The National tribune., 1904-07-28

between the unyielding chaparral, over a
soil entirely too yielding.
BY crossing the Pamunkey at Little
pages's Bridge the right wing of Sherman's
Army had avoided the South and North
Anna, on the left which had given the
Army of the Potomac so much trouble, as
they had avoided Totopotomy Greek and
other streams on the east, which had been
equally troublesome.
But there were others. just as bad. There
were the Reedy Swamp, Pole Cat River,
the Mat, Ia, Pc, and Ny Rivers, all wind
ing sluggishly through quagmire bottoms,
and bristling with cat-briars on either side
the narrow lanes.
what blathering fool was it who said
that it would be a grand picnic to march
the merry month of May" snorted Monty
Scruggs, as, hot. strained. covered with
mud, and hands blistered, he laid down the
rope after the regiment had snaked the
wagons through the Mat River bottom to
the high ground. what yapping idiot
prattled about the fun of marching up over
this level country, in the sweet Spring
time, with the glad sun shining overhead.
the roses blooming, and the wild birds sing
ing, while the reconstructed people would
| welcome you to their houses and homes,
and weep tears of joy at the sight Of the
Old Flag? Point him out to me. I'd like
| to roll him in the mud awhile"
"Yah-Yah! If you Yanks yelp that
| way bout gittin' over the footy little Mat,
what'll you say when you come to the Ia,
which is wusser yt, or the Pc, which is
wusser'n the Ia, or the Ny. which is the
| wust of all?" chuckled lank, long haired,
middle-aged Virginian, the first citizen they
| a stump, with big chew of tobacco in his
| mouth, watching the struggles with the
| wagons with the greatest satisfaction. AT
| every fresh obstacle encountered, or mis-
| hap, he would open his mouth to fire a
stream of tobacco juice with unerring aim
at some chip or leaf, and then give little
| zip of joy, and take another sip from a
bottle in his pocket.
Say" he continued. getting his breath
for a fresh effort. This hull country
| round heah's powerful bad for you Yanks.
Yes, it is, fer fack. Ole Bob LIE jes' give
you Yankees the very devil all round heah.
Hooray fer Bob Lee"
| 20, shut up, there, you Secesh barnacle,' "
shouted Monty Scruggs, irritably. Turn
off the gas"
"Ain't a-wgine ter. Don't have ter
chuckled the man, drenching burdock
with tobacco juice, throwing out his quid,
and taking another swig at his bottle. "I'm
done skeeted out, Confederacy gone to
blazes, Governor an Sheriff out of office.
Don't have ter mind nobody now. One
mans jes as good as 'nuther, an burned
sight better if he's got all the terback
an whisky he wants. But I say, Ole Bob
heah. He did, fer fack"
Come, l say, cheese that stuff at once.
you after-pains of the Lost Cause" called
Aft Russell. Were in no humor for it,
Don't keer if you amt, you We got ter
take it all the same. I'm at home now.
passing through the country, and on foot
at that, so you've got no right to say
nothin'-only hold yer tongue an pass
right along. This's my home
""This is the County l was born in,
Early one frosty mornin',
| Look away-loOk away.
| Away down South in Dixie
Sos I've got right to say what plumb
please. Laws-amassy, but Ole Bob Lee
did give you Yanks the very devil in this
country round heah. Hooray fer Uncle
Bob Lee. Hain't had no chance to sass
Yanks since we had ter skin outen the lines
round Petersburg. We give you Yanks
the devil down thar, but it warn't nothin'
ter the devil Ole Bob Lee give the Yanks
burg an Charlottesville
| Say, you slab-sided remnant of Sodom
and Gomorrah, stop that" put in Harry
Joslyn, who was as cross as the rest.
I"We're ordered to treat you people kindly,
but we amt going to stand any such talk
as that. Cheese it at once, or We'll make
"You can't do it," said the rebel, full of
the confidence of much rum. This amt
your day for maxim, nor the place. Ole
Bob Lee jess give you Yanks the devil all
'ound heah. Wisht he'd killed the hull
| bilin' of YOU"
Monty and Harry could stand no more.
must be admitted that he had the courage