9. IX.
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 going 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 boat that was to carry
me from British shores — gaily I say, for 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 should agen embrace Looizer Jane (the pardner uv my
buzzum), and keep my skin perpetooally full uv the elickser uv
life, out uv her washin money. Joyfully I sprang off the boat
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 bread uv life among the poor colored
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.”
“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 for me. I
confess, and surrender at discreshun — do with me ez thou
wilt.”
And he did. I wuz led out to camp, and wuz allowed to
volunteer to fite against my convickshens — against my brethren,
who hev taken up arms in a rightous coz. So be it.
Hentzforth the name uv Nasby will shine in the list uv
marters.
Amid the dark, deep gloom that envellups me, wun ray uv
light strikes me. I hev 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 to perish on the battle-field, 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.
