The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-27

Jack, the owner OF comfortable house
and many broad acres and the proud father
OF three handsome and accomplished girls.
To the beauty and attractivcness OF these
ladies the writer can testify from per-
sonal observation. and he therefore at
taches no blame whatever TO the members
Of the staif of General ----. then COM
manding the brigade OF cavalry to which
the Terry Rangers were attached. for their
frequent goings and comnRs between head
quarters and the old colonel's house. In
tho winter OF 1861 Ga the cavalry were en-
csmped on the east side OF Pigeon river,
the residence mentioned being on the west
side OF that stream.
Tho Rangers we're n body OF men OF
whom the humblost private considered
himself the social equal of u commanding
general, The staff officers aforementioned
appeared unwilling to acquiesce in that
opinion, and on several occasions whsn
they and the Rangers met at the colonel's
behaved In manner to arouse the indig-
nation OF the Texans, Whatever the mer-
its of the GOODNESS which sprnng up be-
tween the rivals, the Texans determined
to play for even, and In the effort had tine
sympathy and co -operation OF every man
in the brigade. Thus 1t happened that
one successfully cold and dark night in
January. 1864. while half a dozen SIAN Of
Bcers were enjoying the hospitality OF
Colonot Jack and the society OF his lovely
daughters, heavy firing began in the direc-
ton of the camp and the bugles sounded
the call to horse. The gentlemen OF the
stan heard the alarm and regretfully but
with solderly alacrty made their adious
aud hurried out TO the fence TO which they
had hitched their steeds Not horse was
to be found, and alas! the summons was
imperative Wholly unused to pcdes-
tranism as they We're. the dread emer
gency forced the gallant officers TO adopt
1t and make their best speed at It.
Curs!ng their luck, anathcmatizing IN
the choicest vernacudr rapidly running
men could select the Internal Yankees or
bushwhackers who had set them afoot and
moving faster and faster as the racket In
camp increased, the unfort,inates finally
came to the river, Neither Wide. nor moro
than waist deep, Its waters We're very cold,
It's current strong, its bottom uneven.
rough and rocky. 1t had to be crossed
though, and into IL the officers plunged
and through 1t they staggered tumblinE
over bonlders slipping up on smooth
stones. buffeted and often swept off their
ments OF sharp edged ice and In darkness
Zimmerman IN It's blackness, Coming out
at last wet to the skins and shivering with
cold, they encountered wind which
seemed TO penetrate their bones To the
very marrow Hut ON they went until
headquarters was reached, they found
their horses fastened TO their respective
tents and realized that joke had been
perpetrated on them And the joke was
meme tho less hard to bear when they
learned next day that fve minutes after
their own departure from Colonel Jack &
party OF Texans laughed with the girls
over the frleh, and race they had given the
siaft officers
After the Confederate cavalry left the
vicinity OF Colonel Jacks, bushwhaokers
came along and TO persuade ,,he old gen
tloman to reveal the whereabouts OF his
cash, hung him little@enough Mt loast
TO ingralt into his nature tendency TO
exaggerate. a day or two subsequent 10
the hanging scouting party OF Rangers
appeared AT the coonel's house and met
glad welcome, Speaking Of tine indigni
ties he had suffered At, the hands Of the
hushwhacters and pointing TO an oak
limb fully twenty feet above the ground,
the colonel said
Why, gentlemen, tho hloodthirsty
brutes put rope around my neck here
Ia the siark It made--and actually drew
me up to that limb three tlmes.
oh, pa they didn't do that bad, you
KNOW protested one OF the fair daugh-
ters; why. dear, your toes never left the
ground single time"
And that was the truth, the other girls
corroborating their sister. Nevertheless.
the old colonel stuck to his yarn, appear.
ing to feel that his own experience was
better evidence than the observation OF
people who We're not being hanged.
The torn "deserter' has peculiar sig
pificance when used by soldiers, one zeke
Hanks OF certain regiment serving under
General Dick Taylor was Tor week ,i
regular attendant upon religious services
conducted by the ohaplains of the COM
mand. In fact. after the FIRST day zeko
became such an afflicted and penltent
mourncr over his many sins that except
Ing when Getting his meals. sleeping aud
reporting progress toward heaven. ha was
. constant occupant OF the bench set apart
for the convicted
On the last day Of the week. though, he
came to his messmates wrathfuI. dis
gusted and profane. Asked the cause OF
his sudden fall from grace, he answered
Cause! HI and DIN, but there
cause enough to make old Moses swear.
Why, boys. we had fully a dozen .fellows
enlisted and regularly sworn In at tho
mourner's bench. and DIN me, II the last
son OF gun OF them excepting myself
hasn't deserted"
This pension business even has Its hui
morous side. Imagine commissioners
court in session. It's members sitting
around long table Uttered with applica-
lions. and dozen hungry Applicants
hanging around In expectation OF nibble
at tho appropriation which. could Il go
solely TO the deserving. would give them
comfortable subsistence. but divided be-
tween worthy aud unworthy pro rata,
will yield each man about 81 year. The
county and real names need not BIO mem
tioned--the story VIII likely apply all
over the State, The county Judge asks a
witness;
'Do you know that Mr.. Longhungry
served three months In Colonel some
bodys regiment"
oh. yes, replies Tom. the witness; ''he
served In my company.
Well, be was good soldier. wasn't
her" asks the commissioner.
"AQout ~ good rs any OF u.s. says
Tom. He always ate the rations and