The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-25
A SOLDIERS MEMORIES
OMAHA VETERAN WHO ONCE d.
vIDED LUNCH WITH LINCOLN.
Also Made General Grant Throw Away
n Cigar Under Rules
The "OId Duner."
Omaha World-Herald.

Omaha World-Herald.
Here in Omaha is an old soldier of the
war of the rebellion who had two strange
experiences during his term of service, for
which he would not take a great deal. On
one occasion he divided his lunch of hard
tack and cheese with President Lincoln
without having the slightest notion of the
identity of the .sharer of his hospitality,
and at another time he threatened TO
throw General Grant into the river because
that inveterate smoker showed some tardi-
ness in throwing away a cigar in a place
where smoking was forbidden.
In the first instance Joe Perkins was
commanding a dispatch boat carrying dis
patches to General Butler. One day when
the Sawyer gun was to be tested for the
first time at Fortress Monroe, Perkins ar
rived with a packet of dispatches for the
general. He was informed that Butler,
with his staff and a lot of visitors from
Washington. had gone over to the riprap
to witness the trial of the new gun. So
Perkins set out in his dispatch boat, the
Constitution, of Philadelphia. and soon
tied up TO the riprap.
General Butler was busy at the time and
after ascertaining that there was nothing
urgent, asked the dispatch bearer to await
a moment of greater leisure. The young
soldier, seeing that it was about noon, and
being exceedingly hungry, slipped away to
a secluded part of the stone work, thinking
to get in behind some high stone piers and
snatch a light lunch unobserved. He found
the entrance TO his intended retreat blocked
by a marvelously tall and leanly lank man
clad like a funeral director, all in a SOM
bre dingy black, his head surmOunted by
a rusty stoVepipe hat, itself longer. and
leaner, and lankier than any one usually
saw, even in that time. His face was thin
and full of cavernous hollows. He had. APP
parently, discarded his barber for several
days. He gazed steadfastly out TO sea, and
seemed lost in thought, so much so that
he hardly appeared to notice the young
into the niche in the stone wall.
III OIL DUFFER.
well, now. if that isn't the funniest old
duffer l ever saw in all of my life"
thought Perkins as he settled down and
opened his haversack. Out came a couple
of bareback and a generous hunk of cheese.
AT the first sniff of the penetrating odor
the "old duffer'' turned his head and asked
in a strangely winning and gentle voice for
one of such a rough appearance. Young
man, could you divide a bit of our lunch
Instantly Perkins hshed out three hard
tack from his haversack, peeled back the
rind from the piece of cheese with his
and III cut her OFF,"
When" said the "old duffer' with a
wrinkles and took the proffered cheese
from the point of the jackknife.
After the dinner the visitors to the rip
found that Perkins had plenty of room in
his launch and General Butler and his
staff boarded il, And bless my. heart: "
black didn't climb aboard. too. 1t didn't
make any. particular difference to me,
though, whether he rode across in my
hnnf nr NOT Ha am al II hffl0 nffan-
ton to what was going OH about him. He
had a far-away look in his eyes and gazed
Of a way nearly all the time we were max
ing the run"
After the landing. and when General
Butler and his staff had repaired 10 their
the dispatch bearer to deliver his dis
patches. Il went into a room" says Mr..
Perkins. The general was sitting at his
desk and his officers were sitting about the
room, and, bless my soul, If there wasn't
that lank old fellow in black again, sitting
close TO the general. l passed the dis
patches around to the officers to whom
they were addressed, when General Butler
half locked up and growled in his queer
way. Young man, step around here and
shake hands with the President of the
United States
We'll. as true as 1 live. even then 1 did
not suspect what was up. | thought the
general, who had a great reputation for a
practical joker, was making game OF me.
l must have shown my bewilderment. for
- Ills eAONA ANSAA1 win a. N1AhNA
and muscled gaunt fingers was thrust out
across the desk past the general and
clasped mine, and / heard the gentle voice
again saying, Yes, this young man and l
have met before. He divided his lunch with
me this morning
well, you could have knocked me down
with a feather. IL there had been a knot
hole in the floor L could have gone through
II Ike "A ramrOd. | felt so foolish that |
could hardly find my voice, and | got out
of that place as soon as L could. 1 can tell
YOU"
NET GRANT ALSO.
Perkins, encounter with General Grant
was some time later. He was at the time
in charge of an ordnance launch landed
close to City Point. 1t was the same launch
and the same cargo of ammunition, by the
way, hat was instrumental in blowing up
City Point in the memorable explosion
shortly after. The boat was tied up to the
bank. n gangplank ran across to shore
and a sentry on the boat passed back and
forth and forbade any TO board the launch
without some show OF authority. Perkins
had relieved the sentry for a short time.
He stood with one foot on the board to
give him warning OF the approach OF any
across the river TO where a stranded
steamer was being worked of the bar.
Suddenly he felt q jar on the board and
turning quickly saw Il heavy-set. broad
dressed in civilian clothes and a sloUch
hat. coming toward him over the plank.
In his mouth was a h"alf-smOked cigar
upon which he vas pulling with n very APP
parent satisfaction.
s'Yoa'n have 10 chuck that cigar over
board; you can't smoke here" called Per-
kins.
4 right said the man in reply. and
Perkins turned once more TO watch the
steamer. The next moment. however. he