Show BLEDSOE AND HIS BOOTS Colonel lani Bled Bledsoe the famous battery commander of the C S A luring during the Civil f war ar was a man who paid moro more attention to the efficiency of his men than to his own or their attire During one of the hardest campaigns he possessed a pair of cavalry bo ts that had gone so long without the touch of the blacking brush that they were light tan in color Early ope oe morning after a nights ride on a train ell route to the front the battery was stopped at ata a division point to change engines Clonel and his hiB officers were using a i box car filled with cots fOr fr sleeping apartments A coup couple of tIlt the younger officers arose early t to look after their duties leaving the colonel soundly sleeping or his lot cot Beside elde the cot oot sat sut his pon drous boots blot A struck then them to playa play a on the colonel and call calling callIng ing a negro boy they pitched him a adoll doll dollar r md told him bin to polish these boots t a nicetY The negro did his work well and the boots were put back where they formerly stood When the colonel and was ready tu to get into his hoots boots he could not locate then them The ear car was and the sleepIng but still the colonel was wag minus his f foot footwear ot oter wear er erThe The wm hUl the joke were strolling by the car and tile the col colonel onel then In a rage asked them about his boots Colonel your our boots are setting eltin near the cot where you vou kit them Turning and taking another look at th boots he had seen ever everine since ine he arose he replied Those are ae not mine Yes they are colonel replied one of the officers almost read ready to con e with laughter We Vo had them polished or you this morning Then the storm broke The old bat battery battery tery frame fairly shook with anger as lie he told the officers what he abut about them and ami their trick For awhile the colonel wore the black blackened blackened ened boots but it is safe to assert that when they took on their former Cormer hue there was not another officer who dared to have the colonels boots poi pol without h his s change |