The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-08-30
A GOOD STORY Of
UNCLE DANDY
Incident of "StOnewal" JaCksOn's
Valley Campaign,
A CHAPTER OF WAR HISTORY
Interesting Description Of tue Battles
of Winchester, HarrisOnburs,
Gross Keys and Port
Republic.
A CHAPTER OF WAR HISTORY

SlDAtNdl JdchFvNf Au'u 'll rs H"s ~
attack Banks at Winchester, went mo
camp near Luray.
The days march had been a hard one.
as most Of Jackson's marches were, but.
nevertheless, the men Of the different regi-
ments were soon cheerily engaged IN pre-
pairing their evening meal when suddenly
from the camp OF the Fifty-eighth Nir-
glnla came the cry from many tnroats.
Come out of that thar hat. 1 know
you TO thar. for i see your ears suckn
outr'
This comb nation OF hum0r and rid.cule
had been frequently heard a year before,
when some luckless citizen. wearing q tan
beaver hat. had ventured among me sOi-
diers IN camps Of instruction, but since
taking the field such a sight had not been
witnessed, and these incidents had almost
been forgotten.
1t was no wonder. then that the men
OF the H1fty-eighth suspended Work az this
unusual and unexpected outburst, and
eagerly turned their eyes upon the object
that had occasiOncd II. Even the colonel
Of tho regiment was startled from rev.
eric by the racket, and stepped from his
tent o. learn its meaning, when he was
confronted by the innocent cause Of It.
SOMETHING OF A SIGHT.
He was a tail. broad-shou.dcred young
countryman. whose 0utlandish dress from
a soldiers standpoint, brought q smile
even to the usually quiet face Of the col
onel on mis- head he iaunuly wore high
beaver hat. and n e was not OF tho latest
pattern it. nevertheless. had been treated
with rare consideration by its rustic own
@ s.tII. d..
tain type, without being exactly swallow
tai. his pautaloons were of a light slate
color. hts vest white. with polka dots;
bis hands were encased in a pair OF white
cotton gloves. and around an immaculate
collar D. wore "a hery-fed necktie.
AS the smile faded from the colonels
face be kindly inquired hts errand.
"I want % see the colonel" he promptly
replied and when ne was told thar DE
was addressing the colonel. be said hts OBJ
iect en- seeking him was 90 enlist I'm the
regiment
at seems 10 me-" replied Colonel -.
chat YOU have been rather slow in get
ting into the service Why the war is q
year 0id. and such "A inc strapping young
fellow should have been among the first
20 come forward
ct was not my fault" said the young
man: "but ] had 90 stay at home and
take care of mother and Mary while
brother went 10 the war; but Doe lost "a leg
ot Kcrustown. and when DE got well he
came home. and then / lowed IL was my
turn. as he could look after the women
folks and The place
"AIN'T lie a DANDY
The kind-hearted colonel was touched NJ
this simple story. and the young mans
frank. manly bearing had impressed him
mos. favorably. Turning 20 his adiutsnt.
he directed him % introduce the new re-
cruit tO Capialn--. into whose COM
pany b. was TO be enrolled.
As the two directed their steps toward
the quarters o. Captain--there was
renewal OF the former greeting. and one
stent0rian voice cried out: "Aint DE
dandyi' That exclamation was the young
mans christening and Dandy was the
only name by which he was afterward
known in the regiment.
captain -was only too happy 10
have so promising an addition 10 his com
pauy and after inc had been duly MUSTER
"a in. Dandy for so we shall call him.
was furnished with gun. blanket, cart
ridge box and haversack and when he eX-
pressed the hope that bis uniform would
nt him. for he was inclined % Doe dude.
he was shocked upon being told that the
only uniform Doe could wear for the pres
ent was The one he had on. and when the
adiutant whispered in his car; "Choor n.y.
young man: some OF your comrades viii
De killed I'm "A day or two. and then II
You are smart YOU can ft yourself out,
he nearly tainted.
HE EVENED UP THE TAILS.
a
after brushing n tear from his eye ne re-
summed his happy manner, and declared
that the man who would not sacrifice his
Sunday clothes for his country was no
patriot
That night Dandy INDUCED in q luxury
unknown TO Stonewalrs foot cavalry
when on the march. ana one which he per-
haps never INDUCED I'M aglin-he actually
undressed before rolling himself IN HIS
blanket,
Al the first sound Of the revorle next
morning Dandy was astir and made haste
to dress: but alas. when be came to his
coat he discovered that during the night
some wretch had cut of a foot Of one OF
the tails Tho poor fellow glzed upon the
mutlated garment IN blank amazement
but not a word Of reproach came from
his lips and quietly drawing a knife
from his pocket. be cut a corresponding
length from the other TALL ,'to make them
look even-likc." as De expressed &c.
That morning Dandy was the busiest
man IN the regiment. II was Dandy DO
this. and Dandy do that. He not only
cut the wood for his mess, but that for
the whole company. and he "tOted' water
for hair the regiment.
During the day on the march Dandy
was destined to UNDERGO am ordeal such
as few men would have quietly submit.
ted to. but the noblo-hCarJed boy never
uttered a rcm0nstrance. and he laughed
outright at some of the com cH illusions
his comrades made 90 his makeup es-
ucciallY his hat. 90 which he seemed much
attached The days march was "a rap
Id and trying one, and many Jagged be-
hind. but the new recruit never left his
place In the ranks and more than once
for many a weary m lc Doe assisted some
less robust Comrade perhaps with crack
ed ana bleeding feet. boy carrying his
musket IN addition 90 hts own. In fact
u was ofIeuer that three or four guns
were seen thrown across his broad shout
ders. ana before the days march was
over The Nnd-hearted young man bad
won me friendship Of every man in his
THE WINCHESTER RUSE
on the third day from that on which
Dandy had been mustered into the ranks
~ AAN ltltf tulN Jtfh1 n NtDNN lH Wtt-
tie array before Winchester and Inspiring
was the sight as that long gray lumn.
composed Of Nlrginians and Louisianans
emerged from the early mornings mist
and swept over the plain IN one grand IT.
resls'ible charge.
IN that charge the tan figure and high
hat OF the young cOuntryman was con-
spicuous. and when Il was al over ana
he received the congratulations or MS
comrades for his s0ldierly bearing. Dan
~ was a very happy man,
~. g.. Ia. 90 hester WAS tho n