Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-27
N(JNCHAUSEN PASHA.
ADVENTURES IN WAR AND LOVE
TOLD ny HIS nARBER.
SOHE VERY STIRRING INCIDENTS.
True Cause of Lees Defeat at Gcttys-
bure-A Tender Assault on N
widows Fortune, and n Fatal Error
An the Love-Mpking of an omccr.
New York SUM-

times before the civil war picturesque
country tavern and the social capital Of
the rich district THE slashes." from the
l,le marshes that traversed the planla.
tons and gave the name OF the Mill
BOY OF The Slashes" 20 Henry Clay. whose
family roof-tree was not far from the
quaint old inn. From the Bowling Green.
thirty miles above; from the Bull
Tcd, the great race-horse breedin 2
farm. down to Helltown. the wickedest
village in the old Dominion. the domain
Of The slashes was noted for fox-hounds.
horses, card-playing. juleps. and hosni-
ta.ty. There were grades OF aristocracy
among the negroes. ranging from the
COX. who held the secret OF power In the
family. 20 the butler and coachlnan: bur
ta. most picturesque character was the
barber who was generally a free negro.
ta.Iauchised by grace OF his genius as
ssip and valet in ordinary 10 the gentry
.. The neighborhood. The prince OF this
eass was Dan Harper. an artist OF tbs
slears and razor. but also a virtubso on
tae banjo, When the Bowling Green
pack and the Hanover pack Joined I'm a
ir cry on the trail OK a red Reynard.
f'r1icht away from the Bowling Green
iowa 90 Hehtown, Dan knew every horse
and dog by name as well as ne did the
riders and could even describe the points
G., the typical Diana Vernon, who was
generally allowed to take the brush. But
g. his old age. Dan. when he hears the
echoes Of distant war, loves TO show that
D. has been soldier as well as an ar
ts'. and in style that ii is possible 10
only initiate he recalls his adventures:
"Dey say. sab, dat Professor Lomax
Smith, Of Richmond. shaved Genl La
f}ette, and dat John Dabney, Of Old
Man Thompsons our House. made iu-
l.ns for Andrew Jackson and John Ran
6-.ph. but IL amt nothin' TO what / saw
elluTin' ob de war. at de first OBJ which
Genl Robert Lee only had a gray mus
uche. and l were de last 10 shave de
rest OBJ his cOuntenance.
80 when Roony Lee and FYtz and Col
Wicfham and all dem paraded out de
cavalry on de Bowling Green ! jes' hop
I-i on my boss. Spithre, given me by
CGnl Tom boswell, OBJ Bull Field, and
Il OF 10 de war Well, l were barber
l-stler and captain OF lie wagon train all
G.lng promiscuous like tell one day I
were ordered TO take a message 10 Genl
I.-z Lee and de first thing you know
Gore were de enemy right across de river,
sd Gcnl Jeb Stuart settln' on a log and
& soldier cookin' beef and maxim coffee.
III dem gentlemen were in for fun, and
G.nl Fitz Lee took and make me sing
Ike / were a regular trav'lin' show, so
tached 'em up wild de 'Suwanee River,
Ia old Kentucky Home, and SIGH. and
G performed de ole Marster's in de
Cl-e. Cole Ground Genl Fftz say:
Look here. Harper. we amt in fur no
more cole ground so wine up de concert
wild q lafable farce Den l Civ EN-
Dandy Jim from Cayarline,' which were
the brag song, and had TO be acted same
as sung 10 de banjo. How Jim cum down
o. Richmond on lark and git put in de
Cailaboose and hauled up 70 de Mayor.
y hlch II were ole Cunl Mayo in his blue
coat, brass buttons. and ruffie shirt. Jim
spain his case and say, 70 Honah, I'm
Dandy Jim Oh Cayarline.' and sing de
song so ole Cuni Mayo let him off,
"Genl Stuart stroke his long beard and !
lan. and F1tz say: Look here, Harper, |
you got 10 jine de cavalry, and / get a |
transfer fur you right off,
"Genl Fitz had a officer name Of Cun'l |
Montgomery Johson, which dey call him |
,i0nt Johnson fur short; but FftZ call him |
Clnl Munchausen. cuz he low he could |
talk de horns off goat and lie de har |
OF a mule. and he say: Harper, you |
tackle 10 Cunt Munchausen. He ar a fine |
man. and done won me morn one battle |
-y talkin' Yankees 10 death.
so me and Cunl Munchausen took TO |
1ne nuther. and he were powerful fond |
DO gallivanun' round TO see de young |
aides. scusin' 90 when he had duty to
ruffo'm one fine day a ole lady came
along in a mule cart and Munohausen
say:
Harper. dis here poor ole creetur want
10 60 thu de lines 10 Kit de body Of her
.0n. kilt I'm de battle de other day. You
AXE and drive de mule and git all de in
0rmatiOn you kin. and don't let on, but
make bleeve you ar one OF de intelligent
,ontrabans'
so y driv de ole lady up to de Yankee
commanders headquarters. and she KEEP |
n cryin' and tell 'em how her boy, buried
h. a red-oak tree twixt Postum Creek
I'D Kelley's Fode. Den We got in am
Nance me dTivin' and a Union major
tEi' long. and up and down de lines we
rv till most shutdown, and den de ole
ady say: Major, here's de place, right
own dat road Directly de Major hop
N his horse and look thu his double
ar'l spyglass.
Look here he say; I got nuff oh
rs proieckin. Yander's de rebel picket.
ambo. turn round and drive back
Den, quick as a flash ob litenin', de ole
1dv lump out de wagin and clap a pis-
ID TO de Majors head and he were so
umfounded he didn't say nothin' and let
q ole woman take his pistol out O his
eIt
o." 7 let YOU off easy, Major She says;
IN along OBJ 70 beln' so perlite TO me-
me wilder. whar done loss her son.
and befo' de Major could make up his
ind she jumped on his horse and holler
, me 10 follow. and way she went. settin'
D de Majors boss straddleways like a
ian. and me arier her in de ambulance
To- de Lord, II were Strngfeller, de big
sst devll in our army. and sence de war
one turn preacher and make business
Z savln' sinners. / lowed 10 get even VIC
,mchausen for almost gitten me cotched
lr a spy, but de Cunl sware hisseii
K IN de face how he didn't know j
a-e Sringfeller
aYou talk bout war balloon, but tell
5g Munchausen and me made one 10
var q message clear cross de lines %
We armies and Jet GenI Lee know what
do. IL were endurin OBJ de cavalry
I'D two nights befo' de second Manassas
lttle. and me and Fitz. Lee and Nun
,ausen like 10 ha' cOtched Genl Pope In
midnight storm. and de hebbens full
, FIRE. and we all shootin' all we knowed
W.. Genl Pope. he got away ana len !
title oh whiskey ia a sergeants tent
ugin' oh which We all mout ma been !
81 in de storm oh de elements. DE cav !
~ ria round and cross de Potomac
yer. and me and Munchausen we mo
advance, scoutin in de woods. we :
eaked clear round de Union army al
eht and laid down in de woods. Mum I
augen say.
10 Harper we can't get back cross de
,tomac. we got 10 wait tell Uncle Ro-