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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1888)
TOM NORWOOD: A 8TORY OP THE CIVIL WAR. BY JAMLS T. 8IUW. V. ( ETIYSBURG I What scenes of deadly strife are V J called to mind at the mention of that terrible battle! Scattered throughout the vast extent of our country are thousands of brave men some with an empty sleeve hanging by their side, others going through life with but one leg, the missing members being left on the historic field of Gettysburg. These men have a vivid recollection of the awful carnage which took place on the green hills surrounding that beautiful little Pennsylvania town. It is in the front line of battle, as it is formed on Cemetery ridge, on that memorable 3rd of July, 1803, that we find Colonel Harrington with his regiment They had taken part in the battle of the preceding day, in which the enemy had been repulsed with fear, fill loss. Gathering up his shattered and bleeding columns and all reserves, General Lee formed them in line, on the morning of the 3rd, for one more des perate effort to drive the hated Yanks from tho hilL Posted along the crest of tho hill lay the Union troops, awaiting the dawn of another day with feverish anx iety, realizing that a most desperate struggle for the possession of the hill, on which they maintained their line of battle', awaited them. " I wonder where Sam is with our supper?" in quired Colonel Harrington of his adjutant, on tho evening of the 2nd " The last I saw of Sam was this morning; then ho was going over tho ridge as fast as a pair of long, black legs could carry him," replied the ofliccr. Sam requires an introduction. He was the colo nel's servant, and also did duty as the cook for tho mesa. He was a large African, with ikin so black that charcoal would almost appear white in compari son, wid which shone like ebony. Not unlike many of his kind, Sam was a great coward, and his sudden disappearance over the ridge in tho morning, as re lated by the adjutant, was the direct result of tho ex plosion of a shell from a rebel battery. Sam never itood on ceremony on occasions of this kind, but im- 1 mediately decamped. " I do think," said tho colonel, not a littlo ruffled j at the thought of going without his supper, M that j Sam is the biggest coward I ever saw. I suppose we j ill go suppcrless to-night" I As tho colonel finished speaking, Sam's vo'ico was heard, saying, " Seo yar, mars soger, can ycr tell dis nigger whar marsa Colonel Harrington's company is?" " Get out 0 here, yo limb of Satan, or I'll bo after breakin' ivory bono in ycr black carcass," said tho soldier addressed. " Here, Sam, this way," cried tho colonel as ho recognized his servant's volc " Lor brees my soul, dat's marsa Colonel Harring ton hissef I" cried Sam, as ho made his way through tho soldiers, who wero busy preparing their supper of codec and bacon. " Where havo you been, Sam?" asked tho colonel, as that indindual deposited his load of wuis, kettles, etc, on tho ground and mado preparations to give them their suppers. " Why, ycr see, mama colon' 1, dis ycr mornin' I finds out we's got no mo bacon; to, says I, 'Sam, dis yer will neber do, kaao marsa colonel an do rest o' do hosifers will bo pow'ful hungry arter dey duu hashed dem sculiers, an' you's got no bacon to giro dcm.' So, says I to mysef, kaso dar war no ono wid mo when I war lookin' ober do com'sary, 'Sam, ycr je' more yer trotters an' get somo mo' dat nice bacon.' So I goes ober do ridgo to dat plantation hou whar I's been befo', an' burrows somo for do Won, an' dar it is, marsa, a sizzling in do pan, wid do rino taken! (-IT." " You don't mean to tell us you borrowed it al ready cooked, do you Sam?" Inquired ono of tho ofii. cers. Xov, man cap's, does yer sVo dem folks dun knowed ls a eomin', an had d bacon cooked, ready fcr dis yer filler to toto away? No, sab; I jet borrowed dis yer bacon an' corned away. I den gtx'S to do back ob do hill yondab, makes a fire, fri's do bacon an biles do coM ka I knows you all U pow'fol hungry arter figbtin do reb all day" " Well, Sam, I muit say you wero very thought ful," said tho colonel, a to and his ofile rs took their ts on tho ground around the leaning a!Tr yA and pan containing tho Uirrowed bacon. - IJy tho way, Ham" sail tho adjutant, " this m-at Mes very much like that wo bad for brt akfwt this morning" . 1 " Dat's jes what I t'ought l cooked somo an' eat it. H-yi I. 4 ' iVars liko dU yer
