Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1846-09-30
THE BARREL MONUMENTAL
SKETCH OF CAMP-LIFE ON THE
RIO GRANDE.
BY solitaire.

When the 81. Louis Legion was encam>
| ped on the Island, at the mouth of the B ra
Eos Santiago, the boys began, for the first
time, to feel the inconvenience of"Uncle
Sans" fodder arrangements-not that they
expected 10 find "chicken fxjnsn every
morning; but they at least felt confident
the beans would be nourshing. About
eleven O'Clock, A. NJ, every day, the little
round vegetables were put in the camp
kettles, and in an hour, or probably an hour
and half, were served out. TO those
skilled in the matter Of dried beans, we
need not explain how little effect one hours
boiling would have upon them. The diff
terent messes cracked away, however,
chewed the hard pebbles up, and left all
their meals in very unsatsfed manner.
few days had scarcely elapsed, when a
general grumbe was set 10 circulation
against the commissary department. Uncle
Sam. and his beans in particular. One tall
volunteer swore, in the mess, that he void
cross 10 the main land and provision him
self, il he had TO eat a live Ranchero, be
fore he would starve on such fare; his com
radeS chime6 in with his rebellion resolve,
and all of them asked leave of the Captain
to take short excursion for few hours,
in search Of game. Leave was granted.
and off the party started. In the course Of
a few hours, one came strolling into camp
with bundle under his arm, and as he
passed the sentry. on The way to their tent,
he was accosted with
"Jo, what luck had yOu?'
&c." says 10, Il only killed gutter
snipe!"
"WeIl,' says the sentry, "thalis the lar
gest snipe judging from The bundle, have
ever seen. Let me look at his bill"
Joe uncovered it. and there was the
snout of as fine young pig as ever poked
his nose into a swlI tub. Both wnked at
each other. exchanged quiet grns, and
then the snipe was carefully covered and
carried to quarters. In few moments a.
long came another Of the mess, who repor.
ted that he had only secured haunch of
"siotD DEER" j. G., young calf; and to
wind up the captured game of the party,
three more appeared, carrying quarter
of "short horned elk," which some envi.
Gus members of other messes declared look
ed as if It MIGHT have been the ''Slow deer'S
nanny! The spoils were put together
and covered over, after which the mess
went into a council Of war upon how TO get
something to wash down the game, ano
make the whole affair comfortable one.
:'Do you think you can exercise ''ba,
rel morement,' boysW said an orderly be
longing TO the mess.
"What is it likeW was the general in
quiry.
.Simply this" SAYS the Sergeant; "the
CommIssary General is landing store:
down at the beach among which is some
first rate brandy for the officers, and if we
could only make one of his hal' barrels
keep stap in hollow square, we might ca
silly execute the new march of barrel move
ment."
All the mess expressed themselves
: ready for duty lns,anter, and hav-
ing added few more rank and file
TO the enterprise, off they started on a com.
mendably earnest march, TO practise the
new drill. The hollow square was admir-
ably formed and reformed half dozen
times before they reached The beach, and
advancing in line towards the Commissa.
RVS store with a rapid evolution they form
ed around liquor cask, and commenced
their march back across the island. The
| drill was now full of n!erest--it was new
and one of the Lieutenants, attracted by
the strange maneuverlng, approached them
just as they were performing hollow
square ceunlermarch. He observed one of
the men carrying two muskets, and thought
it queer, but G lance at the centre OF lhe
square explained the secret
a strong volunteer was keeping the
barrel rolling in The inside they were
representing squad retreating with stores
and it was really beautiful, the skill with
which they did ii! Now barrel roller void
get tired. and the squad would counter
march while another look his pace; again
a discovery would threaten, and they void
close up to receive charge OF cavalry, and
thus, moving with caution and stead ness,
they reached a small sand-hll IN the rear
Of the camp. Now commenced some bril-
liant slow movements, all in one spot,
which were followed by the squad forming
lines again, and moving into camp. AT
the spot where the squad broke, a fresh hill
lock Of sand nigh; have been discovered,
!, by those only, however, who knew the lev
elness Of the spot.
The Lieutenant, who had critically
watched the maneuvering Of the men con-
graduated the orderly on the peri eciion oil
their drill. The subordinate looked him in
The eye. and knew, by the slight curl in
the muscles Of his face. that he smoked
the new tactics so. touching his cap polite,
" he asked the officer if. when they cook
ed their game, Le would accept slice2
ali the cook in your lmess seasons il
carefully, and i, is not overdone, would
nj miss tasting it, says the Lieut..
The ORDERLY winked, rs they separated.
1t was refreshing 10 an old campaigner just
10 see how ''gul,er snipe," '.short horned
elk" and ''sIow DEER" were disposed OF
that evening in The mess which executed
the above described strange drill; and ever
after that night It became bye-word,
when a volunteer was seen moving in a
zigzag fashion hat he was practising the
Legion's new march, called "barrel more
nent"
HoRRIBLE.--A dreadful tragedy was
| lately enacted about FIVE miles from Eliza
4