The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1900-06-20
SHERMAN'S POKER STORY
MONEY PLAYED FOR ON THE
MARCH TO THE SEA.

The General Tells Why He Did Not
Break Up the Little Party-NearIy
a Million Dollars Depended Upon
the Result-A Liberal Proposition.
The last time General Sherman at
tended commencement at West Point
was in June, 1889 The members of
the graduating class received the di-
plomas from his hand that year, and
he also delivered the commencement
address. The beautiful summer even
ings that followed the old general
sat on the wide verandah of the hotel
and told stories.
81 heard of some pretty big games
of poker In the early days out west,
he said, "and maybe saw one or two.
But the biggest one | ever saw or
heard of was during the war. 1t
would have made your head swim
to have heard the bets that | heard
made that night. 1t was just after the
march to the sea, when we were in
North Carolina. | took it into my head
that night that | would make a quiet
round of the outposts myself and see
how things were coming on. In some
bushes In the woods, well within our
lines. | saw a light cleaning and a
number of forms clustered around IT.
all evidently very intent on some
thing. | came quietly up toward them
without attracting any attention.
They were all too much absorbed TO
notice the cracking of twigs or the
rustling of leaves under my feet. At
last | was near enough to distinguish
voices and make out what was being
said And the first words | heard
were:
~ see you 100000 and 90 you
$4,000 better
"Whew! The figures fairly took
my breath away. And they were
privates, too. 1t was easy enough to
make that out They had blanket
spread out on the ground and were
all squatted on it or beyond its edges,
some bending eagerly forward, peer
ing over the shoulders of those who
were in front of them. A couple of
candle ends stuck in bottles afforded
the illumination And by this dim
light | saw corded up stacks and
stacks of bills, regular bundles and
bales of them. 1t was like looking
into United States Treasury vault.
The sight made me blink with won
der.
I'm raise you 100000
THAT was the next thing | heard.
1t was said as nonchalantly as though
1t were a question of cent chips.
And the players did not look like
Croesuses, either. You have heard
about Sherman's bummers. Well.
these were Shermans bummers, and
they looked It, OF course. that game
there was Just little bit irregular,
but l could not bear to break it up
got interested in it. | felt as though
Would like to see the limit reached
hear somebody called, and, just for
curiosity. know who it was who raked
in the million or so dollars that prob
ably would be in the pot when that in
teresting event occurred. | did not
have to wait long. | have forgotten
just the amount that changed hands,
but 1t was somewhere up around
million The winner tok up an arm
full of bills and swept them over in
heap by his side.
Now, I'll tell you what I'll do,
Bill he said. I'll put up the hull mil
lion agin a plug of tobacco and play
We three straight games of euehre-
best two out of three, and leave the
sevens and Fights in the deck.
We'll. gentlemen" continued the
general, with his dry little laugh. 1T
is no need to tell you that l begun
to get a little light on the situation
before this liberal proposition was
made. remembered we had just
raided town where we had come up.
on ton or so of reb money, and that
the boys had had the fancy to cart
away several hundred weight OF It.
The had lots of fun with that money,
and I am indebted to 1t for having had
the pleasure of looking on at probably
the biggest poker game ever played
in the United States. l did not break
up the little tea party. Poor fellows!
Lord knows they had been through
enough hard time TO entitle them to
a little finn New YOrlr Sun