Letters of Major Jack Downing of the Downingville Militia

gry?Lincoln Tells a Story About Virginia Mud. Washington, Feb. 15, 1862. To the Editers of The Cawcashin : Surs :?Didn't I tell you that, as soon as I got here, I would straiten things out ? You never see a happier man, now-a-days, than Linkin is. When I cum here he was .eenamost reddy to go into a hasty consumpshin. He had been lettin things go on at loose eends, with two or three fellers managing things, and they were eternally pullin' jest as many ways. Linkin had been in the habit of sayin' that he warnt no military man. I telled him he must stop that at onct?that he knowed jest as much as eny of 'em. So when I told him he must be a Kernel, he at once went in for it. Wal, I hev bin jist as busy as bee in a tar bucket gettin' his solger clothes reddy. I sent clear to Maine to get Deacon Jenkins, who made all the clothes for the Downingville Insensibles, and he arrived here last week. It ain't no easy matter to cut for Linkin's figer, but I knowed the Deacon could do it, if eny body on arth could. But Deacon Jenkins, you see, is a small, stumpy man, not much longer than he is wide?while Linkin is eenamost as tall as a rail, and mity near as slim. Wal, I hadn't thought of this ; so when the Deacon cum he couldn't measure Linkin round the neck for a military stand up coller, eny more than he could climb a been pole. Linkin sed he'd git down on his nees, or on all fores, if necessary, but I wouldn't let him, 'cause it would be wantin' in dignity. So I got t...