Washington's Dead!

From Stories, Anecdotes and Humor from the Civil War

---

Another classic has to do with soldiers entering remote areas of the country and conversing with the natives there who are not well informed about what is currently going on in the out­side world.

After a Union soldier had chatted awhile with an elderly lady at the door of a log cabin in the mountain region of West Virginia, he bid goodbye and then said, "You'll not refuse to hurrah for Old Abe, will you, old lady?"

"Who's Old Abe?" asked the woman, growing more astonished every minute.

"Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States."

"Why, hain't General Washington President?"

"No! he's been dead for more than sixty years."

"General Washington dead?" she repeated in blank amaze­ment. Then turning to the cabin door, she called, "Hey Son! Come here a minute."

A man of about fifty came to the door, "What is it, Maw?"

"Would you believe it, Son," she cried excitedly, "General Washington's dead. Sakes alive! I wonder what's going to happen next."

---