| Show A YANKEE AMONG THE REBELS OPINIONS OF THE LATTER WHAT IS THOUGHT OF THE WAB WAR MERIDIAN miss mayla sitting on the porch of a one story hotel in meridian miss I 1 very naturally fell in with some curious characters the general topic of conversation seemed to be how all this came about Off omm meers officers and privates mingled miscellaneously laneous ly and I 1 being a yan yankee I 1 ee I 1 in citizens clo elo clothes and the only present enjoyed the full benefit of 0 f the recital of opinions the people stick no how daidone said gaid one they charged a soldiers wife for a meal as much as his pay was worth hero here we have surrendered or men and about are paroled they come in from the swamps with moss on their backs said another if they hadn haan t removed joe johnston johnstun we would have them sure as you arneborn are born if we had hoisted the black flag it would have been over ina lna D n year if the treasury department A was aas vas worth a d d wed have done it if if if if so if this had not been done it would not have occurred I 1 observed with some risk I 1 dont you think the yankees did it I 1 A considerable pause followed but individual expressions had the merit of originality and positive richness one strapping young fellow with M 0 11 on his ray gray hat attracted my attention A niner finer i ner formed man I 1 have never seen and I 1 opened conversation with him hev you got airy postage stamp sir A few 1 I want to write to the old mail man telling him im all right I 1 cant go back home you know under the cartel cartei where do you live 7 wall ivall dad lives in missouri but I 1 was born in ohio and lived in chicago ill tell you how it was said he with an incomparable wink you see I 1 had a little business down south when the war began so I 1 came dowland down and went into the army I 1 had heard how the south was the garden spot of the world and dad owne owned biggars nig gars and so I 1 came welli well weil I 1 got detailed the first thing tiling they knowel I 1 got a beef contract out of them for I 1 was was a packer and drover in chicago you know and so I 1 struck a li chor stood a guard I 1 have but when dick taylor r went up the spout I 1 had a drove of cattle once of the confederacy you know but another wink some three hundred head was sto leby tho the citizens confederate money mon ey warn varn t no account to me so I 1 got a few fany of these 71 here followed the eloquent chink of a pocket full of gold 1 I 1 have got a little piece up in wisconsin sin 71 here a gracious and decidedly loving look 1 I have and if I 1 know myself I 1 rather nather think I 1 can get there this here oath aint goin to hurt me much what do you think of 0 tip the country anyhow said 1 I 1 think of it said lie he well I 1 have been a all ail 11 oter oi over er it buying cattle I 1 give rhode island for the whole of mississippi the women either chew ellew to backer or dip snuff and they aint civilized dorthey for they dont know how to live and civilization means ineada catin gand hind find living comfortably bouget you get out of a seven by nine house and walk a quarter to the well and wash out of a basin and wipe on a family towel when they might have a washstand wasil stand ili in the corner the more I 1 conversed with this man 1 I noticed an improvement in it tion and in manner his crafty wink gave way coati open eyed glance and ho no wrote his name in the register ili in a 9 clear round t business hand so perfectly i had llad lie counterfeited the look and gesture of the people that I 1 said to myself I 1 if a few more like you would come down into this country how these fertile acres would blossom like gardens and civilization commence in earnest why y 11 said he lie ill 1 I hav have gone egone hungry into a poor joor poor house surrounded by ne noro nero negro ro cabins and sat dc wn to lio iio and hominy without milk or butter and right in front of odthe the door have seen a drove of cattle feeding among 0 the 1 e among which were twenty cows so when the yankees would burn down the brides bridges brid 12 es it would take them months to repair rel rei K air them why lahy cant we build them up tip as fast as a the yankees Yanke esi esP I 1 I 1 they used to ask me because you dont know how 1 I told them you dont know how to work and the yankees do 16 for they make their living that way the people down here are so infernal V lazy that if it for the they would starve but upon this porch where the late army of the confederacy through its representatives representatives were parting with each ot other er and their ill fated cause were men of intelligence men of character men to bo be admired A fine looking colonel of five and thirty seemingly the embodiment of manhood stood a among 0 them a very priest gentlemen sai sal said sald lie he 1 I 1 commanded a brigade in robert robertc E lees army I 1 have done my level best I 1 for four vears years ears fighting for the confederacy I 1 I 1 opposed opposed secession to the best of my ability and have told my clients and neighbors of the conse consequent disasters which would and have come upon you you have been good soldiers and can be good citizens all hope is gone and I 1 am not sorry today to day at 74 4 when I 1 sign my parole and I 1 de deem em it equivalent to the oath of alle alie allegiance glance I 1 become a citizen of the united states another colonel remarked gentlemen any one who has sense enough to as well weli forbis own as his count rys rya interest must see that the cause is hopeless and that it is his duty to make as good a citizen as he has a soldier I 1 s shall shail try to be one eal ex ear |
