Pedal and Path: Across the Continent Awheel and AfootThayer, George B. (George Burton)
History
Pedal and Path: Across the Continent Awheel and Afoot
Thayer, George B. (George Burton)
Bicycle touring; United States -- Description and travel
A stout, full bearded man left the ranks and walked firmly up to Logan,
grasped the hand that was always ready, and said, in a low, trembling
voice, "God bless you." And I know from his looks he felt a good
deal more than he said. Another rather timid man came from the ranks
and shaking Logan's hand, said: "I can't help it," and walked off,
hanging his head, as if he had done something foolish. Then another
came rushing up with a wild glaring look in his eyes, and shaking,
and yelling "Twenty-second Ohio," was off again with the moving
mass. Up ran another, and, shouting the one word "Chattanooga,"
as Logan gave him a hearty shake, was gone.
And so it was throughout the whole review; no matter whether they came
singly or whether whole companies left the ranks in a body, and made
a rush for the carriages, Logan's hand was always extended, and a
"Glad to see you," or "Yes, that's so, boys," made the old veterans
feel happy; for only when Logan was shaking, as fast as he could,
a score of uplifted hands, did his black eyes flash, and look as if
he really was, as he said he was, glad to see the crowd of comrades
pushing eagerly toward him. Once a great burly six footer, crowded up,
and extending his broad hand eagerly shouted, "Touch her, God Almighty,
touch her." A veteran who had been irrigating a little too freely,
stood for quite a while in front of the carriage, and as the old
soldiers tramped by he would call their attention, in a maudlin way,
to the personage he had in charge by saying, "don't forget John." But
it was plain to be seen there was no danger of that. Then another one
came up with a demijohn, and, pouring out a glass of water and spilling
twice as much all over himself, said, "Drink with me, Gen'al, if you
never drink again," and the general did. Then when he joined in singing
"Marching Through Georgia," all the ladies in the windows on both sides
of the street waved their handkerchiefs; but when a little raggamuffin,
during a lull in the yells and shouts of the veterans, rushed out in
front of the carriage, and called for "Three cheers for Black Jack,"
he failed to get them. It certainly required considerable patience
on Logan's part to be shaken and almost yanked out of the carriage,
as he was several times, but he bore it with good grace, and replied
to the hundreds of questions and salutations as pleasantly as possible.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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