Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-04-10

LVsgahssd frsnp.
Ae ountry squire sat in his Office one day,
Waiting for business and scanning the lay
OF a beautiful homestead across the street.
Where happy children were won't to meet.
He was Grabbed and crusty. and friends were new
His history concealed from all but few.
But story was written On his carewom brow,
Few knew where be came from. when nor how,
A constable appeared With prisoner in tow,
And as be enters the room he bows very low
"YOur honor" be cries, 1--WE brought into camp
A prisoner to sentence, vagabond tramp"
His honor sits back in his chair with grin
As be gazed at this tramp that his nibs had
brought in,
He gazes quite sharply, then his cheek blanches
white,
And his mind wanders back to the Stone River
fight.
my friend" he says sharply, what have you
tosay,
Why sentence shOnld not be pronounced right
away,
And why do you roam in such sad plight
You are to most people horrible sightY"
ledge" says the prisoner, They say l am a
tramp,
l reckon that's true, but do you think II right
For constable TO be sneaking with bulls eye
lamp,
And hauling you out Of Your nest at night?
"Yes, tramp have been since the year. %,
For year laid nigh to deaths open door,
But Aind nurse and doctor, both honest and
true,
Saved the life Of this tramp that was wearing the
| blue.
" went south with the boys when the war broke
out,
My regiment was oficered by a colonel named
Stout.
Our ranks filled to DER flowing the country to free,
And we landed at Nashville in old Tennessee.
There were men Of all ages, yes some Of them
boys.
And the Youngest Of all hailed from old Illinois;
He was pale faced and sickly, stranger TO me,
But no Drawer lad fought Tor the land Of the free.
He was lonely and homesick, the pun Of the
boys,
His duty done nobly without fear or noise,
But he was no favorte and no tent mate had he,
Till the Captain sent him to mess-mate with me.
"Tr re hearted and honest. my mess-mate, Kid
Jim,
Soon captured my heart with friendship for him,
And when on the march, made many a shift
To give weary Jimmie good honest lift.
Say! you can remember December o.
The days that tried the true hearts In blue.
Who had followed old Bragg many a weary long
day
Tofind in the morning he'd just sheaked away.
But one morning very early the music begun,
The left Of our army was nigh on the run,
With McCoOk hardly pres ed, the dying all round,
While Sheridan defended every inch Of the ground
well. heroes we're made in short order that day,
And my little Kid was in the hottest Of the fray.
When our colors went down all thought they were
lest
But soon they were rescued, how fearful the cost
Brave Jimmie rushed out bore the colors in van
While brave officers tried hard to rally their men
And while every one thought we we're doomed to
defeat
The colors oil our regiment refused to retreat.
II can see them now as they stood standing alone
In front Of our line that was nov nearly gone.
And can hear the words that the Kid sang out,
Hold up, my brave comrades, to your flag right
about.
"Shes and bullets are flying all round in the air,
But the Kid and the flag together stand there
As monument Of glory on that moss beaten
mound
While the brave boys in blue were dying all round
"But see, be is falling, look! the Kid, be is down,
bullet has laid him out on the cold ground;
But the flag he has saved is firm in his grasp,
And when comrades remove It he gives a faint
. gasp.
THE line driven back and the Kid left behind.
While the boys eyes were moistened with tears
you'll lind
That the Kid they had bued was a hero that
day,
And showed his true mettle mid that awful fray.
"A retreat was ordered new line to make.
Aud to sum up the losses that follow battles wake
When first discovered that we had left him,
My companion my mess-mate, my hero, Kid Jim
Looking back DER the ground, my hero he Law,
With his face toward heaven, on that dreary day
With the flood streaming down on his face so
true,
Was his heart still beating meath that coat n
| blue?
"As gazed on his form, stretched there on the
| ground,
He raised on bis elbow, gazed sadly around
Till he spied our old flag, still safe with the few
That fought under its folds Of red white and blue
u could not wait longer, for my Kid would save
Or be laid beside him in a soldiers grave,
With prayer toward heaven, a God bless YOU
lad,
| started for Jimmie, they thought I'd gone mad
The enemy we're watching and soon spied me,
The Kid on the ground they couldn't well see,
And as sprang forward, my Jimmie to get,
The bullets they whistled, can hear their
screech yet,
u escaped through the deluge Of bullets that day
And as knelt by bis side heard the Kid say
God bless Frank, my old mess-mate, he's always
true,
He'll tell them fell meath the red, white and