Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-06-27
Thirty Years After.

OHc udg HIlCCH years VI lHOlC dSO
freight-train crepr out of the Illinois Gen.
tral yards at Memphis, on its way TO Cairo.
A few miles out OF the city, the head
brakeman, coming into the caboose, told
the conductor that he had passenger up
in Number Four That meant that tramp
was stealing ride in the fourth car from
the engine.
"AIl right" said the conductor. "l'll
be up shortly and get his ticket"
Swinging himself down into Number
Four, the conductor found his man sitting
on the floor, propped comfortably against
the side of the car.
"Ticket!' said the conductor, crisply.
"You know amt got no ticket"
"Where'd you get on ?"
"Down in the yards"
"Where d'You think you're going?"
'Just up TO Brownsville. ! got folks
there"
Brownsville There isn't any Browns
WIG OH lllo llllC.
"There amt? Say, Pm pointing for
Brownsville, and if it amt on this line,
I'll jump when we climb the next hill"
Brownsville is on the L. & N. This
road goes to Cairo"
lust then the conductor noticed that
the stick lying beside the tramp was a
crltch, and that he had only one leg.
"Where did you lose your leg ?" he
asked.
"Cold Harbor."
THAT so? | was in that fight myself,
in the Union army. Which side were
you on ?"
Confederate. didn't lose my leg in
the big fight. II was the day before"
"How ?"
"Well, do you remember the hill with
the plum thicket on topp Six of us was
there on picket. Then you come bout
noon, an camped all round, an we made
to get away. We run one at time, and
four got down TO the lower brush all
right. Then run, but some Yank took
a crack at me, an dropped. took my
gun for crutch, and made back TO the
thicket, where we lay till after sundown,
and my pard helped me, and we made it
to our line all right. thought should
die before got in, and that night the doc
tor took il off,"
The conductors heart beat fast as the
old Confederate told his story, for the in
cident was one the Union soldier had
never forgotten. With others ofhis COM
mand, in camp at the base OF that hill, he
had watched the Confederate pickets as
they ran from the plum thicket, one by
one, till four disappeared.
He had told his captain that if another
man came out he was going to try ashot.
The captain made no objection, butmere-
ly remarked that the distance was too
great for hit. When the fifth picket ran
out, he fired, and he saw the man drop,
dead or wounded.
And now here, more than thirty years
later, they meet face to face.
II was several seconds before the con-
ductor could command his voice; when
he spoke, it was in an entirely different
tone.
81 don't like tramps generally, ,"he said.
"They give us lot OF trouble, but any
old Confederate cripple can always ride
with me as far as he wants to go. Do
you really want to 90 TO Brownsville"
That's what, con. Pve got kin there,
and III have a good home till next
spring.
"Well, when we pull in on the next
siding to let the express by, you come
back TO the caboose, and III see that you
get back to Memphis in time to catch the
[. & N. to Brownsville before night"
The conductor borrowed all the money
the trainmen had with them, and when
the express came by, tagged it. He put
the crippled soldier in the special charge
of the conductor OF the express, with the
request that he see him safely through,
shook hands with the old fellow, and lett
eleven dollars in his palm. When the
tramp saw what he had, the tears came
into his eyes.
"Well, pard," he said, al don't know
what I've done to make you treat me like
this, but that's more money than I've had
for thirty years. And you a Yank, too.
Mebbe you can understand it, but can't"