Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-12-05
BANTAM IN THE ARMY

< -4= ]a zfk 11S 1 1Itl fA lAHE ONLY ROOSTER IN NGEoRaiA THAT HAS
 4 TOMBSTONE ovsR HIS GRAVE. Enlisting at Gulpeper, Va, He serves
 under Major Williams In Many Battiea.
 A Sentinel In Troe-How Re Betrayed
 sim Ness1nifas.
 While we were ca1nped near Cug. peper Court House ill the fall of 1869. y said Major Tom Williams, s'I became acquainted with 9 family named Dow dy. Just before the battle of Culpeper I paid visit to the farm and found the ladies i'll panic, preparing to flee. They set before me such scant fare as they had left, and after I had eaten a hasty luncheon Miss Mary Dowdy called to me and led tho way to the back yard.
 There is the last of our stock of poultry, said she, pointing to 3 little bantam cock that was strutting about the yard. I haven't the heart to kill him because ho is a pct. If you want him, you can take him and do as won like with him.
 During the campaign of 1863 he og- ten sat on my shoulder through the long, weary marches and hurried re- treats, aud I shared 11lyyv rations with him. One night we had reached the flank og t,,sc onemy's camp by a forced march and lay down to sleep on our arms, expecting to be reused at the break of day for Q sudden charge. I had started off with General perched upon my muslet barrel, and a sudderI change in the order of march had separated us from tho wagons, so I placed tho roost- CT on the limb of sapIing above my head, while lay down to snatch few minutes sleep.
 General did not utter single cluek in protest, although he must have been very hungry from long fasting, but quietly squatted on the branch while | flung myself on the grass and leaves and was soon fast asleep. I was so weary that I slept profoundly until I ggas suddenly aroused by an unearthIy ! teeeh in my ear. Raising my head, E Isb '. in the whole situation at e glance. ,ddeS General had dropped down from his si. sh and uttered Q shrill crow right in
 far which had awakened me, and as
 ed my eyes I saw the flash of guns tickets fired and in an instant
 4pon us where we lay. The : sad lsS had turned the tables on us.
 =, discovering our presence, the sur prising force became the surprised, and in ten minutes there was an unearthly racket going on ill that pine thicket.
 Right and left of my position the boys came out of cover and advanced with yel1s and cheers, moving cautious ly and firing as they moved It had be- come sufficiently light for me to find my few belongings, and I soon recover cd my hat and haversaels, which I had forgotten to pick up in the hurry of tho first surprise, and just at that time I was saluted with loud crow just above my head and looking up saw General perched upon his limb, he having flown back there when tho firing began, and with his head held on one side he was siding along She swaying branch, orow- ing and choking.
 ssln spite of the banging of the guns and whistling of bullets General stuck bravely to his perch and never huttered 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 tid- bits in recognition of his gallantry an the field of action
 "One morning, however, General played the camp detective in most alarming manner, which came near proving disastrous tJ a fellow soldier of another mess. All foraging had been strictly forbidden, and no man was aI- lowed to leave the ranks under the heaviest penalty of military discipline. Thore was fellow by tho name of Jim Nessmith, who occupied tent not far from that of tho captain of our compa- az. About o'clock the order was pass- cd along tho lines for us to prepare to march
 General was perched on the limb of bush near me while sat munching my hard tack, and all of a sudden he raised himself on his perch and crowed lustily. Of course no cock in hearing could resist reply lying to such challenge and from within the tent occupied by Jim Nessmith came the mufled crow of an old rooster. Jim made grab at the bag and succeeded in choking him off, but the noise had reached the ears o9 some of the others, and tho captain be- came apprised of the fact that Jim had beer foraging. A nasty examination of his tent disclosed the body of the big rooster, cholSed to death by Jim in his anxiety to put 6 stop to his untimely growing.
 Jim was ordered under arrest pend- ing on investigation, but just about that time the order came to advance, and we moved forward. and by sunrise we were fighting, and the unfortunate officer who had ordered Jim, to be placed un- der arrest was borne from the field corpse after tae fight was over. The afY c. .g..