The National tribune., 1898-10-27

"De Pussona1 Rekolieshons :" of an Army
Cook-The War Viewed from the Rear
Yo flip Young Tent Cavalry nisgehs tink:
yo done all de rayle fitin' de worP ever seed
down dar at San Dagoville, an youse putin
on mo frills dan q man Good cock up wild q
boss rake in q day. When yo walk long de
sidewalk 20 want de whole OBJ it. an common
ole niggehs like-me hab tub go in de gutteli.
/ hab tub waite foh my beeah till yo git yores,
an wen | begin little remissuiss, yo brake
in wild bigger ting dat yo done seed Mt dat
one hoss shindy down at San Dagoyille.
Mind | don't say yo diddent do good fitin'
what dere wuz oh hit, but hit walnut rale-
rode snack compared tub barbycue tab
what | done seed.
Lord, If yo had belonged tub de ole 10Th
Canajoharie, what started in at Yorktown,
an went troo der whole show tub ApDymat-
tocks, widdout missin number, yo'd tink
SIGH a bob-tailcd scrap as dat at San Dago-
vile only a cartain-raiser.
! Yo pin-ieddcr niggers orter've bin erlong
wild me wen dey bruk me intuh soljerin, OH
de Seven DAYS fight. | walnut no older dan 70
den an diddent hab no more sense, but,
gracious kingdom, | WIZ q tOusand years
Older by de time we got tuh Malvern Hill. an
what sense had left wuz kiln-dried. / tell
you | WIZ de greenest niger dat ebber
. libbed wen we started in on de Chick
ahominy, but by de tine we got back tuiide
James dar wuz no more green about me dan
! a last years deadenin An dere wuz no
standin off four miles, an shootn little
bullets no biggern a lead-pencil, like dem
daooes down dere in Cuby. Jest miles an
miles oh rebels come marchin out ODER dem
ole corn-fields, an walked right up until 20
coed see de terbacker stains on deir shut
bosOms, an den blazed away wild bullets big
as walnuts.
Dat wuz he-fghting, / tell 20. An talk
about yer rain an mud. Yo nebber WIZ out
in Virgnny rain when hit wuz layin hit
self out tub show what hit could do? Can't
nebber make me believe hit kin rain in
Cuby like hit kin in ole Virginny. De
island is too small. Hitd be sunk under 40
foot Oh wafer in no time.
| waz taggin around arter Mistuh 10 den,
totin his tings an tryin tub keep in sight oh
him, an hit wuz monty hard wuk. tell yo,
foh dey. cracked dem regiments around
like 70 wood an ox-whip First, de battles
oh Mechancsvile and Gaines's Mill done
skecred de lie clean outen me. | fought
ebbery cannon shot dat | heered WIZ a-kilirn
MiStuh Jo an dey wuz comm Eastern hail.
I lest set down ut de foot oh white-oak
tree and beiered an helIered till ] wuz
bellered clean empty. an den fell ober an
went to sleep. Bimeby somebody kicked me
an walked me up. | looked an SEED nial
about fohteen feet high, dough he looked
like Mistuh JG. He had " stub JOS shape,
and red hair, but his face nm hands wuz
blacl; as any niggehs yo ebber seed, an his
eyes flashed fire He sez, i'll al awful voice,
but still like MIstuh JOS:
wake up, yo little nrggeh an git us
some suppeh."
felt snore Mistuh 10 had bin killed an
dis wuz his ghost come tnh torment me- |
fell on my knees aud whlmpered out:
80, please, Mistuh Ghost. don't do muffin
tub me. I'm only pore little niggeh what
haint done muffin. Please, Mistuh Ghost"
Mistuh 10, fob hit was rayly him i'll flesh
an blood glib me anudder kick. an sezzee:
What's de matter wild 20, yo wuhess
brat2 Is 80 done gone plumb crazy? | amt
no ghost, but de hongrest man in seDben
Counties. Hustle around now. an git out an
cook some grub. l feel like l Good eat a
wason-load."
knowed he wuz no ghost from de way he
kicked me. WIZ so glad dat | cooddent do
cnui fob Mistuh Jo | pranced around an
cooked all de grub | had an den stole some
more from Commissary wagon, an Mistuh
10 he ct hit all, an den went tub de crick an
washed de powder from his face an hands,
soze he looked ike hisself agin.
Den cum Fair Oaks, an de march acrOst
tub de james Ribber, an marchin an fightin
ebbery hour OBJ de day an night, wild Gle
houses burnin, de miles oh wagons on fire,
shells bigg TN flolr bar'ls cummIn 0ber from
de gunboats, dead men IN bosses an mules
LAWN around like chunks i'll de woods, de
field-pieces a-bangin al de bullets singin like
big yaller-jackets. Ide hab run, but dere
wuz no place tub run tub. Ebbery place
wuz wusern ebbery odder place. l done
knowed | wuz gwine tub be killed fob shore.
an | only wanted tub die as nigh Nlistuh 10
as possible. Bimeby, ut de eend oh de week,
arter Idle died about seventeen hundred times
we climbed up ON Malvern Hill. / looked
out while de regiment wuz formin an seed de
whole country swarmin wild rebels as far as |
could see, an | Good see clean back tub Rich
mond. Ebberywhere dey was ticker dan
grasshoppers in a medder in June, an all
cumin on yelin. Hit was jest awful. l jest
toted my kit up close tHh whar Mistuh 10
wuz standin in line, an SEE l.:
80, Mistuh 10. dis am de Judgment Day
fob shore. All de people oh de airtli is down
dar, an we'll hear ole Gabriel done blow his
horn. Dis time we're all gone"
NOb Dy % SlSit, SCI NllSluu JO
"Git back on stump somewhat an yo1l
see us knock sebben kinds OBJ birthstone out
OBJ dem hellhounds. Looky dar."
/ looked an seed batteries strung out all
around de edge OBJ de hill, wild more a-cumin
up. -,.-v. ,t
Den dar bust out an awfuller bangin an
shootin an yellin dan we had yit Yo Good
dent breave for de powder-smoke, an de airth
Jest rocked an rocked till L cooddent stand
up. Hit got wuss an wuss ebbery minute.
got down behind de stump, an hid my
face an said all de prayers dat | knowed, an
bellered an said my prayers ober agin, an
den waited fob de cummin oh de Angel oh de
Lawd, who wuz so busy wild white folks dat
he cooddent find time tub fool wild niggers,
but wood be along soon.
Bimeby all de shootin stopped jest as sud
dent as hit had begun. De smoke rolled
away, an seed de whole side OBJ de hill Xiv
vered wild dead rebels an de rest runnin'
back tub Richmond.
Den ouah men set up de greatest hollerin
an cheerin, de bands begin playin,s an eb
berybody wuz shakin hands an laughin an
eheerin.
/ seed down de hill little ways whar a
commissary wagon had bin busted wide open
by a shell, AMI ruined down an grabbed up
monty good suppeh foh Mistuh 10.
Promising Community.
adams Freeman.
Fisherman-Say, boy, is there a good catch