Appearances are Deceptive

Transcribed by Larry Stevens

To the Editor National Tribune:

The following rather comic incident occurred during the Perryville campaign, October, 1862. At Lawrenceburg, Ky., our command captured about two hundred and fifty rebels. As they were being marched past our camp the boys came out and lined the side of the road, anxious to get a view of a real live rebel, as this was their first opportunity. They were a sorry looking set. Their sallow complexions, and gray uniforms all begrimed with the dust of those Kentucky pikes made their appearance anything but attractive. Of those whose curiosity brought them to the road-side was a droll genius, Sam M___, of Wooster, Ohio. The look on Sam's face was intense. At last he could stand it no longer, and he broke out thus: "Well, I wonder if Uncle Sam expects us to follow around such a looking set as that for three years. If he does, as far as I'm concerned, he is very much mistaken. Say, you rebs, set out the best man you've got, by the side of the road, and I'll whip the dust out of him and go home." The manner in which Sam delivered himself of this speech would have made anybody laugh, even a prisoner. Some of the rebels showed plainly that they would have liked very much to have accommodated him to all he wanted in that line. They were "Texas Rangers."

C.J. Madden. Late 102d Ohio V.I. Urbana, Ohio
National Tribune. July 19, 1883

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Last updated September 1 1995