Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 38.djvu/358

 friend, do yon know who died to save sinners?" The answer seemed to hiss from the teamster's mouth: "D your conundrums; don't you see I'm stuck in the mud?" Again some officers met in a tent (I won't say where); furniture scarce, only a box in sight and upon it a little brown jug surrounded by tin cups. One of the officers, drawing upon his imagination for facts, told of European trips, etc., etc. Finally he returned to America and went to live in Florida, where he proceeded to tell of capturing an alligator twenty feet long. A little man in the company ventured to cast just a shade of doubt on the statement. "Surprised are you?" said the unsurpassed story-teller. "Oh, no," replied the little man, "not at all. I am a liar myself." These stories would always make the General hold his sides.

Extract from letter of Ex-Governor Porter, of Tennessee, to Colonel Harvie:

"After the Battle of Chicamauga General Bragg dissolved Cheatham's division, and gave him a division of troops from other States, allowing him to retain one Tennessee brigade, upon the ground that so large a body of troops from one State in one division prompted too much State pride at the expense of pride in the Confederate States. When General Johnston assumed command of the army at Dalton, one of his first acts was to restore the old organization. The order to this effect created unbounded enthusiasm in the division. With one impulse the men marched to army headquarters with a band of music, and called for General Johnston. General Cheatham escorted him from his room to the front door, and presented him to his command with a heartiness as genuine as it was unmilitary. Placing his hand upon the bare head of the chief of the army, he patted it two or three times. Looking at the men he said: 'Boys, this is Old Joe.' This was a presentation speech to captivate the soldiers' hearts; they called their own chief 'Old Frank,' and it meant that here is another to trust and to love. That was the happiest presentation speech ever made by any man—happy because General Johnston had the good sense to appreciate, and happy because it touched and thrilled the hearts and minds of soldiers who loved their own chief. General Cheatham was the only man in the Army of Tennessee who could have made such