The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 1Newell, R. H. (Robert Henry)
History
The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 1
Newell, R. H. (Robert Henry)
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction
In vain did the shameless Confederate swordsman endeavor to get in a
hit as Villiam went round; the sword of the Union met him at every
turn, and right quickly was the avenging blade humming around his head
again. Inspired with the strength of Hercules, the endurance of
Prometheus, and the fire of Pluto, the gorgeous Villiam Brown went at
his work once more, like a feller of great trees, and in another moment
his awful blade twanged upon the foeman's head.
Down went Captain Munchausen singing inverted psalms, with a whole nest
of rockets exploding in his brain. Pale turned his rag merchants at the
sight, and one of them immediately deserted to our side and swore that
he had always been a Union man.
Villiam leaned upon his blade, and kindly remarked:
"His head is broken; I heard it crack."
"'Tis false!" says Captain Munchausen, gloomily; "that is an old
crack--I've had it ever since I was a boy."
"Ah!" says Villiam, airily, "I'm afraid my blow has caused more than
one funeral in the inseck kingdom, for the cut went right through the
hair. Have a comb?" says Villiam, pleasantly.
Captain Munchausen made no reply, my boy, but motioned for his men to
bear him from the field. It was noticed however, that, as he was being
carried into the wood, he asked a gentleman in remarkable tatters, to
take him to the last ditch.
As the Southern Confederacy disappeared, Captain Villiam Brown hammered
his sword straight with a bit of stone, forced it into its scabbard,
and turned majestically to Company 3, Regiment 5, Mackerel Brigade,
several members of which were engaged in the athletic game of
pitch-penny.
"Let the band be awakened," says Villiam.
A Mackerel at once proceeded to break the slumbers of the orchestra, by
shaking a bottle near his ear--that experiment having never been known
to fail in the case of a pronounced musical character.
"Ha!" says Villiam, with much spirit, "we will march to the national
airs of our distracted country!"
After sounding several cat-calls on his night-key bugle, in the manner
of all great instrumentalists who wish to know about their instruments
being in tune, the band struck up "Ale to the Chief," and we marched to
quarters like so many heroes of ancient Rum.
Shall treason triumph in our land, my boy, while there's a sword to
wave? I think not, my boy, I think not. Though Columbia did not rule
the wave, her champions would see to it that she never waived the rule.
Yours, for the Star-Spangled,
ORPHEUS C. KERR.
LETTER XXXIX.
SHOWING HOW A REBEL WAS REDUCED, AND CONVERTED TO "RECONSTRUCTION," BY
THE VALOROUS ORANGE COUNTY HOWITZERS.
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 13th, 1862.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account