The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1897-10-07
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOME INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boys of Both Armies Whiled
Away Life in Camp-Fora9ing Ex-
periences, Tiresome Marches-Thril.
ling Scenes on the Battlefield.
Private smith's story.

| uIe SOuetlIueS ueceptiNe, anu SolultL
makes out a strong case against inn
self in a story which he occasionally
tells VIXEN he attends a Confederate re
| union
"In the early part of the war;" said
Smith, Il was private soldier under
Stonewall Jackson in Virginia. Al
that time l was a mere boy, and my
gun was almost as big and heavy as
was. You can imagine how tired and
hungry l was after had marched two
days without any food. A driving rain
storm came on, and could hardly drag
my feet along the muddy road.
"A tent by the roadside attracted my
attention, and l saw a gray-bearded
face peeping out at the marching
troops.
Hello, old man. l shouted; got
| anything to eat in thereY
"'Yes; what's the matter? the man
in the tent replied.
Il told him that | was hungry and
had been marching two days without
a scrap of food.
pleasantly.
"1ntO the tent plunged in hurry,
throwing down my gun and smacking
my lips in anticipation of a square
meal.
"The stranger opened camp chest
and invited me to help myself. You
should have seen the ay l sailed into
the rations. l ate ravenously, without
saying a word, and for the time forgot
all about my kind host.
"Finally he asked me if I would have
Il drink of water, and banded me a
gourd from bucket in one corner Of
the tent l took big drink and got
ready to depart.
"'You have been very kind to me- l
said to my new friend, and l would
like to know your name
My name is Lee was the answer.
Lee-what Lee?' asked him-'not
General Lee?'
"'That is my name was his quiet
response.
well, was taken aback, Of course,
but l was young and cheeky, and l
made the best of it. Soldiers had no
handKerchiefs, and so wiped my hand
on my breeches and gave the Generals
paw cordial shake.
"He asked my name and told me to
take care Of myself as left
"a few days later my command was
on the march, and had just reached a
bridge when 1t was ordered to open
ranks to let General Lee pass.
Il was standing at the head Of the
line, and when the General dashed up,
followed by a negro servant riding on
another horse, 1 could not keep still.
'HOwdy, Generalr shouted.
"'Why, Smith, my boy" he replied
as lie pulled up his horse. Here,
Smith, get on this horse and follow me-
"The negro turned over his horse to
me snd l mounted him.
81 rode off with my commander, feel
ing '.nighty good. can tell you; but
those rascals at the bridge were bound
to have their fun, and about thou
sand of them set up yell.
ldhc Hill ueutEdl, Iuey
howled. He amt no good-never was
on a horse before in his life-can't do
nothing but eat-take him and keep
himv
THAT was the send-off my comrades
gave me; but the General understood
the humorous side of camp life, and he
merely smiled and kept straight ahead.
Il accompanied him short distance
and returned to my company in the
course of an hour or two, after the
Generals staff had joined him.
THAT is the story of my meeting with
Bob Lee. Do you wonder that we boys
all took a fancy to him? He was Just
as clever to Private Smith as he would
have been to general, and l could
see that it was pleasure to him to
share his rations with me
But the boys guyed me about 1t a
long time. They told the story with !
lots of fanciful fourishes. and three
years later when ] went to the West |
as an officer on General Forests staff.
| found that the tale had preceded me
and had made me well known in army
circles.
">h, those were great days; full Of
great men and great deeds. Even now.
af,er the lapse of generation, my
heart thrills with pride when I recall
my two meetings with the Confeder.
lcy's grandest chieftain, the idol of the
people, the father of his soldiers-royal
Did Bob Leer'-Wallace Putnam Reed.
n Chicago Times-Herald.