Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-09-08
lanes Madden Tells War Story.

Felix w. Reaum Of Chicago, who
was a member of Company A, 95th
Illinois Infanty, the same company
in which James Madden of Worthing
served in during the civil var They
enjoyed a company reunion re-
Gently at the home of Mr.. Madden,
who tells a little tobacco story on
comrade Reaum which Is worth re-
peating.
During the advance of Sherman's
army south towards Atlanta, the 95th
Illinois halted for a rest In a little
valley and sitting by the roadside
we're a couple of old darkies, a man
and his wife, and the old lady, perhaps,
spoke for both, when she said, "Iou
Massa Lincum genemens hadn't a
chaw of tobac about yo' jeens | don't
reckon, hab yo.' bless the Lord" This
set company A boys laughing and
most of them would have responded,
but tobacco was mighty scare at that
particular time, and some Of the boys
were chewing dried over guilds.
Comrade Reaum vas one Of the
| liveliest boys in the company and
| when he was a little short on tobacco
! the other boys had none. He could
find a chicken or a turkey where no
one else could see any, and he was a
! fighter as we'll as a humoriSt.
The appeal of the old colOred MAN.
my touched his tender heart and he
opened his blouse and from some we'll
| concealed pocket pulled out 5x3 plug,
as much Of a surprise to the boys as
| the old Nanny. He cut of a liberal
"chaw'' and went up to the old darby,
holding the tobacco in his fingers,
"Open your mouth Nanny" and
Felix put the tobacco into her mouth
and pulled it out again, repeated the
operation several times.
The Colonel came along and seeing
Felix and his tobacco, operation, pull
| ed out his sword and shouted. 80, you
| Felix, give the old woman that tObac-
| co or III spank you with the broad
| side of my sword" and she got her
chaw quick, and then she divided it
with her old man, and both were
blessing the Lord as the boys in Com
pany A shouted approval, but Felix
managed to hide the balance Of his
plug as many of the boys shouted;
"Give us a chaw, Felix" but Felix
didn't care to reduce his reserve any
more at that time.
"Felix was as full of patriotism as
fun and had as little use for a north
ern copperhead as he had for a rattle
snake. About the time u boys were
being mustered out and In a parade
one day with General Hurlburt lead
ing, a fellow known for his copper
headism remarked as the boys were
marching past. "You feel proud to
follow him, don't your" and Felix
heard the remark. He stepped out of
the ranks and gave the copperhead a
/ punch In the jaw that laid him out
fiat and then rejoined his comrades
without saying a word, and the boys
loved him for it,
"He worked for the American Ex-
press Company in Chicago for 81 years,
and he was just as reliable as an ex-
press agent as he was a soldier, and
in proof of his business qualifications
it is only necessary to say that the
Express Company recently retired
him on a dollar a day pension for life,
and that's the kind of a youth Felix
is" remarked Comrade Madden. "Mr.
| Reaum Is an uncle of our Will and
| John Haw and a brother Of Mrs.
| Baisure, and as good a mar as l ever
met. " said Mr.. Madden as he got m to
leave.