The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-02-18
A FAMILY AFFAIR
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Hartman. and he was the only man
among us who kept close mouthed
about his Identity and his family his
tory. Some of the men thought there
was good reason for this, but it didn't
transpire that Hardman had anything
to be ashamed Of The truth came out
one day as he was marching and STUN
! bling over ii bad road, and when his
patience had become exhausted he
said:
.Gaul durn Dan'Ts hide, but if 1 had
| him here I'd wallop him till he couldn't
boiler! What on earth did he go and
do it for and bring all this trouble on
me?'
| Some of the boys asked him who
| Dan'l was, and then the mystery was
solved Danl was a brother who had
| gone south and enlisted in the COnfed-
crate army and was then known to be
! in among the troops confronting US
| liz Reuben was a good Union man
] Danl was no less a good Confederate,
| and if Reuben cussed Dan'l for the war
! his adjectives We're supposed to be re-
| turned with interest
We wondered if it would so happen
| that the two would meet in battle, but
time went OF until we got around to
Petersburg. AS our regiment took the
rife pits in the center of Grants lines
one day Reuben was one of the men
| detailed for the pits. At this point
| Union and Confederate pits were let
more than hundred feet apart. and to
| show a head above the earth was sure
death. Reuben had a high pitched
] voice. and any one having heard it
could identify him in the darkest night.
If began raining soon after he and
cornrade had reached the pit, and the
brother soon began the same old TRADE
| against Daniel.
Suddenly voice from the Conteder-
ate pit opposite shouted out:
..Say. now, but shuck my hide if L
| don't know the critter who owns that
| voice!'
.Who be you over there?" called Reu-
! ben as he started up.
] I'm Danl, of course"
"You don't mean it,
Eyes. | do. and you are Reube. I'd
know that voice of yours if l heard 1t
in Chiny. Say. old man, how are ye,
and how are all the folks at home?
I'm well huff, and the folks are well
huff. but I'm powerful mad. What
| did you go and turn rebel for and make
all this trouble? You hain't got a
spark of decency about you, DanNl
Hardman!'
I'm as good as any old Yankee re
piled Daniel.
you amt either Just let me git
holt of you and you'll sing a different
tune. / want you to come right over
here and surrender and behave your
self Do you hear me:"
Their conversation in the pits was
| heard by a score Of men on either side
| and first one would cheer and then the
other. When there was a break in the
talk. a Confederate would shout across
Hey thar. Reube, come over to the
house and see Dan1H'
''You bad boy. Dan1. come home and
be lickedr' a Federal would shout in
answer. And for an hour the firing
from half a dozen rifle pits was sus-
pended. When Reuben took his sec
ond trick in the pit he was so eager tc
open communication that he exposed
his head, and a bullet sent his cap fly
ing ten feet away.
''Durn your hide, but that was you
Danl!' he shouted as he crouched
down. Eyes, I'll bet it was. You hahn
got no more sense in your head than t.
go and shoot at your brother, though
you couldn't hit barn ten feet away
THAT you, Reube?" called Daniel.
"Of course it's me. What you askin
such silly questions for? You never
did know beans, even before you raI
away and Joined them rebels"
Don't git mad" said Daniel. 50
thought it was some other Yank. Say
Reube. did you say that all the folk:
at home was we'll? I haint heard from
them in a hui! year"
"Norc o. your business how they
ar1 Anybody mean huff to go off anc
Join the rebel army needn't be aslln
about decent folks. I've got a heal
o. things laid up ag'in you, young man
and youlI do a lot of Begin when
git holt of you
But you'll never git holt replied
Daniel, while all those around hin
raised cheer.
eyes, I will. Grant is goin' 10 cap
| ture your old army for sure. and thel
me an you will settle things.
TELL General Grant TO 20 to grass"
1t was funny what influence that lit
tie thing had on the opposing riff
: pits. 1t came TO be known to hundred
of men on each side that Reuben ant
: Daniel We're brothers, and their name
l became household words. They wer
I on duty only three times before thei
: respective regiments were relieved, bu
the men who came after them hat
something to talk about. All of a sud
den there would come a lull in th
murderous firing, and a Confederat
would raise his voice and call out: