The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1899-08-03

OF cars and wagon trains supplying ra-
| tons for man and mule; could see the
private as he sauntered out of camp
ana the general as he rode up and
| down the hills and heights. followed
| by his daShing, glinting. glowing staff.
| The picketS of the two armies were
on the dark rivers banks. In some
places they were not so far apart that
| they could not. with comfort. carry on
| conversation in an ordinary tone. In
other places it was necessary to raise
the voice to the shouting point. For Il
few days they, the pickets and the
armies. had q quiet, comfortable time.
There was no firing in any portion of
the long line. Bands played for each
other. The inspiring strains of Co
| lumbia. the Gem of the Ocean, Yes.
| We Are Coming. Father Abraham
| and Yankee Doodle" were heard each
| evening on the heights of Stafford. and
from Marye's Heights came Dixie"
| The Bonnie Blue Flag" Maryland.
My Maryland" Some evenings large
numbers of the well-seasOned soldiers
Of the two armies gathered about their
| respective bands and cheered their IA
vorite music.
There had been one of these COM
bined concerts when the pickets sta
| fioned near the burned railroad bridge
leading into Fredericksburg entered
| upon discussion of music, their music
in particular. | will give specimen:
"Iank, you alls can't match our
| Dixie, called Il man in gray.
Johnny. You are such joker Why,
| man, your battle songs are sucklings
| compared TO ours. Didn't Yankee
Doodle make you want to dancer
Maybe it did make me want to
dance. but our Dixie made you dance
| at Manassas on two occasions, and
when we tuned up in front of Rich
mond last summer you waltZed back
to Harrison's Landing with 4 limp in
your gait
Now you are twitting on facts. You
are rolling us up. Better that you had
left that out, Johnny. 1t seems to me
somebody who undertook to invade the
North not so many moons ago danced
away from Champions Gap, South
Mountain and Antietam, crossing back
into Virginia with a double limp. listen
ing to the 'Star-Spangled Banner
John Brown and other patriotic airs.
If that isn't enough, put your ear to
the ground and you will hear the echo
of our tunes as Floyd fed from Donel-
son when Grant demanded an uncOndi-
tional surrender"
Say, Yank, we'd better not get I'D a
new rebellion about our music. We are
satisfied with ours and you seem to like
yours pretty well. Let it drop there,
while we attend to matters of more
vital Importance
What's your next question, John
n.y."
How is you alls stock of coffee,
Yank:"
Plenty OF it. They just sent us a
fresh supply. but we are running low
On tobacco. How is your layout of the
Ueed:'
Enough for both armies, Yank."
''Then let's Swap?'
swap it is, Yank.''
Then these men who had looked at
each other along glistening muskets on
many a field of carnage padded to the
center Of the river, made Il satisfactory
trade and padded back to the banks.
the Yankee humming THE Star-Span-
oil IssnnAr' hn Vnh 81,
Dixie" with all of the skill and
strength he possessed
on one side of the river a little band
of men in blue filled their pipes and
puffed and on the other side a little
band in gray made coffee and drank.
The smoking and drinking over, they
renewed their conversation.
What are you alls going to do next,
Yank?"
After we get little rested from
chasing you out of Maryland and so
far down through Old Virginia we are
going to roll up our trousers. wade the
Rappahannock. scale yonder heights.
mop Bobby Lee and his crowd out of
the way and take Il walk to Richmond.
getting there in time for a Christmas
turkey. What do you think you are GO
inc to do next. Johnny"
"Oh, nothing much, except to let you
wade the river. That done. we will
step back to the hills out there and
rock you to sleep by the thousands,
leaving the plains blue with your army
1t will be Il nice breakfast SPELL Don't
postpone Your visit 4 day after you get
your things on. Don't be afraid of
calling before we are ready for you.
The floor Will be swept. the curtains
and furniture busted and Bobby Lee
and his household will be in the doors.
ready to give you the hottest welcome
you ever received
You are buffer, Johnny. You talk
too big"
We'll. now. Yarks, don't forget to
come. and we will let the result of the
visit tell who is the big talker."
Goodnight. Johnny No shooting in
the morning"
Goodnight. Yank. No shooting I'M
less you begin it,"
About two weeks after that conver-
sation the Union army crossed the
Rappahannock, remained two or three
days and then recrossed. having lost in
killed. wounded and prisoners more
men than there are in any Iowa city;
any city in Minnesota outside of st.
Paul or Minneapolis: any city in In
diana. outside of indianapolis and
Evansville; any city in Michigan, out
side of Detroit and Grand Rapids; any
city in Wisconsin. outside of Miwau-
kcc: any city in North and South Da-
kota; any in Montana. Wyoming, Utah.
Idaho ana any in Colorado. except
Denver. This gives the new genera
ton an idea of what one battle cost
the Union army.
l spoke of history making along the
Rappahannock thirty-fiye years ago.
The pages made during the disastrous