Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1862-05-29
'CUMULATTN A BEEHIVE.
BY CAPTAiN JERE WILLIAMS.

"Where is it % asked one Of his two
hearers.
"If you'll promise to 60 along and
hel p to 'cumulate it, III tell YOU"
Count me one, said Jed Wicks.
Count me half dozen, if You want
that many said Bill Reese.
But III tell you boys, it's down at
Robinson's, on Cheat River, and worse
than that, its in the kitchen lor. and
still worse, he has got two alfred cross
blood hounds
Come to think, said Jed Wicks, Il
haven't got time to co.
Iucyer agreed to co. said Bill Reese
Iook-a-hcra, Icl'ers, / tell you we can
'cumulate that ere honey, and ef you fal.
Ter, are afeerd to go, can find somebody
that amt
This lert-handcr at their courage set
them to waIding off with other excuses.
Pm not aleerd to 60 said jed, but
may be Robinson is Union man. and it
wouldn't do, you know
Not by a derned sight, he amt Hes
one Of these cusseI neutral scce.h that's
ten times wuss than an out-aud- outer
He carries news to Greenbrier camp, and
I'll prove it on him fore a week.
But then interposed Bill, we can't
get past the camp guards and if we
could it looks a little too much like
/ stealin.'
'Gittcn past the guards amt common
amusement said Jack, .jlst say you'll
go and the honey is ourn. And as to
the moral plat we'll 90 'cordin to law and
custom, youEnow, fust demandin Of the
secesh bees to take the oath, they refusin'
we arrest them and coniscate their prop
erty. All fair and legal, you know
WHATS stealin' in time O peace is CON
fiScatn' and 'cumulatin' in time o war.
For stealin' you 90 to Jail, but for ecu.
mulatin' you sit promoted. So you see,
in a moral pint O. view it's entirely diff
/ ferent.'
Their qualms Of conscience being thus
satisfactorily disposed of, and Jack hav-
ing insured their hides against the dogs,
they agreed to go if he would get a pass
to take them through the guard lines.
Come right along them said Jack
AMI they followed him to a remote beat
! where was walking to and fro, German
sentinel, who could not read the English
After the usual challenge, Jack advance,
and drawing from the folds o his pocF
et-book crumpled paper, read as fol
lows:
CAMP CHEAT MOUNTAIN SUMMIT, Val
October IS, 1861. {
The guard will pass the bearer and two
comrades, on very important business.
Brig. Gen. MILRoY..
The German understood none of this,
except the name and title of the General,
and Jack, to prevent him from calling q
corporal of the guard, looked very i'm.
portant, and made him understand that
the General wished the expedition kept a
profound secret. The sentinel deleIen
tally stepped aside, and they passed on
How in the dickens did you get tina
pass, Jack p inquired Bill.
Pass be hanged It was nothing but
a little note Robinson sent up to the Gen
eral t'othcr day by me, about the boys Il
st, alin' from him. Yes, give it to him
much
But what docs the note say . eagerly
inquired Bill.
why, it says as how if the General
lows any of the soldiers to come stcaliu'
about him, his dogs shouldn't leave har
nor hide of 'em. He donci to sleer me,
as he noticel me a cyn' Of his beehive
/ | TUX the hint and the note and told him
like as not some of the boys would be
down this very day, and mebbe steal his
beehive or somethin' says he, edo yor
see them . pintin' to his dogs. Says |,
i believe | see EN- Says he, one Of
them will tear the hind legs off a mar
the first jerk, eff | tell 'em to- Says
keep sharp look out, and mentioned
to him specially to keep his eyes peeled
to-day
Bill and Jed stopped
Jack, said Bill, my opinion is you're
trying to get us into an Internal scrape.
Nary time, fellers, nary time. Just
wanted the secesh cuss to understand thai
Jack Phillips can 'cumulate that beehive
if him and his dogs was a-straddle OF it
| tell you, pom honor, that | have tn,
ropes all laid, and that the beehive is a'
good as ourn without airy scratch. I'll
manage. Robinson and the dogs myself
they shant as much as look towards you.
Af,er some further assurances they
proceeded, and when they approached the
house they crept quietly through the !au,
rel to make a reconnaissance. There sa'
Robinson in the very door through whicl
they would have to pass in order to get
the beehive, and by the doorstep lay the
two fcrocious dogs. Appearances, Ger,
tainly were not very promising, but Jack
quietly remarked, all right, old feller.
Now Bill said he, you and and Jed
remain here silent and still, until you
hear me holler, and then double-quick in,
wrap blanket around the beehive and
bring it in to the laurel up to the pint
You needn't be afeerd of Robinson and
the dogs, they'll be tended to-
About two hundred yards from the
house was a footwalk across the river,
that part farthest from the house being a
single plank. The water was three OF
feet deep, swift and cold, and the banks
quite bluff.
In about half an hour from the time
Jack left his friends. Robinson was star
tied by hearing a Squawking in the direc-
ton of the bridge, and looking up, saw
Jack crossing the river with chicken