The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-04-06
WAR STOKES.
Tales Told by a Southern Soldier.
st. Louis Repu6lic.

Well, they did their best, but they
didn't have no luck. One Of em was
killed at Manassas, two others in a
cavalry raid, and the other three FELL
in different actions long the road, as
you might say. We ain seemed to a
had no luck. But it's just come to
this, that if the family is to be repre-
sented the old man must git up his
shootin' ag'in, or else one o the gals
would have to take hand. So here 1
am
;sJust then the third advance was
made. A tremendous column Of
heroic fellows was hurled upon us.
only to be swept away as its prede;es-
sors had been. Two or three minutes
did the work, but at the end Of that
time the old man fell backward, and
Tom Booker caught him in his arms.
"'You' re shot, he said.
n'Yes. The family don't seem to
have no luck. If one o my gals
comes to you. you'll give her fair
chance to shoot straight, won't you,
boys?'"
The story entitled Two Minutes
relates to the firing of a mine. 1t
seemed that all had been arranged and
that the match had gone out. Some
one must relight it, dangerous thing
to do. The General asked the Cap
tain of the engineers to go in and
light the match again. The Captain
hesitated. Thereupon acertain young
man touched his cap and said E'With
your permission, l will go in and fire
it."
ssThank. you,'' said the General,
"go!''
The man picked up the torch and
started into the mine. 1t seems that
the match had gone out within
very short distance of the powder
magazine. But, disregarding that, he
touched the torch to it, set it off
again, and ran with all his might for
tho mouth Of the opening.
s.It was swo minutes work. The
mine went off just before he reached
the outlet, and the air pressure liter
ally blew him out of it. He fell
sprawling on his face. He was con-
siderably bruised and scratched in his
contact with the gravelly ground, but
was not in any serious way injured.
Picking himself up, grimed as he was,
he took off his cap, and, dusting him
self like schoolboy who has fallen in
the street, he approached the com
manding officer and said: General, I
have the honor to report that | have
fired the mine, apd that it has gone
off.
''The General touched his cap and
replied: Z had observed that fact,
and 1 thank you very much. l beg to
say that will make an official report
of the circumstance.
1.-TWO days later we all touched our
caps to freshly-made Brigadier Gen
eral Of the engineers. The Captain,
who had hesitated, remained Cap
tain.
The author tells the story of ''My
Friend Phil Phil was negro slave
who belonged to friend Of the writer.
"He was strong man, rejoicing in
his strength always; but there was
one thing he would not do-he would
not work for himself.
ellis master was one of those who
hoped for gradual emancipation, as
many Virginians did, and thought it
his duty to prepare his negroes for
freedom, so far as it was possible for
him to do so. Among other means to
this end, he encouraged each to make
and save money on his own account.
Each was expected to cultivate a
patch Of his own. Their master gave
them the necessary time and the use
of the mules whenever their crops
needed attention.
In this way he thought to train
them in habits Of voluntary industry
and thrift; and some of them. having
no necessary expenses to bear, accu-
mulated very pretty little boards Of
cash from the sale Of their crops every
year. But Phil would not raise Il
crop for himself.
- What want to raise crop for
he would ask. '[don want no money,
on y quarter sometimes to buy a
banjo string Or Il fish line, an | get
plenty o quarters pitched at me when
l hol' dc gentlemen hosscs. | don t
want no money, an l wouldn t know