The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-26
The Bug1er's Story


The Bug1er's Story
From advance sheets of a volume OF War
Tales, by DR.. Isaac Z. Mitchell, OF Dam
Vile. Ind. soon TO be pubiished.)
General Cameron always thought of
the comfort Of his men, and he even
looked after their moral veal, and at
one time when he thought there was
more gambling going on among the boys
than was necessary for mere pastime he
sent out guards to arrest the gambler
kings" who were driving a profitable
trade down in Prince Chuck-a-luck's"
| camp near "Fakir's' happy hollow. The
sergeant of the police guard did his duty
to the letter. and by noon he had lined
up at headquarters with "the whole
shooting match" faro. roulette, chuck-a-
luck, three card monte, poker, seven-up,
dice. the shell trick and all. Prince
Chuck-a-luck," who headed the process
sion. was an "old-timer." who had dom
duty on both sides of the bar and inside
of the bars. and the coloring on his nose
represented one Of the best farms in
Marion county, Indiana. The "pirooter,'
Sam Trick, whom General Dan Macauley
has since the war made famous by his
camp fire speeches. was under arrest
also for stealing clocks to get the wheels
to make spurs" which he sold at a fine
profit to the cavalry and staff officers.
Oliver Dougal. forager and abstracter
Of bric-a-brac, was among the %culprits.
He had violated the code Of ethics"
L hxy haino caan ~ tha cnctotx, 80 ~ool
sized 'shoat" at a time when rations
were not scarce In camp. Out Of the
material thus gathered General Cameron
organized a reform school by compelling
the motley group OF buns and gam
blers" to sit in the broiling rays of the
August sun in front of his tent and ply
the forms of their various fakes to an
imaginary crowd of the gullible suckers
who haunt the happy hollow" When
they all got started 1t reminded me OF a
county fair in the good old "wide-open"
days when beer and gingerbread flowed
like water IN a June freshet and the
"fakir" and skinner roamed to and
fro with his kit of irresistibles. Prince
Chuck-a-luck ratified "the bootleg and
cried out in a nasal drawl two aces and
a lovelye tray; try your luck. gentle
men; there's money in this game for
YOU" The wheel-of-fortune man spun
his wheel and sung his competitive
twang. and the three-card-monte man
manipulated his innocent. foolish look
ing game and piped his alluring song.
The air was full of the slang and jargon
of iniquity and the slums 1t was a
regular Donnybrook fair. the like Of
which had not been seen since Tam
O'Shanter saw the devil and the witches
that stormy night in the orgies Of Allo-
ways haunted kirk. In the evening the
general started out to lecture the Of
tenders before sending them to their
quarters, and as he passed down the
line he had each trickster disclose the
secret of his devices. When he came to
the three-card-monte fiend he was -four
ishing and tossing. his cards in the
simplest manner imaginable. The gen.
eral said: us that all there is to your
gamer"
"Ye-es,'' said the oily rogue.
"welI, them" said Cameron, "the boys
will get every last cent you've got. Why.
can pick out the little man every time"
well, yes" said the sharper as he
continued to toss his cards about, "a
man with a good eye ought to do 1t every
time. but some of the boys miss it occa-
sionally or I couldn't do business"
The general was about to pass on when
the fellow said: What will you bet,
General. that you can pick out the little
MANI"
"In bet you S." said the General as he
laid down his money. The gambler put
down a like amount and pitched his
cards out on to the board. and General
Cameron quickly picked out his card.
and-lost, while the smooth individual
raked in the money. folded his grip
and silently stole away, saying as he
went: General, 1 have waited all day
for q chance to turn your flank"
The General replied: "Give me those
cards, o rascal, and go 10 yOur quar-
tiers. and IL ever I see you at il again
I'll send you to Ship island"
Thus he released the jolly bummers,
and they went TO their respective quar-
tiers. but the mex day they were all back
again in happy hollow" where the fool
and his money pursue their devious
paths. "
One of the brightest spots in my
sacred little budget of delights is the
memory Of the golden days in which
each minute was a newer. fresher joy in
THE various incidents from wtich thu
story Is builded were given me by Harye,
c. Henry. late bugler in the Eleventh In
diana Volunteers. and are vouched for b,
him as being absolutely true historically
The ARRANGEMENT and expression OF them
with the exception Of a few verbatim pas
sares are charoeah1e solely RI me 90 ira
the incongruities in the literary :lIine