The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1902-11-26


ARE A CAITIFF."
veranda to ind him drinking cock-
tail. It was mis- fo'th while waiting
for me.
..Howdy. kurnelg says he as / sits
down.
g sHowdy, BobY says as wonders
what he is drinking. He orders another
for himself and one for me, and we
fell to talking about the wah: Bob
Taylor was a najah, sub, and he was
a brave and gallant man. We hadn't
talked long when he says:
= 'Kurnel Bunker, yo' were at the
battle of Malvern Hill believer
was, suh.'
And yo' must have seen the charge
made with my regiment on the six
guns In the center. had only 600
men under me, and the enemy num-
bered fully 5000, but we started with
a cheer. sub, and we swept forward
with yells, sub, and though lost 400
men brought back the guns
80" Bless yo', Majah Bob' I says.
But yo've got things mixed up. I
made that charge myself. Any history,
OF the wah will give me the credit
But ] must have done it.
g But yo' are mistaken
-sThe majah seemed lost in thought
for awhile, and was wondering if he
didn't feel well, when he woke up and
said:
"sKurnel Bunker, yo' was at the
battle OF Gaines Mil, reckonF
I was, suh.'
DO yo' remember when the enemy
massed to crush our left and came
down like wave Of the sea?
7 do, sllh. 1t looked to be all day
z with US just then
And it would have been, kurnel,
it would have been if had not put
myself at the head of my regiment and
led living wedge against the enemy
and broken him. Yo' may remember
that received the thanks of our gen.
eral then and there
.Majah Bob says T as I began to
breathe hard, there are no less than
ten histories of the wah out already
and mo- coming, and every one of
those histories will prove that / my
self led that living wedge and saved
the left wing Of our army. I was men
toned in general dispatches and spe-
cial orders, sub. and if l could have
brought myself to leave my brave boys
I could have had command of bri-
gade'
ssWith that 1 got up and walked
about aud wondered what had got into
the man, and perhaps it was five min
1Ites before he said:
"Kurnel Bunker. am I mistaken in
thinking yo' were present at the battle
Of Characteristic"
ego are not, suh,' replied. 1T has
been said that personally brought on
that battle
"If yo' were there, kurnel, yo' must
have seen me put myself at the head
of the Silver brigade and roll the enc
my's right flank up like so mich pa
per. Yes, sub, yo' must have seen it
WlIu SO ONA eyes, Sllu uO OOuUI w
were one Of the thousands who cheered
me after the charge was over
".Majah Bob Taylor says I some
what stifly, I am not humorist.
seldom smile and never laugh. Do
yo' mean it for a joke when yo' take
the credit of things 1 did myself? If
so, sub, let me tell yo' that don't ap-
preciate it.
"'Kurnel Bunker says he in a slow
and deliberate fashion and meaning to
insult my very name, it gives me un-
alloyed pleasure to observe that yo'
are caitiffv
"'Suh! Subj
ga caitiff, a coward and a liarp
"Gad. sub. but l don't know why I
didn't take him by the throat then and
there and throttle the life out of him.
I did start to do it, I believe, but
caught myself in time. It was five
minutes before could speak, and then
my words were few. simply told him
to expect visit from my second and
strobe away As tllrned the co'ner I