The Portland daily press., 1872-10-21
lFrom the Toledo Blade.l
Anecdotes of the War.
A QUARTERMAsTER's RECEIPT.

Capt f. was undoubtedly the most original
quartermaster in the service. lie nad plans
Tor accomplishing certains results That were
lar in advance of the regulations, so ne stud
ed the blue book very little. On one occa-
sion in Western Virginia, while taking prop
erty and giving his receipt for the same, an
old lady objected. ''See here, now, mister;
[ don't know who you may be. This may be |
all right. and it mayn't." "You took the vebel |
quartermaster's receipt for property" re-
torted the captain. eyes, but | knowed !
him." said the woman; she's a very proper
man, and I'd trust him for ten years. We
kin go right down to Charleston and get our
money any time" Every well, if you pre-
fer it | can give you receipt in his name for
this corn" sal: the captain. kin you do
that@ questioned the captious female. The
captain merely said, ''Take your choice; you
can have receipt signed by me or one
signed by Captain Bloods of the Virginia
legion" The old lady finally concluded to
take receipt signed by the rebel quarter
master, and the captain made it out with
flourish. He acted on the the suggestion
afterwards, and gave receipts on this plan in
many cases where ignorant and captious reb-
els made any show of resentment. His ex-
plantations as to the nature of receipt were
wonders in their way, and he generally con-
WINGED his man that the rebel quartermaster
was the man to pay the bills
DICK, THE CAPTAINS COOK.
Habit is very strong. Captain H. had an
old darkey as cook and servant, who had been
slave for forty years. He had great rever-
ence for white man, and always did what
white man told him to do. This was good
quality, but Uncle Dick carried it too far.
Tie captain would give him chicken to carry
into camp some day on the march. Dick
would wander of, and some private, a great
lover of chicken, would swagger I'D to Dick
and thunder out 'What you doing with
that chicken, you black scoundre?
That man right over there is Gen.
Buell.. II he sees you with that chicken, he
gers hung this morning. This was ALWAYS
too much for Dick, and he would hand the
chicken over, and the captain would go with
out chicken for supper.
where's that chicken, Dick?"
Il CUB it to white man what Just saved
me from gettin' hung, sab. Massa Buell. was
mighty mad at me fur carryiA' that chicken,
sah."
The captain would explain and then theat-
en-. Dick would always promise to never
give another chicken up but the next night
with the captains cautions in his mind, and
the captains chicken in his hands, he would
be accosted by some strag9ler: 81 say, uncle.
where did you get that chickens'
IBIS fowl belongs to Capt. H., sab? | is
go, yes; thought knew you. I thought
knew you. l know the captain very well.
He is my cousin. You remember me, don't
you? just give me that chicken. I'll make
it all right with the captain" And Dick,
with the teachings of forty years cloudng his
intellect and understanding, would deliver
the chicken. The captain would be in a tow
ering rage, and Dick would explain "a
white man told me to glib it to him, sab said
10 w Ollcin md I la4 l.; H.
fowl"
Finally the captain told Dick he would have
him shot ii he ever gave up another chicken.
Under this threat Dick came into Camp with
the chicken, and the captain viewed his op-
erations as he dressed it, with great satisfac-
ticn. He stepped away to gossip with the
colonel, when George H.-tlast namesame as
thee ecaptain'sl walked up to Dick and said,
well, Dick; you got the chick
eyes, sab. Golly! Massey Cap. gwine
to shoot me if don't fetch 'um, and white
men can't fool me no mo-" CHATS right,
1 nno!e' STICK to it. The caps my brother, you
know: NICE 1at chicken. isn't it? Let's
ed the chicken to George, and George walked
off with it,
Halt an hour afterward the captain discov-
cred his cook sitting on camp kettle, with
feathers still sticking to his fingers, but no
chicken. where's that chicken. Dick"
with all the earnestness that disappointed
stomach could iUspire) eyer bruddcr TUX
EN-" (sullen and short). 'sAIy brother-Hell
I havn't any brother-you-'' "He said
he was yer brother He looks like you. He
talks like you-and he's a mighty mean man
and dun thought he was yer brudder.
But he better be ca'fill, cos dis old man is
mad now, he is. Dey is too many massas in
dis company. One white man he saws, hold
de chicken. Nudder white man he saws, let
EN- go. One white man shoot me if don't.
and one white man shoot me if do. So /
can do muffin" George here put in an ap-
pearance with the chicken nicely fried, and
explained to the captain that he thought he
would post Dick by trying another dodge on
him, and that the Cap. might not mis-. his
supper, cooked the chicken himself Old
Dick looked into the pan with wide open
eyes; and while the two were laughing. slip-
ped OIL, went round to the little fire where
George had been cooking, and came back
with three or four choice bits of chicken nice
ly cooked, which George had put away for
himself. Dick precipitated affairs by turning
these pieces into the pan with the others, re-
marking: "Massa George dun forgot some of
de incest pieces" The captain laughed and
saw the point There was shout of laugh
ter rom outsiders, and George remarking
That niger is no burned fool, after all,;'
executed quick departure. This established
Dicks reputation, and he carried chickens
with impunity till he left the service.