The Cairo bulletin., 1907-11-04
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WHY HE WENT 70 WAR. !,
One Small MackereI for Nine People
Frightened Hungry Boy.

| frightened hungry BOY.
It's singular what very little things
change the course of our lives" said
the colonel. spreading out his hands
before the blazing CRATE fire. Nov
that mackerel we had for dinner to
night, reminded me of another mack
erel--a much smaller one at that
which caused me to run away to wal
when boy.
you must remember that what
am going to tell you happened some
, 40 years ago. was chubby little
country boy when the Civil war broke
out and acting the part of printers
satan on a weekly newspaper oi
which my father was editor. This was
in small town In northern New Jer
sey.
THE war had not been going on
long when thsee OF my brothers en-.
listed. Some time afterward one OF
them was seriously wounded in bat
tie, and when the telegram came tell
ing us the sad news. my father start
ed at once for Virginia, determined to
procure furlougn for his boy and
bring him home to be nursed That
was the last we ever saw of him alive.
The worry and fatigue of the journey
proved too much for him and he died
three weeks after leaving home.
"Of course, the family had to live
and the newspaper had to be sold. Sc
/ was forced to 80 on with my appren-
ticeship, though the paper fell into
the hands of man whom | then
thought to be the meanest man that
ever lived though in after years I
came to change my opinion. For my
labors | received the magnificent sal
airy Of S15o a week and board, and
such board as II was! It's not very
pleasant sensation to be hungry even
once in a while, but | was hungry all
the time
"One cold February morning | sat
down to breakfast with ravenous APP
petite There was one little salt mack
erel upon the table. and nine hungry
mouths 10 deyour it, My portion was
so small that it was soon eaten. |
dcliberated while and then, with
the courage born Of desperation,
passed my plate and timidly asked for
another piece Of fish,
What do YOU want, the who're fish
and everything there Is on the tabIe?
was the angry exclamation.
zone mackcrel for nine people il
pretty kind Of a breakfast. anyway
retortcd, SO indignant that forgot my
for once A stormy scene
ensued, and from that things went on
from bad 70 worse, till finally | re.
ce' ed my discharge.
Not knowing where to procure
another situation, and not much car
ing, my whole thoughts were given to
the war going on all about us. Why
could | not 20 and do my little part In
the great fight? I was then I6, and
good sized for my age | started for
Trenton to enlist, telling the examin-
ing officer there that was IS, that
bei0g the youngest that recruits wero
received Assigned 10 Kew Jersey
regiment. | had Chance 10 learn
of army life in the bar
racks, drilling and dining on bean
soup and hard tack Then the regi-
ment was dispatched to the front. ar.
irving there Just in time to participate
In that memorable campaign which
ended the war.
"But on the last day OF March. 1865,
we were called out in line OF battle
and this time we stayed ont, for on
the 1st of April we got what we had
long been expecting battle IT was
the opening battle of that short and
sharp campaign. which ended with
the surrender OF Lee In the early
morning of the next day we entered
But our hardships were
by no means over But our hardships
we're by no means over From the
camp Of our regiment at Switzerland
Station. Va. we later on commenced
1ne CT the hardest and most memora.
Bile marches of the war. The distance
was 40 miles. and this was
accomplished in four days and four
hours.
That was the record Of the regi-
ment, but it wasn't mine, for about
midnight of the first days march my
feet became so sore and swollen that
i was utterly impossible for me 10
keep up. A sergeant of the company
was in the same condition, and as we
crossed the Weldon railroad we both
gave II up. We made a bed of leaves
n the woods and slept tin the sun was
high in the heavens. Then we start.
ed of in the direction the regiment
had taken.
we passed burning houses on the
way which had been fired by soldiers.
From one house two women rushed
put and implored us 10 stay and pro-
tect them. as they feared for their
lives and that their house might be
tired. After some parley we consent
I'd AMI went TO The house. That night
shall never forget. II was agreed
hat the sergeant and | should take
.urns standing guard during the night.
About 3 o'clock I was startled BY see-
ng a young woman with streaming
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