Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-11-07
Recovering sscHy Nuics.

A Carlo correspondent Of the HHold .
says:
soldiers. at Paducah. yesterday, which .
will pay for its space IN repeatIng'.~
When our troops first received their
teams they were troubled to procure for
400. so the mules were turned loose or
,etbered' in he outskirts of the town.
Occasionally a few would be missing, until
Uncle Sam found himself minus some
twenty-five or thirty. Those which .
strayed away were caught by the rebel
speculators and taken TO BlandVlIle, .
hack of Columbus, where they had accu 7.
mulated some fifty stolen and purchased
animals, which were under some five or
six keepers. The two priyates mentioned
fmembers otthe fortieth Illinois volun
teers hearing of the whereabouts Of the
stock, asked Gen. Smiths permission to
attempt their recapture, which, with
some misgivings, was granted The
bows, dressed in the garb Of kcntuck
farmers, went and surveyed the field an
fold. and set to work, They had whis-
ky with them-whisky such as Ken
tuckians like to set drunk o., good old
Borrbon-and the fist object was to
get them as comfortably drunk as possi-
bic, which was not long in being accom-
plishod. Then the boys went to the
mules and let down the bars, mounted
two of the best without saddle or bridle,
and started Ter Paducah, the whole lot
following at a break neck pace, and bray
in the most diabolical chorus. The
keepers were not long in discovering the
ick, and gave chase as far as they
deemed it prudent toward our lines, bu
to no purpose; and in good season Sat
urday afternoon the boys made theil
appearance at Gen. Smiths headqalter'
to report, their faces bcamihg with
glow of satisfaction hard to describe
Their report was a condensation OF La
conicism; so will give the dialogue;
Gen. Smith.-"Well, bays, wha
luck?'
Soldiers.-"We got'em, and more
too"
Gen. Smith.--"IIow many did yor
got?"
Soldiers" Forty, | reckon; haint coun
ted 'em.
Gen. Smith "But that is more
than we have lost. You didn't steal
any, hope?"
Soldier -"Scal K-ristophcr, steal
No, stree; bat you see we didn't have
time to put the bars up after we had go
Uncle Sans out and the id thing
would foler."
Then the General drew on an elongated
countenancc, and, as sternly as though Ia
had been Judge and was sentencing
cuprit to a lifetime Of imprisonment, lee
tuled the soldier roundly for using proIan'
language in the quarters and presence o
u general officer The soldier took the
lecture uncasily twrling bis hat nervous
ly the while, and, when the General haC
"subsided," apologised as follows:
"You see, General, we have had to cus'
the id things all day to get them into
camp, and its mighty hard 10 quit off all
Of a suddenly"
The the Generals rigidity relaxed; t
smile, or rather laugh, came up from
his heart; and tlicd to escape from the
corners Of his mouth; but dec, plne is de
cpline with an old army officer, and /
would not do to allow such II breach q
dccorum to pass ann Il; but in consid
Grafton of the recaptured twenty five, IAN
more too, he did not iniIict any sever
castigation or put them undor arrest but
thanking them for the service RENDERED
dismissed them with caution to lcay
their profanity behind when they cam
again to headquarters, anl the boys lci
declaring, as they closed the door, tia
"such pious old cuss hadn't any bus
ness to be round among amongst solers.