The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-11-05
OLD SQUIRE.
tContlnued from first page,

all, tell KIN ketch up WI de calyry.'
"All right, old man; come on, and show
me the wayc'
1t would have been less irregular, per.
haps, for these men to report at once to
their officers the presence of a stranger,
but the help offered was not to be re-
nOunced; besfdes, there was the Lieutenant,
at the nextifirel ,but one, and he could see
for himself-why report fact that is al
ready evideht?l'
Squire found the water, picked up more
fuel in returning, helped in the quick boil
ing of the coffee, made himself so useful
to the men that each contributed from his
rations for the DegrO's wants, and on the
next morning, June 80, he found himself
brevettcd without ceremony as the tenn
porary camp-servant of the mess which he
had taken in, and followed, on July l,
along with other servants, in the rear of
the regiment in its march on Gettysburg.
Many and wonderful were the questions
which had been asked him; but by simu-
lating ignorance of organization and locali-
ty, he had evaded serious inquiry.
The old man had learned from the SOL
dierS' talk that a great battle was ey-
pected; he would march to the field, know
ing that thus he should reach his friends
by the most sure and direct road. Before
the battle, or after, as the case might be
determined for him, he would slip away in
the night and rejOin Mahs Chahley. He
had abandoned his bride, and had picked
up an old blouse thrown away by some
burdened infantryman.
On the morning of the list the corps was
near Taneytown, II miles southeast from
Gettysburg. The march was continued,
and soon it became rapid, and rumors
were thick concerning battle that had be-
gun far at the front. Officers rode back
and forth along the column, pressing the
march, and all camp followers were order
ed out of the roadway. At length Squire
found himself in n crowd of nOn-combat
ants, white and black, at the rear of the
division; there were ambulances, baggage
wagons, Transfers too many, few civil
lians, suffers, stragglers. the half sick. ev-
erything that swells the crowd that hangs
to the rear of an army about to engage in
battle. The old man easily succeeded i'll
attaching himself to one of the suffers.
Tie advance of the camp followers had
been arrested. The column had gone on; the
roar of artillery could be heard, though as
yet miles to the northwest. The middle of
the afternoon had come. Squire was lying
Her the suffers wagon, drawn aside
III the road which must not be blocked;
he had fed the horses. and had fed himself
heavily, and was half DOING; yet with his
head on the bare earth he could not fail
to feel the throbbing of Halls and Coop
er's guns yainly resisting the advance of
Hill and Ewell into Gettysburg, and the
sounds kept him from actual sleep. Squads
of mounted men were galloping, some
north, some south; from time to time
courier would dash along, throwing the
thick dust far and Wholesome runner sent
by the anxious Meade to hurry the march
of belated division. Not yet were the
ambulanccs seen so far in the rear with
their loads of wounded and dying-the
field hospitals were nearer the battle
ground.
Say, there, old man." shouted the suit
Ter from the inside of the wagon; get up
and water the horses"
"fassah Iwhah gwine to git de watch,
Mahsta-uh yapdeh at dat house, whah
dem yOtheh mems a-gwine""
Yes; bIcketful apiece will do"
Squire had to cross the road; he follow
ed another negro who, with buckets in
hand, had also started-a young man, tall.
direction Ofsthe baggage wagons. Just as
they were in the middle of the road n
horseman sFsurring hard from the south
sWerved to avoid the old man, and in an
other second refined up violently and
time?"
The young negro had stopped by the
roadside; he. lifted his cap, but the horse
man failed to observe,
: Malista,i dat no CONT hos, he done
guy clean out, an lef' me avn de groun';
you seed Mahs Dan any moe, Mahsta?"
No. say, do you know Capt. Freeman"
laughed the rider.
''Cap'm Freeman? No, Mahsta:
mousht ha' seed him, sab, but l dunno his
l done mos fohgot. Is
Mahs Dan wild him, sah?'
Didn't you come to Capt. Freeman
oyer in London and tell him to come and
get Lieut.. Morgan, who was wounded, you
said! Now, old man, own up. Tell me
what you meant by playing that trick
Who was it that Freeman got?'
Old Squire put down his buckets and
scratched his head. "Mahsta is Mahs
wild i'm, sab, sence dat yotheh day dess
befo'e met up wild ju, Mahsta. Is Mahs
Dan hunt bad?"
"Old man, you're sharp one; but l tell
yon, Freeman's got a crow to pick with
you. He says You fooled him. Let me
see-whats your nameT The hOrseman
was laughing, Notwithstanding his words.
The presence, here in the Federal army.
of the negro who had befooled Freeman.
could not possibly cause Dahlgren to sus-
pect that he himself had been the de-
ceived
John" said Squire, promptly.
DO you know Il man named Squire"
oh, yassah. l knows de man dey calls
old Squiah. Squiah lie live down in ole
Fihginny: lie amt no count. You know
Squiah, Mahsta"
Where is he!"
"Squiah? l spec he some'h's about.
He say he gwine wi Mahs Dan
hese'f, an l spec he tryin' to fine him
now, sah."
well, you and Squire between you have
got the Captain well worked up. Better
settle it, old man." and the hOrseman, still
laughing. shook his whip at Squire and
rode north. having already knocked up one
horse on his great ride this day, pushing
Oh to carry to his General the captured |
letter of Davis to Lee.
'Lawd Gawd fOhgive ole Sguiah feh
tellin' lies avn hesef." muttered the old |
man, picking up his buckets but den de |
good book hit say dat dOu shalt not mex |
no false witnes ag'in yO' neighbOuh-an' | |
ain't no Squiah's neighbour: l is ole
SIuiah hesef-dat l is, an eff tell lie |
ng'in ole Squiah de good book hit don't |
say nothin' ag'in dat. But Is a-gwine to |
light shy o dat man-nOw l is, feh shO'."
This sOliloquy was hardly ended before |
the young negro, who had waited, accosted |
The old one.
"Unc John, do you know dat man you
was a-talkin' to?"
"Yas,, chile--leastways Is seed him
befO'e. DOezh zhu know him?'
Oats Cqp'm Dalgreen. l use to know
him, but he's done fohgot. Whah you ben
Ill dis time dat l amt seed you befo'e
now" And the young negro looked
at the old man.
"Nar RlpSS vo' life cbiIa I,c hon MOS.