Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1898-11-12
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THE PACKET IN HIS BREAST.
A Veterans New Version OF the Old
War story About the Protect-
Ing Bible.

"a great many people," remarked
the veteran as he slowly filled his pipe,
"do not believe these stories about sol
| diers' lives bein' saved by Bibles which
they carried in their upper blouse pock-
cts. But there's nothing improbable
about EN-"
THAT reminds you of story" said
one of the crowd, and all settled back
TO hear it.
"Well, yes; it does remind me of a
peculiar circumstance" assented the
veteran.
"All right, fire away" said one of
his hearers. Then the veteran set tied
back and told the story.
Il was just 10 years old when the
war broke out, and full of enthusiasm
and patriotism. 1 tried to get in un-
der the first call, but was turned down
because of my age. So waited, fum-
in an frettin' all the time, an finally
a call was made for more, an then
they wasn't so blamed particular about
age.
Il presented myself at the recruit
in Office an was accepted. My folks
were rather opposed to my goin', but
when they saw / was determined they
said it was all right. I'll never forget
my last night at home. Mary-that's
the girl that was to marry me when
got back-came over, and we had
sort o. farewell doin's. Father didn't
say much, but he kept up pile O.
thinkin', for he had fought with Scot
in Mexico and knew a thing or tw1
about war. Mother cried a little nov
an then, but she was pretty bras.ss
She spent most of her time fixin' up
some little things for me t. take, an
Mary an me sat over in a corner and
told stories with our eyes.
Next mornin' 1 started. When I
told tn folks good-by father he handed
me little package wrapped up in a
bit of oiled silk. My boy says he,
heres somethin' thatll help pass away
your idle time in camp. Take good keer
of it, for it may be hard to git an
other after you git out in tn field
81 stuck the package in my blouse
pocket an marched away t. th' tune
O. 'Th' Girl Left Behind mother an
Mary cryin' in each others arms, an
father tryin' hard to cheer an look
pleased.
"It was mighty tiresome work in
camp, trainin' an drillin' an all that
sort o. thing. We wanted Z git right
into tn fightin', an every time we read
of scrap down south we sat aroun'
an cussed the war department for not
calm on us to put down tn confed-
eracy. But we was finally ordered to
move to tn front, an we went away,
cbeerin' an feelin' almighty proud
"Well, we marched an camped, an
skirmished an foraged for several
months, but didn't git into any fair
an square stand-up fight until we got
in tn neighborhood o. Tupelo. An
there we got it. The Johnnies surprised
us one mornin' before we had eat our
fiapjacks, an before we could get our
guns the Johnnies were sendin' lead
into us at lively rate. But we rallied
mighty quick an we went after them
Johnnies like Georgia darky after
q watermelon.
"We got our regiment into line an
was ordered t. charge. With whoop
we started, the color guard leadin'
with tn regimental flag, an us fellows
mighty close behind it. The bullets
was a-fallin' around us like hail, an
th' smoke was blindin'. But we kept