CAPTAIN REID.–

9. October 2008 by admin.

CAPT. REID, of the Fifteenth Iowa regiment, relates the following incident of the march from Vicksburg to Meridian: “An amusing circumstance occurred at Jackson, which I heard related, but did not witness, but wished, when I heard of it, I had had a dead-head ticket to the show. A house was on fire, and an elderly lady wished to save from the wreck a large old-fashioned mirror, which was up stairs. Being unable to manage it herself, she called upon a soldier, who kindly consented to assist her; and going up, shouldered the mirror, and with it on his back, had nearly reached the bottom of the long flight of stairs, when, seeing a chicken, of which a party were in pursuit, he became so excited, and so far forgot himself and the precious burden with which he was loaded, that he gave one long bound for the chicken, dashing the mirror on the floor, and breaking it into a thousand pieces. The lady stood still, and raising up both hands, gazed at the young scapegrace as he ran in mute wonder and astonishment. Poor woman! Like the milk-maid in Webster’s old spelling book, her castles built in the air vanished like a noonday dream..”

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