Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1910-04-14
TIE Army Fcrlges.

nc Army rCr1gcc.
| don't quite understand why
pee pie are so slow 70 contribute
TO tnis column, something from
the store OF incidents which i'm
pressed themselves on some Of
Us in a way which will never be
effaced from memory's tablet
You know my comrades that the
rule was to % on duty one hour
and of two. so come up and tell
few just to pass the time and
we will tell another even though
il may no; be 40 good as yours.
Now am going to tell you
something Of the faithful cook
and forager. Can we forget the
man who without fee or reward
carried your extra baggage on
the march and thus in addiuOn TO
the kit OF cooking utensils for the
mess: You remember in those
last days of the Confederacy that
We were not all Durdened with
ratiOns, and often We would have
gone supperless but for the skill
Of the cook who had done some
fOraging as We went marching
on. Sometime ago | read aninri
dent in a paper snd although it
was told by NoTtherner I am
prepared to believe it. because il
shows up the negro as natural as
life, | think it ia good enough to
repeat. So here it is.
JiY's DEFENSE.
CHANGING to drop into the
county court room Of = Texas
city. | arrived Jus; in time to near
the judge say: The court has
considered the motion for new
trial and the same is hereby grant
ed. The prisoner Is released up-
on Ia own reeoguizance. Dir.
Sheriff adjourn court
jim. t. sn old darkey who was
the prisoner, you come up b. the
house with me-" To me. a North
erner and q stranger, who had
been raised to believe that the
color line was closely drawn in
the South, all this seemed very
strange, and could hardly he.
leve my eyes when saw the
judge and the old darkey walk
OF together. Inquiry elected no
satisfactory information about
this extraordinary case, but the
next morning on opening my
newspaper | was much surprised
and not a little pleased 10 find it
reported in full, a. follows:
THE prosecuting attorney sat
down and as he moDped his brow
he gazed triumphantly az the
judge and at the young lawyer
who represented the prisoner.
( The latter was an Old darkey
whose face was as black as the
ace OF spades. During the trial
his eyes had never once left the
judge. ''fo lie Lawd ef dat amt
Mas Jim. he had exclaimed
when brought into the court room
by a stalwart deputy, and two
rows Of white teeth had been re-
vealed by his pleased smile. The
testimony OF witnesses mad been
Of no interest 70 him, and he
laughed scornfully when the
young lawyer VIII had been an
pointed by the court to represent
him poured fourth college rheto-
re. My oil Marse Jim gwine to
fix hit, he whispered to himself.
The judge Strengthened himself
and wiped his glasses solemnly.
THE prisoner IS found guilty as
charged, he said. Has the pris
oner at the bar anything to say to
show cause Why he should no. be
sentenced?"
The stern look of the court
caused the old darkey's face to
fall. When he stood up his eyes
were sparkling with Indignation.
Yes san | has somepen to saw.
an / g gwin to say mt. Now look-
here Marse jim, you knows me
les as well as | knows you. Is
known you ebber since you was
knee high ter a duck, and YOU
amt nebber dons nuthin' richt
mean I'll jes now. Dey brought
me in here and tole me stole a
shoat. But | didn't tink nuthin
of dat, and you nebber did before
I'll les now. | came here
after justice, | thought | was
gwine ter git hit case YOU was
ledge. Marse Jim done YOU mem
Der dat ! was your body survant
durin de war? Didn't | use to
russle for grub for you and your
chum when de rations got Short
An didn't you use to smack YOUR
lips ober my cookin and saw Jim's
a powerful good forager? WhvI
stole chickens and turkeys and
shoats for you from CHATTANOOGA
TO Atlanta. You didn't saw nuf-
I'M IN dem days. No sab. an T
wants to know if it was foraoinp
den, huccum hit stealing now?
\ es, an doan you member Marse
Jim when you was shot an de
Yanks took you prisoner at
Petersburg? Didn't you give me
your gray uniform and a lock of
your hair and your sword, and
didn't you say hoarse like, Take
EN- to her?' And didn't | take EN-
| toted dem tings tro de bresh a
hundred miles and when come
to de front gate, dab stood Miss
Emilyl En- when she saw me
didn't she hug dat little bald
headed baby dat you was so proud