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
"Bully for you!" says he, dropping his musket, all in a quiver, and
commencing to roll up his pantaloons. "I've got a bet on that ere fire;
and ef I don't take the starch out of that ere Nine's feller what wears
good clothes and don't do nothing--you may just take my boots."
It was all the force of habit, you see; and if I hadn't stopped that
Zouave, I really believe he'd have run clean into the bosom of all the
first families, looking for the Fourth District and Nine's feller!
The Mackerel brigade have got their new uniforms, and they are not the
martial garments it would do to get fat in. High private Samivel Green
put his on, partially, yesterday; but, it's a positive fact, my boy,
that by the time he got his coat buttoned, his pantaloons were all worn
out. I managed to get on one of the uniforms myself, and the first time
I went into the open air all the buttons blew off.
* * * * *
I've just returned from visiting the most mournful sight that ever made
a man feel as though he'd been peeling onions all the week, and grating
horse-radish on Sunday. It was the first dying scene of one of the "Pet
Lammers," down at Alexandria, and, as one of Five's chaps remarks, it
was enough to make the eye of a darning-needle weep, and bring tears to
the cheek of the Greek slave. Jim was the only name of the sufferer,
and if he ever had any other, it had slipped his memory, though his
affectionate relatives sometimes called him "Shorty," by way of
endearment. He was out on picket-guard the night before, when the
Southern Confederacy attempted to pass him. He challenged the intruder,
and called to his comrades for help; but, before the latter could
arrive, the Southern Confederacy drew a masked battery from his pocket,
and fired six heavy balls through the head of the unfortunate Zouave,
nearly fracturing his skull, and breaking several panes of glass. The
cowardly miscreant then fled to an adjacent fence, closely followed by
Sherman's Artillery.
Upon discovering that he was wounded, Mr. Shorty examined the cap on
his musket, and stood it carefully against a tree, buttoned his jacket
to his neck, and asked a comrade for a chew of tobacco. Too full of
emotion to speak, the comrade handed a gentlemanly plug to the dying
man, who cut about half an ounce from it, placed it thoughtfully in his
mouth, and then stuffed his handkerchief carefully in the hole in his
forehead made by the balls.
"Is any of my brains hanging out?" he asked of another of his comrades.
"No, Shorty," answered the other, bursting into tears; "you never had
any to hang out."
After this response, the dying man paused for a moment to spit in the
eyes of a dog that was smelling around his heels, and then proceeded
with his comrades in the direction of the hospital, or the house used
for that purpose.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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