Mexico Missouri message., 1900-08-30
RICH MANS WAR, II
r. POOR MANS FIGHT.


1t will cause any man to think and
will be "mighty interestin' readin'
for the veteran of either side of the
late war between the States:
ri can tell you when the very
downfall of the confederacy be-
gan" said General Floyd King,
of Louisiana, as we sat down at
breakfast few Sundays ago, it
was when the men of the southern
army got it into their heads that it
was rich mans war and a poor
mans fight"
That wasa strong expression,
| remarked, when did it first be-
come current!'
Il will never forget the time |
first heard it, continued General
King. You know that | was an
artillery officer and entered the
service when | was Il mere boy. At
first some of the men did not like
me, because of something in my
manner. In time, that wore away.
| and my men had marched togeth-
er, was always with my com
mand and careful to see that their
wants were attended to. The men
were very kind to me and when we
were encamped they always built
me comfortable hut of their own
free will and without orders. They
also acquired II habit of sitting a.
round the door of my hut discuss
ing the situation in II friendly way
and asking me the news.
In the winter of 80 | was II
colonel of artillery and we were in
camp near Richmond. | gradually
began to notice that the men had
fallen out of the habit of gather
ing about my quarters. ] asked
one of them what it meant and re-
ccivcd no satisfactory answer.
Late one night, when was asleep
in my hut, | was awakened by the
tramp of men. The ground was
covered with snow with frozen
crust and | could hear the noise of
feet crunching the crust. | listen
ed and found that the number was
constantly increasing and that all
of the men were evidently gather
ing in front of my hut. got NJ
and dressed myself wondering
what it all meant. Can it be mn-
tiny! asked myself. For II mo.
ment | thought of putting on my
pistols, but quickly discarded that
idea and stepped out Of the hut
obviously unarmed. There stand,
ing together in perfect silence, was
great crowd of soldiers of my
own command.
Il stood and gazed at them in
silence and they, as silently, re-
turned my gaze. The silence be-
came embarrassing. Presently,
one of the men stepped forward
and cleared his throat with Il ner-
vous hem. can almost heal
that hem now, and | distinctly
remember the soldier. He was
quite a small man.
" 'Weuns, he began, has
somethin' we want TO say To YOU
sir. We've been with YOU now
morc'n three years. We want to
say in the beginnin', that wc'v,
nothin' agin You and we don
mean to get up no mutiny, non
nothin of that sort; but we're o
this, we've marched with You bare
footed, often without nothin' tc
eat. We've fit with you and arm
afraid of fghtin', but we don't see
nothin' in it for us. This is Il ricl
mans war and apoor man $ fight.
Il was startled and greatly i'm
pressed with this declaration,
continued the general, "and as
was known to be the owner of
number of slaves, and, therefore
what was considered rich man,
asked whether this complaint wa
levelcd directly ut me, or whether
it was common in the army.
" We've told you, continue,
the little spokesman, we've go
nothin' agin you. This here idci
is all through the army Of North
crn Virginia and it is all through
the other armies. The men hav