Mr. Klegg Ready for Action. 172 Deacon Klegg and the Knight of The Golden Circle. The General Interrupts the Game 184 Meeting Between si and his Father. 189 His Honor and the 'attorney' Bucked And Gagged. Shorty Admonishes the Orderly 198 The Deacon is Shocked. 210 Trying to Conquer the Deacon's Scruples. 212 'How Much'd You Give for This?' 216 Deacon Klegg Looks over the Larder. 220 Hit My Jug a Welt With his Sword 231 'Pulled out a Fat Roll of Greenbacks. 235 I'm Gwine Ter Kill Ye, Right Here 246 Do You Hear? Git on Your Mule at Onct.' "I'll Invite Your Attention to the Emancipation Proclamation 264 " The Deacon Gives Abe a Lesson in Wood Chopping 269 PREFACE "Si Klegg, of the 200th Ind., and Shorty, his Partner," were born years ago in the brain of John McElroy, Editor of THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE. These sketches are the original ones published in THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE, revised and enlarged some what by the author. How true they are to nature every veteran can abundantly testify from his own service. Really, only the name of the regiment was invented. There is no doubt that there were several men of the name of Josiah Klegg in the Union Army, and who did valiant service for the Government. They had experiences akin to, if not identical with, those narrated here, and substantially every man who faithfully and bravely carried a musket in defense of the best Government on earth had some times, if not often, experiences of which those of Si Klegg are a strong reminder. THE PUBLISHERS. THIS BOOK IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED TO THE RANK AND FILE OF THE GRANDEST ARMY EVER MUSTERED FOR WAR. SI KLEOG CHAPTER I. THROUGH MUD AND MIRE DUTY'S PATH LEADS THE 200TH IND. SOUTHWARD FROM NASHVILLE. "SHORTY" said Si Klegg, the morning after Christmas, 1862, as the 200th Ind. sullenly plunged along through the mud and rain, over the roads leading southward from Nashville, "they say that this is to be a sure- enough battle and end the war." "Your granny's night-cap they do," answered Shorty crossly, as he turned his cap around back ward to stop the icy current from chasing down his backbone. "How many thousand times 's that bin stuffed into your ears? This is the forty-thousandth mile we've marched to find that battle that was goin' to end the war. And I'll bet we'll march 40,000 more. This war ain't goin' to end till we've scuffed the top off all the roads in Kentucky and Tennessee, and wore out God's patience and all the sole- leather in the North. I believe it's the shoe-makers that's runnin' this war in the interest o' their business." The cold, soaking rain had reduced the most of the 200th Ind. to a mood when they would have 16disputed the Ten Commandments and quarreled with their mothers.