A Fiddler.

            When Wright's Georgia regiment was drawn up in line of battle, to go into its first fight in North Carolina, Wright, (afterwards a Major-General) in passing in front of his regiment, observed a tall, gaunt fellow, with a violin case strapped to his back. Wright asked him “what he was going to do with his fiddle?" The rude soldier had never heard of Mirabeau's dying exclamation, but he almost quoted it when he said, he wanted to “die to the sound of Betsy," this being the term of endearment which he applied to his violin.

            After the fight was over, the fiddling soldier did not answer at roll-call. He was found, with a broken leg, at the root of a tree, to which he had crawled, quietly sawing the strings of “Betsy."

visitors since 06/17/2004
Page updated 05/25/2006.