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Page 135 from Random Recollections by Edwin Scott
Once, Grig Clark, an old Revolutionary Soldier, appeared before Judge Gantt for the offense of disturbing the peace and court while drunk, and in answer to the question why he should not be punished, accosted the judge as follows. " Old Buck, I f'out for you when you was in your mammy's arms, I've been where the bullets flew like hailstones."
Old Grig lived to be near eighty without ever taking a dose of medicine and then died of a fall that disjointed his hip. He was temperate at home, but would stay drunk at the village for weeks at a time, singing bawdy and patriotic songs of olden times, always keeping a very short pipe in his mouth and ready to strike the biggest man in the state if he hurrah'd for King George, as the boys sometimes did to tease him. One of his favorite songs was :
Come all you brave Virginians, I'll have you to know not to assist the bostonians . You must prepare to go: Me King has fell out with us and wants to make us slaves,before that we'll agree to that, we'll first use our graves. As to our noble Governor, he's acted very mean, he's no friend to America, it's plainly to be seen; I hear he's robbed the magazine of powders and he's fled and if he don't return it, he'll surely lose his head.
Grig always spoke of being one of the "Blue Hen's Chicks"..... Nathaniel Green's Regiment was nicknames this. |
