The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-25
MUNCHAUSEN OF VIRGINIA.
HIS ADVENTURES IN WAR AND
LOVE TOLD ny HIS BARBER.

Richmond Va.-The Slash cottage,
which stood on the site of the present
town of Ashland. twenty miles from Rich
mon. was in old times, before the civil
war, picturesque country tavern and the
social capital of the rich district called
1.-THE Slashes." from the little marshes that
traversed the plantations and gave the
name of the Mill of the slashes" 10 Hen
~ Clay, whose family roof Tree was not
far from The quaint old inn. From the
Bowling Green, thirty miles above, from
the Bull Field the great race horse breed
ing farm, down to Helltown, the wicked
est village in the Old Dominion, the do
main of the Slashes was noted for fox
hounds, horses. card playing. juleps and
hospitality. There were grades OF ars-
tocracy among the negroes, ranging from
the cook. who held the secret of power in
but the most picturesque character was
the barber, who was generally a free re-
gro. enfranchised by grace of his genius
as gossip and valet in ordinary to the gem
try of the neighborhood. The prince of
this class was Dan Harper, an artist CT
the shears and razor, but also a Virtuoso
on the banjo When the Bowling Green
pack and the Hanover pack joined in a
far cry on the trail of red Reynard,
straight away from the Bowling Green
down to Holltown. Dan knew every horse
and dog by name as well as he did the
riders and could even describe the points
of the typical Diana Vernon. who was
generally allowed to take the brush. But
in his Old age Dan when he hears the
echoes of distant war, loves to show that
he has been a soldier as well as an ardsJ.
and in a style that ii is possible 10 only
initiate he recalls his adventures:
"Dey say, sab, dat Prof Lomax Smith
of Richmond shaved Gen'l Lafayette, and
dat John Dabney Of old man Thompson's
our House made juleps for Andrew Jack
son and John Randolph, but 1t amt moth
in to what / saw endurin OBJ de war, al
de first OBJ which Gen'l Robert Lee only
had a gray mustache, and l were de last
to shave de rest oh his countenance.
80, when Rooney Lee and Fitz and Col.
Wickham and all dem paraded out de
cavalry on de Bowling Green 1 jes hoped
on my boss, Spitfre, given me by Cun'l
Tom boswell OBJ Bull Field, and rid off to
de war Well, were barber. hostler and
captain of de wagon train all along pro-
mscuous like tell one day / were ordered
TO take message to Gen'l Fttz Lee, and
de first thing you know dere were de en-
envy right across de river, and GenI Jeb
Stuart settin on log and a soldier cook
in beef and maxim coffee. All dem gem
tlemen were in for fun, and Gen'l Fitz
Lee took and make me sing like ! were a
regular trav'lin show, so l teched 'em up
wild de 'Suwanee River De Old Ken
lucky Home and SIGH, and den performed
de ole Marster's i'm de Cole, Cole
Ground Genl Fitz say Look here,
Harper, we amt In fur no more cole
ground, so wine up de concert wild a laf-
fable farce Den l Civ EN-, Dandy Jim
from Cayarline, which were the Drag
song, and had to be acted same as sung
TO de banjo. How Jim cum down 10
Richmond on a lark and git put in de cal
laboose and hauled up fo' de Mayor which
1t were old Cunl Mayo In his blue coat
brass buttons and ruffle shirt. Jim
splain his case and say, 'Yo Honah, I'm
Dandy Jim of Cayarline,' and sing de song
so ole Cun'l Mayo let him off.
Gen Stuart stroke his long beard and
laff, and Fitz say: Look here, Harper
you got to jne de cavalry, and / get a
transfer fur you right Off
"Genl Fitz had a officer name of Cunl
Montgomery Johnson which dey call him
Mont johnson fur short; but F'itz call him
Cunl Munchausen, cuz he low he could
talk de horns off a goat and lie de ha'r
off a mule, and he say: Harper. you
tackle to Cunl Munchausen. He ar a
fine man, and done won me morn one bat
tie by talkin Yankees TO death
80 me and Cunl Munchausen took 20
one nuther, and he were powerful fond oh
gallivantin' round to see de young ladies
scusin' OBJ when he had duty to puffo'm
One fine day a ole lady came along in
mule cart and Munchausen say:
Harper, dis here poor old creetur want
to go thu de lines to git de body OBJ her
son kilt in de battle de other day. You
take and drive de mule and git all de
information you kin and don't let on, but
make b'leeve you ar one Of de intelligent
Contrabans.'
so l driv de ole lady up to de Yankee
commanders headquarters. and she KEEP
on cryin' and tell EN- how her boy buried
by red oak tree twixt Possum Creek
and Kelley's Fode. Den we got In a am
blance, me drivin' and a Union major rid
in long, and up and down de lines we
driv ill most SHUTDOWN, and den de ole
lady say Major here's de place, right
down dat road. Directly de major hop
off his horse and look thu his double bari
spyglass.
Look here, he say, 7 got nuff OBJ dis
projeckin'. Yander's de rebel picket. Sam
DO, tun round and drive back.
Den quick as flash oh litenin' de ole
lady jump out de wagin and clap pistol
70 de majors head, and he were so
dumfounded he didn't say nothin' and let
de ole woman take his pistol out o his
belt.
~ let you off easy. Major, she says.
all along OBJ 20 ben so perlite TO me,
lone wilder whar done loss her SON.
"And befo' de Major could make up his
mind she jumped on his horse and holler
to me 10 follow, and way she went, settin'
on de Majors boss straddleways like
man. and me arter her in de ambulance.
'Fo De Lord, il were StriDgfeEer, de big
gest devil IN our army. and sence de war
done turn preacher and make "a business of
savin' sinners. / lowed 20 git even wild
Munchausen for almost gitten me cotched
fur a SPY. but de Cun'l sware hisself black
IN de face how he didn't know it were
Sirngfeller
You talk bout war balloon. but tell
you Munchausen and me made one to cyar
"A message clear cross de lines oh bofe arm
les and let Gen. Lee know what 10 do. ~