The National tribune., 1910-09-22


for instance, how far is it to Jonesbaro,
Ihe would say, 1t is a right smart ways,
III reckon but the Yankee would al
ways guess at it, and would say: About
five miles, | guess
1 told my Southern friend that unless
1.-THE Yankee we chanced to inquire of
had just galloped over the road with
the Johnnies after him a Yankee could
guess closer than Southerner could
reckon; but if the latter was the case
and we of the infantry were looking
for a bivouac after a hard days march,
the Yankee couldn't guess worth g con-
tinental, and the Southerner often lost
| his reckoning.
My friend then said he did not be-
lieve either side intended to exaggerate,
| but those conflicting statements always
put him in mind of old Deacon Smith,
a fine old Southerner, Methodist Dea-
! con, who was = very honest man and a
good neighbor, and was also a fine
| story-telier and quite nimrod, and
when relating hunting stories he would
become excited and his Imagination eX-
panded with his excitement.
Deacon Smith Almost Lied.
Whenever Deacon Smith went to
town the hangers-oH around the grocery
would buzz him for his latest hunting
story, and when his imagination carried
| him into the realms of the impossibili-
| ties they would express their doubts
| But Deacon Smith had a clever way
out of the difficulties. He owned an
old slave. SaInbo. who fairly worshiped
| him, and was ready to swear to any
thing the old, man said. He was also
quite philosopher.
On one occasion the Deacon had
bought a new rifle and was always sing
| ing its praises. and on coming into
town his friends requested him to re-
G.-@E,
! Of that gun, which he gladly consented
TO, and when warmed up with excite
lnent and possibly witil little of some
Thing else he declared he had shot
very large buck deer, and the power Of
that wonderful gun drove the ball clear
thru the head from ear TO ear, and the
bail came out OF the hind foot
OF course, such q story brought many
expressions OF doubt, and the Deacon's
attention WAS called to the necessity of
the gun having to be able to shoot
around u corner to perform such a
feat. As usual, Sambo was appealed
to, when, TO the astonishmeit Of all,
he declared il fact and easily eX-
planned. Sambo responded: 1T was in
dis yer way. De deer was a-Ecratchin'
he haid wid he hine foot, when Marser
fred, and, oh co'se, Ge ball went fru de
i:aid from ear to ear an fru de foot at
de same time" Then. turning TO his
nlaster he said: "Fo' de lands sake,
aIarser. be a little mo- sho' OBJ you
footen next time, 70 dat was mighty
tight squeeze fo' dis niger Cat time
Some time after this event the Dea-
cons friends concluded to see how the
Deacon would get out of a scTaDe kim
| self, so one of the church members
arose and asked the preacher 10 speak
against the awful sin of exaGgeraticn.
! now, says the speaker, we have
Smith IN cur community; / won't say
whether he's a Deacon Smith or a
blacksmith or a gunsIl;tk. o- that his
name is 5T.t:4, but worthy member
OF our church, who g addicted to the
terrible habit of exagseratioa.' The
Deacon Immediately arose ard said:
Dear pastor and brothers and sisters,
| / know open, confession is good for the
soul, and no doubt 1 am the Smith re-
feTred to, fof ! am at times addicted
to that terrible habit Of exaggeration,
and / have shed barrels of tears over
that very sim"
Now continued my Southern
friend, Il never could believe a South
erner could tell wi!ful lie. If anyone
else believes. he could let him hunt up
George Washingtcn's hatchet. No, sir;
the gift of lying was left to the Yankee
politician that wrote that story about
George. But, let me tell you Yanks,
| YOU say what you please, and let US
Johnnies swear to il. and let US John
MES say what we please and you Yanks
swear to it, and then We won't exagger-
ate to a hundredth part of the real hOr
rors and wonders of that terrible war,
or the tremendous benefits to the civil
Iized world, except to the soldiers that
participated in it, that has grown out
of that war" / seized his hand, and
declared I would never contradict the
statements of soldiers of either side
again. ~fs>-
F! 1t is these minor contradictions of
details that caused Dean Swift to de-
clare, "A historian was never known to
tell the truth" and caused Napoleon.
when asked what is history, to reply:
"A lie generally accepted as truth"
John Hays Mistake
I not only well remember official
reports Of commanders at the first bat
tie of Bull Run were so conflicting they
got Colonels of regiments mixed up,
and the commander of Blenker's Bri-
gade declared his was the last troops
off from the field, and states he left
the field at 2 o'clock next morning and
skirmished All. the way back to Falls
( Church. This was contradicted with
some feeling, and il was proven Rich
,ardson's Brigade was the last to leave
the field, and did not leave until day
Hight next morning, and walked back
to Arlington Hights and quietly went
Into camp, did not cross into Washing
ton, were not in the least excited, and
lnever saw one of the enemy on the re-
treat.
These two conflicting reports were
both correct, so far AS the knowledge
lof the commands were concerned.
lBlenker's troops were the rear guard
iof the extreme right. and took care of
the Georgetown road, while Richard
sons Brigade was on the extreme left.
land took care Of the Fairfax road, and
tit was many days before a Confederate
was seen in that direction.
Who would doubt the ability of Col.
John Hay as a historian, or who would
Tor one instant doubt the bravery, gem
eralship, loyalty or patriotism of Gen.
to charge either of those patriots with
: falsifying for the sake of vainglory ?
Yet Col John Hay says in his Bieg-
raphy of Gen. Sherman: "trhe patriotic
. Congressman, John A. Logan, threw
down the pen and hastened to the
: front, and picked up a musket and en-
tered the ranks of co. +, 2d Mich, and
fought gallantly all day at the first
battle of Bull Run"
When this was written there was no
time for dimmed memory. No, it was
merely confused reports.
! On July IS, the I'd Mich. was on
the skirmish line for two hours al
BIackburns Ford, and Gen. Logan
I came and asked a member of Co. F to
look at his musket. On the 21st the
I'd Mich was with the reserve, and
with the exception of a few shots by a
line of skirmishers. never fired shot
all day. but watched the battle until