Incidents of the War: Humorous, Pathetic, and DescriptiveBurnett, Alfred
History
Incidents of the War: Humorous, Pathetic, and Descriptive
Burnett, Alfred
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Anecdotes
All railroad men know Dan Boss, of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne, and
Chicago Railroad. Dan was in Louisville, on Government business,
during the raid, with a lot of cars. Dan thought he would ride out a
few miles on the Bardstown pike one fine afternoon, with a friend, and
for this purpose hired a fine horse and buggy. Dan went out gaily, and
in fine spirits, jokingly observing he was about to reconnoiter. Only
ten miles from the city Dan was captured. The rebels demanded a
surrender of all his personal effects, which consisted of a rare lot
of old passes over all the railroads in the United States, several
"bottles," etc. Dan told them he was all right on the goose, and they
told him to turn round and go back; upon which Dan was delighted,
thinking he had deceived them, when he was accosted by several more of
the gang, who wanted to try the speed of Dan's horse. Dan begged for
the horse; said it wasn't his, to which the rebs replied, "Well! as it
is not '_yourn_,' why, we'll take care of it," and then drove off,
leaving Dan and his friend to foot it home.
MAJOR PIC RUSSELL
Says that, on the march to Louisville from Huntsville, Ala., he met
hundreds of stragglers from Bragg's army. One tall specimen of Secesh,
going back to his Southern home, the Major halted.
"Hallo!" said the Major, "where are you going?"
The fellow looked at the Major very intently, and replied, "Home,
sir."
"Where do you live?" inquired Russell.
"Lewis County, Alabama!"
"Why," said the Major, "you don't think you will ever be able to walk
all that distance, do you?"
"Well, I do," was his response. "I tell you, Major, I wouldn't take
_five hundred dollars for my chance_."
The distance to his home was over seven hundred miles, through
Kentucky, Tennessee, and Northern Alabama.
The Major told me it was a common sight to see them trudging along,
singing merrily, no doubt thinking of "_Home, sweet home_."
A VISIT TO THE OUTPOSTS WITH GEN. JEFF C. DAVIS.
General Davis I found an active, intelligent gentleman, with an eye
denoting great determination, and very pleasing in his conversational
powers; always on the alert, leaving nothing to subordinates that he
could do himself. The General's division commanded the Shelbyville
pike. I spent two nights with Colonel Heg, who had a brigade occupying
the most dangerous position. The 25th Illinois and 8th Kansas were in
his brigade.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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