The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1872-10-01
MISCELLANY
THE ORIGIN OF "EATIyG eRowy

CHAPTER 7.
Near the camp of the old Pennsylvania Buck
tail Regiment, in Virginia, early in the war;
lived an old, aristocratic, exclusive and pomp-
GUS Virginian, in true baronial style. His
mansion, of very old age, was made of import
ed brick, his chimneys tail and massive and
the rooms were high and pleasant. The chief
attraction of the old place. however, was the
grounds that surrounded the mansion. Large
trees gave luxuriant shade, and the underbrush
in portions of the grounds afforded shelter for
rabbits and other small game. There were
walks, ard orchards, and arbors, and the whole
bore such ana air of general peacefnlness and
repose, that it was no wonder the wild Buck
tails weae charmed with the prospect, and
anxious to penetrate into a spot which gave
such premise of enjoyment.
The Bsfcktails were not the most tractable
soldiers. They came from the stepping-of
place the wilderness of Pennsylvania
McKesln Potter, Forest and Tioga counties
and they obtained their name, which chung to
them during the entire war, through fancy
of Colonel Kane, brother of the Arctic explorer,
who became their commander. He recruited
the regiment in the early days of 1861 (begin-
ming on the day of the arrival of the news of
the fall Of Sumpter) from the backwoodsmen,
who were famous marksmen They were all
deer hunters, and, as designation, each man
was furnished with the tail of buck by Col.
Kane, and when they marched from Camp
Curtin with the bucktails in their caps it was
a novel sight. Colonel Charles J. Biddle, of
Philadelphia, was made the Colonel, and Col.
Kane the Lieatenant-C olonel--both men noted
for their short, attenuated forms. Neither was
scarcely mere than five feet high, and their
combined weight was less than two hundred
and twenty pounds.
1t MAY I've readily guessed that these soldiers
had little respect for Virginia aristocracy, and
the t-poles had hardly got settled in the
ground before noted raider, named-well,
SInitl-shouldered his deer-killer and started
out on little expedition. He was a Sergeant,
of immense size, named '.The Big Sergeant"
He made straight march for the old Vir-
ginian's manor. Now, the old gentleman had
many pets about the grounds, and among
them tame crow which he valued very highly.
lie also HUI bstIht fdppteS, dofco, ctC Ht
Sergeant climbed the stone wall, and dropped
himself and his gun inside of the grounds.
The first thing his eye struck was the tame
crow, who unconcernedly flew near him, and
alighted on limb and began to cav at him.
The Sergeant put his rifle to his shoulder and
banged away. Mr.. Crow came futtering to
the ground. The soldier reloaded his gun,
IL. I L.
game.
Instantly there came running from the house,
i'm high state of excitement. the old Virginian,
and when he saw that his pet crow had been
killed his rage had no bounds. He rushed for
the Sergeant's gun, and swearing that he
wouldn't have given the crow for the whole
Yankee army, vowed that he would blow the
soldiers brains out. With this he brought
the piece to a cock and glanced along the bar
rel. The Sergeant begged for his life, and the
Virginian swore he would take it.
The Virginian finally thought of compro-
mise, and with look half between amazement
and rage told the Sergeant that he must eat
that crow raw. In vain the other protested !;
the virginian insisted on the price of his adj
yersary's life. So the Sergeant pulled off the
feathers and began to gag and eat.
Elbow do you like crow" Kissed the Yir-
gilman through his teeth.
The only answer the other gave was to beg
to be let off. He was sorry he had shot the
crow didn't know that it was tame one
and he wouldn't do such thing again. Fl
nally the old man took The gun from its aim,
and told the Sergeant he needn't eat any more.
His heart full of joy, the soldier threw the
crow upon the ground, and said:
SWELL kin eat crow, but don't like It, :"
The story might stop here if it was only to
show the origin of the phrase, but the rest of
it is the best.