The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-11-19
Touch But True.

Captain George A. Branard the gallant
color bearer of the First Texas regiment OF
Hoods famous Texas brigade in Virginia
is as matter of fact one of the most
truthful men alive. He is a good talker,
was close observer of the stirring events
in Virginia during the four years service
of his regiment there and can put more
point and life in a story than any one !
know. He has the happy faculty of making
feven the common place incidents OF camp
life strikingly interesting and his descrip-
tons OF tight places are something to
make ones hair stand on end
General j. B. Policy. who fought mex
door neighbor to Captain Branard in the
same brigade during the same four terrible
years knows the captain from the soles
of his feet to the top of his head and loves
and admires every inch of him. One OF the
most striking characteristics of the captain
is his absolute confidence in himself anu
his complete self possession. 1t is impos-
sible to rattle him. General Policy says
that it is not self possession or seif-conh
dence either, but that George as he calis
him. is a hardened sinner and has told his
stories so often that he really believes them
himself Why" said the general to me
lately. I'm be blamed if ] am not begin
ming TO believe some of them myself I've
heard him tell them the same way sc
many times"
or course. the general never says this
before strangers and will adj iui ther
he never says it behind GEORGES BACK
The general told me the ether day IN pai,
! las that he had stayed up at night sAa
| lttah q
ming how to trip George up, but that Ms
| hest laid plans and schemes had gone uF
| In smoke when he tried them on George
| that they failed miserably and fell natni'
Aess before his exasperating GOODNESS tIh'
general called IL gall)
These few remarks are merely inlro'
ductory TO one of George stoiies-a true
one he swears, and one he says Df. Jone'
and all OF the other surgeons OF the Fist
Fourth and Fifth regiments Will swear to
too.
Last spring he. General Policy and
we're together and. OF course, n9t1ing nu
war talk was in order. George ala IN
talking and General Policy and old IN
rest. General Policy had just exp!alnei
at Georges request, how he got shot In tn
tie of his foot while running aHaY fr9n
the Yankees, when George, without fur
Their preface, broke in with:
We'll. the most remarkable wound
saw during the war was at Gettysburg,
was pretty we'll used up myself and wa
waiting nv turn on the field surgeon
table when they brought fellow in
was shot right here tplsring his finge
about an inch below his stomach Ther
was big hole in front that YOU could pli
two fingers in, The surgeons placed hir
ar The table, pulled eff his shirt AMI say
AT a glance that he was done for, TIE
ordered him taken away to die Tor inc
had no time to waste on mortaiiy wound ?
mon Well. they took him on one sid
and placed him under tree ana atter
poi dxed up ] lay down near him. Tn
D nevt day he was alive ard showed n
| eipns of dying and all that day he seem
1 ~ he getting along al right. There he wa
g Win great big ball of some hi1i ms
him for II must be inside him, TO- thel
,rag M hole behind FOR 1t 10 come on
s tinallv a doctor came and looked at hin
& for his being alive was against the law
!. medical science and he became Interested
. A.cu, DAYLIGHT the second day rcd lin
I formed ali around his b,dy ana this ] \
got darker and darker until " was
. HACK as your hat. Then the mystery
: bis heing alive was explained Inc pa
! had not gone In at all. IL nad entersu u
y, skin. Travelled an diou t,s,.
,.Georee, George!" said General Pole
L nrhn ord loyeth cheerful liar, but
/" faar YOU please him too Well
/ 'sa s.It's The truth and | can prove IT, sal
rs N, the least disturbed or discouI
e u tepaneed by General Polley's remaft
!. "since you insist. J must believe ii "a
IS s'',s narsl "but will you tell us wha' b.
"a lhe - ,he bullet after IT came out?'
J. 'a nGartainly,r said George 1T went I
q ~ n,rcIed all around the mans DO !
n t eam eO out at the same hole and went iisl
T. ssoi the 'hsy gun of Do you want more pa
ID ticulars and details po,,sv an ~
y mo said General Policy o,,r so,,, ,, ~ ?
he s ,sso ros h sSs % t already"
Al General Lee Wouldn't Sell His Name.