly I heard someone near me cry
out Justify:
eco it, boys; go it! Give the
Yanks plenty of ammunition
IT looked around, and to my amaze
ment the voice was that of an old
man, fully 65, lying a little to my
right. He wore the gray, and both Of
his legs had been completely shatter-
ed by shell, but he didn't seem to
know it, and smiled hopefully as he
called repeatedly to some Of his lag
.ging comrades to keep up the fire un-
til the very last. Presently along
came the surgeon of the regiment,
looking after the wounded. He was a
courteous, kindly, knightly Southern
gentleman.
: "Why, old fellow, what are you do
ing here?" he said in cherry voice
to my old man. You are entirely too
old to be in service. How does this
.happen?' ;,
"I'm old, but 1 never shirked, :"
answered the old man with spirit, and
then he stopped to yell again to his
comrades to goit. Suddenly he began
to feel terrible pain, and then he said:
Air you the doctor?'
. "'Yes, I am, answered the sur
geon, and I'm going to have you
moved as soon as the firing ceases,
and see what I can do for you.
"'Oh, don t bother about me, he
answered, YEARLY, I'm done for, I
reckon, an you'd better tend to some
that's younger. It don matter at all
about my dyin' now. They're all fixed
and we'll pervided fur. One hund ed
acrc of good Ian, two mules an a
horse, he added, half to himself, with
peaceful Smile.
'Who?' asked the doctor, giving
him a swallow of brandy.
"'My wife an my daughter, sab.
You see, it was this way: When the
war broke out I was an ole man, nigh
on to sixty, I recon, an somehow I'd
never been a good manager. I had
tried, but didn't have nothin' but JUS
what I made over my rent. An that
was little enough, God knows. /
lsnow'd my day for 'cumulatin' any
thing was over, an it nigh worried me
to death to think about leavin' the ole
oman an Sal to do real hard work.
Then the war come, an there was my
chance. The owner of the plantation
where I lived was richer than he was
brave. He come to see me one day,
an he says, says he:
'"John, you amt got your folks
well fixed to leave 'em, have you?'
'"'No," says I, "an' it worries me
past all peace.
"Now, let me tell you," says he.
II want substitute to fight for me
an here's your chances to pervide we'll
for your folks. Age exempts you
from fghtin', but if you &c in my
place to the war, I'll deed your wife
this very day one hundred acres Of my
best land, two mules, an horse. Is
it bargain?'
"'I studied while and then [
says, "It is. Sure enough he was as
good as his word. He decided a hun
dred acres and the stock to the ole
oman and Sal that very day, and the
next week I was gone to the war. 1
amt never been home since, but have
fought it straight through. I got in
terested in the cause after [ got good
at work to fghtin' and I amt never
hinched once, but what brought me
here was perviding for Sal an the ole
oman. l could not bear to leave 'em
empty-handed to fight 'gainst the
world, an I knowed it was too late in
life fur me to ever do fur en-
ellis voice was growing weaker and
weaker as he told his story, but as he
finished he raised up and with regu-
lar rebel yell sang out: "Go it, boys,
an give 'em hell-them Yankees"
Then he fell back and in dazed way
said: 'The ole oman an my little Sal.
A hund' 'ad ocros-half of If pood hot-