The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-12

his own words and over his own personal
siapature what he cor sidered the fun-
piest and also the saddest incident that
had como under his observation during
our great civil conflict. or In immediate
connection therewitb. This request was
kindly complied with In nearly every In
stance and 10 was thus that the appended
symposium was obtained, the last OF the
contributions composing 10 having been
received from the late Gen. William 4.
sherman only few weeks before. his
death. Doubtless some OF these anecdotes
may have been related To other CORE
spondents prior TO their publication here
and so may have been previously pub
lished, but SO far as know this Is their
first appearance in print, as it most cor
taiply Is in their present attractive form.
Told by zen. Grant.
"It was in a field hospital within whose
canvas walls many OF our brave boys lay
dead and dying. Among them were two
comrades. who were moro nearly hko
Damon and Pythias than any other two
men / ever knew in real lifo They hni
been born and bred In the same town.
had enlisted at the same time, and never
been separated from each other for day
since they first donned Uncle Sans blue
uniform. / am sure that either would
gladly have laid down his life for the
other lhey had both been slightly
wounded before the ono having re'oived
"A bayonet thrust In the left arm, anu the
other having had the index and middle
fingers of his right hand shot away. Now,
as they lay side by side, however, their
injuries are of a much more serious char
acter The surgeon looked very grave as
he turned from one TO tho other and the
gravity of his expression doepened as he
concluded his second examination Then,
as was his custom, for he neld IL to be "a
physicians duty To always inform pa.
tient of the true state of his case, he told
them plainly. but not without feeling,
that they both had but n few minutes TO
live. 'All right, said one, family,
but firmly, then we will die
together, as i always hoped we
goes murmured the other. Give me
your hand dear old boy, he continued,
and he reached out his loft hand toward
his comrade. Tn" dying man graspcd the
extended hand but finding 1t whole and
UNNAMED he cast it from him sIyino,
NO, no. Not that handl / want thJ
one that was partly shot away on the
battlefield His comrade extended his
wounded hand, and Tom, his eyes fast
glazing in death, clasped it and felt for
the stumps of the missing fingers. This
Is the hand want he exclaimed, and,
raising 1t TO his lips his spirit passed
without struggle. His friend, by
at his comrade. Seeing that he was no
II ore he uttered a loud cry, and the two
friends were reunited.
''There was no better, more fearless or
more loyal soldier than old Ja3k dublin,
bu. he had one fault and that was an
oyerweening fondness for the whisky
bottle, or rather for its contents He had
a boon companion whose real name
never knew, but everyone called him
Uncle ST. While in camp Old Jack was
taken i'll OF fever. and, despite the un-
remitting attention of Uncle 81. uied.
The corpse developed an unusual rigidity.
after DEATH and a strange tendency to fly
up into sitting posture. Accordingly,
on the night before its burial, II was
stretched out at full length upon board
resting upon two wooden trestles with its
head and feet tied down by ropes. Old
Uncle 81 insisted upon watching the
remains Of his dead friend. Shortly after
midnight he became very thirsty and
stepped out to \ neighboring suffers TO
procure n drink. During his somewhat
protracted absence two large cats found
their way TO the tent containing the
remains of old Jack, and when Uncle
81 returned he was naturally indignant
at seeing these felines sitting upon tho
corpse, one at the head and the other mt
The feet. Seizing billet of wood from
The ground he aimed powerful blow at
its mark and struck and severed the rope
holding down the head OF the corpse
which immed lately flew into a sitting
posture. Selling the dead man by tho
shoulder and forcing him back into n re-
cum bopt position, Uncle III exclaimed in
an aggrieved tone: Darn We. old man,
lie down and keep quiet I'll attend to
the cats. :"
Gen. Lees Stories.
"Maay of the most beautiful and
pathetic incidents of tho war occurred
after IL was all over. AT n hotel In Wash
ington In 1863 gentleman whose face l
cpud not remember exactly, though 10
seemed strangely familiar intrOd uCyd
himself and asked permission to present
me To his mother, sineularly beautiful
old lady OF queenly and dignified bearing,
TO whom he said, Mother, let me present
10 you Gen. *. r. Lao. ot tie late Con-
federaie army, whose saber thrust gave
mo this scar on INV right cheek, and who
toais the mark OF a woJnd gave him
I no BEAUTIFUL old lady throw Ter arms
around my neck and wcpt on my
snoEldcr. and in that tender embrace niId
the f,rNent clasp of the federal o.iltoi-'s
hand aEd mine we buried the anlmcst-
ties II tho war forever.
"One of the most devoted adherents tho
Southern cause ever had was Col NJ -.
40 matter how thick ard hiacS disaster
lowered upon our arms, the cJlonOl never
saw auSthicg but LriRHt ! q ana ahsp.
lite assurances OF triumph Et s.CcDss In
rcc near future In fact, 10 might not In.
appropriately have been stvlsu tho Ca'oh
balGerstane oi the tDnie.crIie army, for
Just as tie or ginal Ca.eh was always
reyrosenting his master as lniJ2 in the
most aflluent and prosperous rum.
stances and invontinr th8 most ingenious
lies to make it aupCar So tie colonel tou-
ftantly rolTescnted tho resources of the
Southern pcOnl0 TO be liultCss IN tre
zane clever fashion. At lrng,h. when
Ue'eat stared us nlninly In tac lace aud
my surrender TO Con. Grant seriucd IL
evita bic, q young officer deliberately hiEtod
10 the colonel that perhaps his confidence
Ia tho ultimate success of ous arms which
wns as boastful as ever. was orhaps
trifi. overwcening. The Cplnt cl looked
at him fer ancIneut with nm UNuIossion IN
whisb contempt nnWor, hurrOr and amusc-
mont stl uggled Tor the mastery. Then,
with hands uplifted. hair standing on
end, and eyes flashing fire. hc rolred out
eat the discomflted lieutenant IN he voice
of stentor, Dam up Niagara Falls. with
tissue paper; hottie up the Atlantic Ocean
In a whisky flask paste to let on the
sun and moon catch n flask Of lightning