The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-01-28
A SHINPLASTER.

| am Il % cent greenback, and for all
know may be enc of the unredeemed,
but l have had such varied experiences
and WAS able to do so much good the
day Richmond was evacuated | feel /
must tell about it, for | was as much a
subject Of dispato in my day is gold and
silver and bWlas are HOW. | was sent
forth fresh ana crisp from Washington
to Il pdymasar III the Army Of the Po-
tomae on the Virginia peninsula, and
he delivered me, alc"g with lot OF
/ larger notes, 10 Il captain of the Fifth
Pennsylvania cavalry.
The captain placed the big notes IN a
letter winch he wrote to his wlfe-a
sweet, loving lettcr--in which lie told
her he was going the next day on IA
raid up the peninsula, and that If all
went well he might sleep III Richmond;
that she must leepup a brave heart and
that lac would be home seou When he
sealed tbs letter, | saw the muscles of
his mouth tWiteh and his brave blue
eyes moisten, and I snuggled up within,
for / knew the Dravesl We're the tender
est, and he was wishing that he could
go with that letter.
But There were 10 Drawer men in the
war than lie Pcunsylymiaus, aud l
knew that, live or die, he would be
game and Go what was right
The next morning we started off and
got along very well until about l =
miles beyond Williamsburg, and just at
the fork of the roads we were attacked
by the advance guard Of ehingler's
South Carolina cavalry. We had only 40
men i'll our party, and the rebels were
numerous. The captain SAW he had bet
ter retire, so he turned his horse order
ed retreat, and the men threw their
guns over their shoulders and dashed
down the road, firing as they retreatcd.
We went into new position, behind
the college walls-the college had been
burned-and as the hot lead spattered
against the old English bricks l shud
dered, and every time the statue of Lord
BolCtourt was hit felt as if everything
sacred was being desecrated, and could
almost hear the British lion growl.
While l was MADE for circulation | was
based on protection, and when charges
We're made against me | feared | would
be ground mo pulp before | was with
drawn.
Our enemies were re-enforced, and
my captain, seeing discretion was the
better part of yalor, again retired and
dashed down the main street. Before
he had gone two squares ii bay0net was
thrust through his thigh, and he was
L., pl,a I
was exchanged for a bag of tobacco and
became an ally and associate of armed
rebellion. A shinplaster has no atfec-
tions or attachments you know.
| was put in what was called pocket
by my rebel owner, but ii seemed to me
Ike {, rl-; l.8. | vas SO frightened l
thought | Mould uie and was sure |
would never smile again, but that night
l laughed myself sick at the ludicrous
and hairbreadth escape of my new
friend.
He was worn out with excitement of
the day, and as he passed house by the
college, just across from the president
house, one of his friends asked him i'll,
pointed to feather bed ON the floor,
and he sank down in it and slept as
only IA Confederate soldier could, for he
had not seen bed of any kind for so
long He was in high feather at his
good fortune. He was too tired to
dream. l was awake, studying my new
surroundings. Suddenly friendly
hand shook him up and said, You are
caught. -" He crept to the window, pull
ed the curtain aside, and there, sure
enough, We're my friends of the Fifth
Pennsylvania cavalry.
If ever my Union soul longed for
voice, it was then He could have put
his hand on them. He double quicked
into his clothes and buttoned me up
against his heart, which was going faster
than a weayer's shuttle. 1t was IA bril-
liant moonlight night i'll April. He had
put his horse in an open shed and pushed
cart III front of it to keep him from
getting away. He realized his danger
and the absolute necessity for quiet.
Just as he stcalthily entered the shed
a calf ran between his legs and beloved
as only calf can and threw him over OH
the cart well, - thought |, Il will now
be back with the Fifth Pennsylvania
cavalry. lie clutched al the horse,
jumped en- his back, dug h : spurs i'll its
side and dashed ,own The ro"d | had
been over {, &C. fore Gha bIt was ont
of the hers 3.,ath, ami ho was going
like John Gi.p lid no poslbie way
for the ridcs to cas;Iol his hc1se-right
to the Conf.1rr.,#t p.ckrJs, " ho had or.
ders to sLCct ,uy aud all cavalry com
ing down that road. After great yelling
he made himself known to the guards,
and he never stopped till the horse got
to the camp.
was presented to his sister, and then
was taken to the parlor in Richmond
and put in something had never heard
of before---a glory pitcher. 1 had great
curiosity to know what glory pitcher
was. Day and night kept my ears open
to try to find out, and on the Fourth Of
July did, for they took me out and
filed the pitcher with punch and drank
General George Washington's health,
and 1 heard them say that when General