11. XI.
IS FINALLY DRAFTED.
Camp uv the 778th Ohio Kidnapt Melishy,
Toledo, October the 17th, 1862.
I am here, clad in the garb uv slaivry! Nasby,
clothed in a bobtailed bloo coat, a woolin shirt, and
bloo pants, with a Oysteran muskit in his hands,
a goin thro the exercise! Good hevings! wat a
spectacle!
The draft was over, and I thot that wunst more
I 'd visit my native land. Gaily I stept abord the
bote that was to carry me from British shores—
gaily I say, fer my money hed given out some
weeks afore, and I hed earned a precarious subsistence
a sawin wood in pardnership with a disgustin
mulatto, and I lookt forward with joyful
antisepashens to the time when I shood agen embrace
Looizer Jane, (the pardner of my buzzum,)
and keep my skin perpetooally full uv the elickser
uv life, out uv her washin money. Joyfully I
sprang off the bote onto the wharf at Toledo,
when a hevy hand was laid onto my shoulder.
Twas a soljer! The follerin conversashen ensood:
“Wat wantest thow, my gentle friend?”
“I want yoo, my gay Kanajen.”
“On wat grounds?” retortid I.
“On the ground uv eloodin uv the draft,”
sez he.
“Yoor mistaken,” sez I; “I 'm a Ablishnist—
a emissary. I hev bin a spredin the bred uv
life among the poor kulerd brethrin in Kanady,
and am jest returnin to run thro another lot.
Let me pass, I entreat thee, nor stay me in my
good work.” (This wuz strategy.)
“Not much,” sez he. “I know better. Yoor a
butternut.”
“How knowst thou?” sez I.
“Yoor nose,” sez he. “That bucheus beekun lite
wuz never got out uv spring water.”
“Yoor knowledge uv men and things is too
much fer me. I confess, and surrender at discreshun—do
with me ez thou wilt.”
And he did. I wuz led out to camp, and wuz
allowd to volunteer to fite against my convickshens—against
my brethren, who hev taken up
arms in a rightous coz. So be it. Hentz4th the
naim uv Nasby will shine in the list uv marters.
Amid the dark, deep gloom that envellups me,
wun ray uv light strikes me. I have seen the
eleckshun returns, and wen I seed em I yelled
Hallelogy! Me and another victim uv Linkin's
tyranny, who is a Dimekrat, (he wuz a postmaster
under Bookannon, and wen removed by Linkin
dident give up the balance uv money he had on
hand, fearin twood be used to subvert our free
instooshns,) hed a jubilee. We smuggled a bottle
uv condenst ekstasy, and celebratid muchly.
“The North 's redeemed!” showtid I.
“Let the eagle screme!” yelled he.
“The Quakers hev votid!” showtid I.
“Ablishnism dead!” screemed he.
“Dimokrasy 's triumphed!” laft I; and so on,
until after midnite, when, completely eggsaustid,
we sank into slumber, with a empty bottle
atween us.
Petroleum V. Nasby.
P. S.—Tell Looizer Jane that I may never see
her again—that shood it be my fate 2 perish on
the battle-feeld, amid the rore uv battle and the
horrors uv missellaneous carnage, my last thot, ez
life ebbs slowly away, shall be uv her; and ask her
if she can't send me half or three-quarters uv the
money she gits fer washin, ez whisky costs fritefully
here. P. V. N.
