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Fortescue, J. W. (John William), 1859-1933

"The Drummer's Coat"


"It must have been nighly a week after we started that General Craufurd
tooked a different road from we; and we went on without mun. And then
we found what it was to have such a man, hard though he was in driving
us 'vor and keeping the men in order. For we came to a town where
there was stores and stores of wine; and there the sojers, that had
marched on before us, was lying in the gutter by scores, or staggering
about the streets more like to pigs than Christian men. I seed General
Moore that night. Ah! that was a man. The handsomest man in the army
they said he was, for all that one of his cheeks was scarred where a
bullet had gone through it years before; and sure enough I never see a
finer man 'cepting my Jan. But he was terrible stern too, and I never
saw man look so dark and angry as he did then. I seed mun many times
afterward, for he was always a-looking to the rear where our ridgment
was, a-helping and encouraging so well as he could. Well, I got a drop
of wine for the boy--it was the morning of New Year's day I mind--which
did mun good, and next morning we started again.
"But worse was avore us than we had left behind, for till now the
cavalry had been behind us and had kept away the French; but now the
cavalry was sent forward, and there was nothing betwixt us and the
enemy. Two days afterward the French came upon us sure enough, and the
muskets was going all night.


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