Judge — 1891 — page 27: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

JUDGE'S ANNUAL. 25 THE BATTLE OF BULL'S BLUFF. A FAMOUS ENGAGEMENT WHICH HISTORY HAS RESURRECTED WAR PAPER. FORGOTTEN—A “It was about the middle of the war when the battle of Bull's Bluff was fought, and the people of the north were very much excited, con- siderably in doubt, and very much in earnest.” So said the bald-headed man with goggles on, reminiscently caressing the stubble of his chin and smiling a sad smile. “Bull’s Bluff, as you know, is out in the Black river country. It is a popular impression that no battle was fought further north than Gettysburg, but I happen to know better. We had it hot and heavy at Bull's Bluff, and THE INK WAS NOT INDELIBLE, Parpincron (at his hotel)—"' It's won- derful what an amount of good a simple wet towel will do for a man’s head, I can meet old Cashup as straight as a string rw.” Fine crisp morning, isn't it 2” the papers were full of it at the time. I lost my hair there; but perhaps it was just as well, for if it had been left me, it would have turned white, though I was quite a young man, and I didn’t like white hair at all. “Tl tell you how it was. My paper was a weekly, and it was called the Banner. - It didn’t have many subscribers, but there are times when the smallest thing in the smallest paper of the very smallest circulation makes noise enough to depopulate the ceme- teries. I had in one number of the paper some praise of Clem- ent L, Vallandigham, a few remarks reflecting on the character of Joe Hooker, who was then at the head of the army of the Potomac, and a slash or two at Abe Lincoln, and in a variety of ways presented the proposition that the south could never be subdued. These might have passed, but unfortunately I had at the head of the editorial column a flag with a few stars on it— the number of them the sameas the number of the seceding states. “ Nearly everybody in town glared at me when the paper came out. A committee of citizens waited on me and insisted that I should take down that flag and put up one with all the stars on it. I said that was an infringement of free speech and I wouldn't do it. But I reflected that it wouldn’t be pleasant to have every AN IMMINENT CASTIGATION. PASSENGER (in the rear seat)—"' Anything I can do for you, friend? You seem to be worried.” PASSENGER (in front of him)—" Them two fellers jest ahead of me has been passin’ d'rog’tory remarks about that haysced’s ears, an’ if they happen t’ turn ‘round an’ ketch sight of mine, I'm ‘fraid they'll give ‘mselves away, an‘ I'll have t’ lick ‘m.” —(Down-town a half-hour later)—"" Ah! good morning, sir. man I met an open and avowed enemy, and when a deputy United States marshal came along and talked to mein a friendly manner, I consented to the terms. “How it happened I don't exactly know, but the next week a real, genuine United States flag took the place of the confeder- ate one—only it was upside down; and, curious as it may seem, I didn’t notice the mistake till the edition had been all run off and distributed. And I think I never saw angrier men than those I met next day. Their eyes blazed more than ever. They hissed and hooted at me on the street. They indulged in such rude remarks as ‘Shoot the copperhead,’ ‘Run out a barrel of flour and empty it on him,’ ‘Put him in tar and feathers,’ ‘Hang him to a sour apple tree,’ &c. é “T wanted very much to go out of town, but my funds were low and railroads wouldn’ttrust. I felt bad. I tried to explain in a rational manner to one or two of the more thoughtful, but they turned their backs on me with the remark, ‘Oh, go hang yourself.” Z “ About eight o'clock that night the battle of Bull's Bluff com- menced. I was sitting in my sanctum when I caught the opening roar of it. There was at first a confused hum, and it grew louder and louder and seemed to be coming my way. There had been bad war news that day, and two or three of my friends were with me, chuck- ling over it. For my part I couldn't chuckle at anything. I never felt so little like chuckling in my life. The roar came nearer, and seemed to stop in front of my building. There were re- peated groans and hisses, and when I looked out of the window, which was open, a bad egg hit me in the eye. My spirits were low enough without that, and when I saw my chuckling friends leaping from the back windows each with a white face and a scared look, I made up my mind that there was no such thing as steadfast friendship in this world. s a |e the teacher 's in there !" “How d” yer know?" “I seen him went down.” “Then shut up, yer fool, or he'll be fished out an’ resusticated.”” “Come down, you cop- perhead !’ shrieked a man of the attacking force. ‘Come down and we'll put you union down, as you did that flag!’ “To my unbounded as- tonishment a wild yell fol- lowed this imposing threat, to which there was not a dissenting voice. “T used my unimpaired eye and discovered a bar- rel of flour in the midst of the crowd. I knew that it did not come there by ac- cident, and that it was not to be given to the poor or used for making bread. The wretches had pine comicbooks.com