Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-01-14

I'm w an RtURhs 80 :"
letter entitled Chattanooga Chat" in
the Chicago Journal, Benjamin F. Taylor
relates the following interesting story
of the recent campaign in Tennessee;
Now and then, little human smile
brightens wars grim visage, like a flash
of sunshine in an angry day. remem-
Der one / wish could daguerreotype.-
The amenities OF battle are so few, how
precious they become Let me give you
that little touch of nature that makes
the whole world kin A few months
ago, the Sd Ohio belonging 10 streight's
command, entered town "a route for
Richmond, prisoners of war. Worn down,
iamished, hearts heavy and haversacks
light, they were herded, like dumb, driv-
en- CATTLE 10 wear out the night. A reh-
el regiment, the oath Virginia, being
camped near by, many of its men came
strolling about to see the sorry show OF
poor, supperless Yankees,
They did not stare long, but FASTENED
away TO camp, and came streaming back
with coffee kettles, corn bread, and ba-
con--the best they had, and all they had
and straighway little fires began 10
twinkle, bacon was suffering the mar
tyrdom of the Saint OF the Gridiron, and
the aroma of the coffee rose like the fra
grant cloud of thank offering. Loyal
guests and rebel hosts Were mingled; our
hungry boys ate and Were satisfied and
for that one night our common humani-
ty stood acquitted of the heavy charge
of total depravity with which it is black
ened. Night and our boys departed to-
gether. The prisoners in due time We're
exchanged, and are now encamped with
in rifle shot of Kelly's Ferry, on the bank
of the Tennessee. But often around
the camp fires have heard them talk of
the 54th Virginia, that proved them
selves so immeasmably better than a
brother atar Of; heard them wonder
where they We're and discuss the chance
that t sioy might ever meet.
When they denounced the 'damnable
Johnny Rebs, the name of one regiment
you may be sure, was tucked away in
snug place, quite out of the range of
hard words.
And pow comes the sequel that makes
a beautiful poem Of the whole of it, On
the day Of the storming of Mission Ridge,
among the prisoners was the oath Nir-
ginia, and on Friday il trailed away
across the pontoon bridge and alor,g the
mountain road nine miles 20 Kelly's
Ferry. Arrived there, it settled upon
the bank, like wasps, 9Waiting the boat.
A week elapsed; and, your correspondent
followed suit.
T1,o NFotn,. - IN Tl,S,.,1 t.,
me to the Inequalities of his quarters,
and almost the first thing he said was,
You should have been here last Friday;
you missed the denouement of the beau
tiful little drama of ours, whose first act
have told you Will you believe that
the 54th Virginia has been here 3
Some of our boys were on duty at the
landing when it arrived. What regi-
ment is this they asked and when
the reply was given, they started for the
camp like quarter horses, and shouted,
as they rushed in and out among the
smoky cones Of the Sibley's-The oath
Virginia is at the Ferry The camp
swarmed in three minutes. Treasures
of coffee, bacon sugar, beef, preserved
peaches, everything We're turned out in
lOICe, anu YOU may DclteSt JntN went Ia
den with plenty, at the double-quiek to
the Ferry.
The same old scene, and yet how
strangely changed The twinkling fires,
the grateful incense, the hungry cap
tives; but guests and hosts had now
changed place; the star-lit folds fioated
aloft for the bonny blue flag ! debt of
honor was paid to the uttermost farth-
ing. If they had triumph Of arms at
Chattanooga, hearts were trumps at KEEL
lys Ferry. And there it was that hor-
rid war smiled a human smile, and
grateful gentle light fiickered for a
moment on the point Of the bay
onet. And yet should the 54th Vir-
ginia return tomorrow with arms in
their hands, to the Tennessee, the Sd
Ohio would meet them on the bank,
fight them foot to foot, and beat them
back with rain so pitiless the river
would run red !''