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BY Jack Dionne

Sticktoitiveness

For many years I told two stories illustrating that great quality and characteristic-"STICKTOITIVENESS"-or "staying qualities." One was that good old story-already told in this column-of the New Orleans dock-working nigger and the anvils. The other is still older, a product of the Civil War, an incident that occurred when Sherman made his famous march to the sea.

Sherman's men had picked up a fifteen year old Georgia boy who had been left behind on thqir plantation when tris fattrer and elder brothers went to war' He had been left to look after his old mother and the plantation, but was found to be of use because of his acquaintance with the territory, and they kept him in the Federal camp for a few days as a guide, his position being that of a semiprisoner.

He proved to have a very sharp tongue, and his favorite subject, which he used whenever he got a chance to talk to the Federal soldiers, was to remind them that "IJs rebels certainly did give you Yankees Hell at Chickamauga"' Chickamauga was his favorite subject, and he kept "rubbing it in" at every opportunity until the men got sick and tired of hearing him, and only his peculiar position saved him from rough usage. This came to the ears of General Sherman, and he ordered the boy brought before him. "Son," said the grizzled veteran, "urhat's this I hear you always tell our men about Chickamauga?" "Well, general," said the unabashed youngster' "I just been telling them that us Rebels certainly did give you Yankees Hell at Chickamauga, and we DID."

"It seems to me," said Sherman, "that you have been taking a rather cowardly advantage of your protected position to harass my men, and I'm going to make an example of you. You can take your choice. You either go Ndrth to a Federal prison to remain until the war is over, or you will immediately take the oath of allegiance to the United States of America. Which will you do?"

"General," said the boy without hesitation, "I'll take the oath"" Which he very promPtlY did.

"Now son," said Sherman with a grim smile, "what have you got to say about Chickamauga?"

"Well General," replied the boy, likewise grinning, "all I've got to say is this: that THEM Rebels certainly did give US Yankees Hell at Chickamauga."

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