Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1897-11-27
BANTAM IN THE ARMY
ONLY ROOSTER IN GEORGIA THAT HAS
TOMRs TONE OVER HIS GRAVE.

~ IOmoS0 OENG OVCh 0hNV6.
Enlisting at Culpeper, Va, He Served
A Sentinel In a Tree-How He Betrayed
Jim Nessmith.
"While we We're camped near Gull
pepper Court House in the fall of 1862, ;"
said Major Tom Williams, II became
acquainted with a family named Dow
dy Just before the battle of Culpeper
paid visit to the farm and found the
ladies in a panic, preparing to flee. They
set before me such scant fare as they
had left, and after l had eaten hasty
luncheon Miss Mary Dowdy called to
me and led the way to the back yard.
"'There is the last of our stock of
poultry said she, pointing to a little
bantam cock that was strutting about
the yard. L haven't the heart to kill
him because he is a pet. If you want
him, you can take him and do as you
like with him.
During the campaign of 1868 he Of
ten sat on my shoulder through the
long, weary marches and hurried re-
treats, and l shared my rations with
him One night we had reached the
flank of the enemy's camp by forced
march and lay down to sleep on our
arms, expecting to be reused at the
break of day for sudden charge, 1 had
started off with General perched upon
my musket barrel, and sudden change
in the order of march had separated us
from the wagons, so l placed the roost
er on the limb of a sapling above my
head, while 1 lay down to snatch few
minutes sleep.
General did not utter single cluck
in protest, although he must have been
very hungry from long fasting, but
quietly squatted ON the branch while I
flung myself on the grass and leaves
and was soon fast asleep. | was so
weary that 1 slept profoundly until
was suddenly aroused by an unearthly
screech in my ear. Raising my head,
took in the whole situation at glance.
General had dropped down from his
perch and uttered a shrill crow right in
my car which had awakened me, and as
l opened my eyes l saw the flash of guns
as our picBets fired and in an instant
fell back upon us where we lay. The
Yankees had turned the tables on us,
and, discovering our presence, the sur
prising force became the surprised, and
i'll ten minutes there was an unearthly
racket going ON in that pine thicket.
Right and left of my position the
with yells and cheers, moving cautious
ly and firing as they moved. 1t had be-
come sufficiently light for me to find
my few belongings, and soon recover
ed my hat and haversack, which l had
forgotten to pick up in the hurry of the
first surprise, and just at that time 1
was saluted with a loud crow just above
my head and looking up saw General
perched upon his limb, he having flown
back there when the firing began, and
with his head held on one side he was
siding along the swaying branch, crow
ing and clucking.
''In spite of the banging of the guns
and whistling of bullets General stuck
bravely to his perch and never fluttered
during the entire engagement. When
told the story in camp that night,
General was the toast of the evening,
and he was treated to all sorts of It'd
bits in recognition Of his gallantry
on the field of action.
Zone morning, however, General
played the camp detective in most
alarming manner, which came near
proving disastrous t. a fellow soldier of
another mess. All foraging had been
strictly forbidden, and no man was al
heaviest penalty of military discipline.
There was fellow by the name of Jim
Nessmith, who occupied a tent not far
from that of the captain of our compa-
ny. About o'clock the order was pass
ed along the lines for us to prepare to
march.
General was perched on the limb of
a bush near me while I sat munching
my hard tack, and all of sudden he
raised himself ON his perch and crowed
Justify. OF course no cock in hearing
could resist replying to such challenge,
and from within the tent occupied by
Jim Nessmith came the mutfled crow of
an old rooster. Jim made grab at the
bag and succeeded in choking him off,
but the noise had reached the ears of
some of the others, and the captain be-
came apprised of the fact that Jim had
been foraging. A hasty examination of
his tent disclosed the body of the big
rooster, choked to death by Jim in his
anxiety to put stop to his untimely
growing
Jim was ordered under arrest pend
ing an investigation, but just about that
time the order came to advance, and we
moved forward, and by sunrise we We're
fighting, and the unfortunate officer
who had ordered Jim to be placed un-
der arrest was borne from the field a
corpse after the fight was over The af-
fair was forgotten amid the stirring
scenes that followed.
Seeing that the end was near, l
found an opportunity to send General
to the rear, and placing him in a cage
started him on the long journey to the
home of nephew in Georgia. He had
not been long on the farm before he be-
gan to pine and droop, and the family
thought that he was disconsolate ON ac-
count of being separated from his COM
rades This might have been all fancy,
but he lived only short time, and
when he died my nephew and the boys
of the neighborhood gave him regular
military funeral
81 suppose that his is the only grave