Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1872-08-29
EATING CROW.
An Amusing Incident of the ORR
..ss gin of the Term.
CHAPTER I,

early III lne -Wdr, lived an OLD, ar1SC0
cratic, exclusive and pompous Virgin
ian, in true baroniai style. His man
lsioh, Of very Old age, was made of i'm
j Ported prIck, his ehimneys We're tai
! and massive, and the rooms were large
land pleasant. The chief attraction 'Oi
the old place, however, was thegronnds
that surrounded the mansion. Large
| trees gave luxuriant shade, and the un-
derbrush in portions Of the ground af
forded shelter for rabbits and other
small game. There were walks, and
orchards, and arbors, and the whole
bore such a scene of general peaceful
ness and repose that it was no wonder
the wild bucktails were charmed with
the prospect, and anxious to penetrate
into spot which gave such promise of
enjoyment, ..7...5 ..5,-,il -,,5i y, =.
| The Bucktails Were not the most
tractable soldier. They came from the
stepping-of. place-tho wilderness OF
| Pennsy sylvania-McKean, Potter, For
| est and. Togo counties-and they OBJ
tained their name, which clung to them
durihg the, entire war, through a fancy
of Col. Kane, brother of the Arctic ex-
plorer, who became their commander.
He recruited the regiment in the early
days Of 1851, (beginning on the day of
the arrival of the news of the fall of
Sumpter) from the back woodsmen,
who were famous marksmen. They
were all deer hunters, and as a designa-
ton each man was furnished with the
tail ofa buck, by Col, Kane, and when
they marched from, Camp, Curtin with
the bucktails in afeir caps, it was q
novel sight. Col. Charles K. Biddell,
Jf Philadelphia, was made the Col, and
Col. Kane the Lieutenant Colonel Of
the regiment both men, noted for their
short, alternating forms. Neither was
scarcely more than five feet high, and
their combined weight was, less than
two hundred and twenty pounds. 10
1t may readily bessguessed that these
soldiers had little respect for Virginia
aristocracy, and the tent poles had got
hardly settled in the ground before a
noted riderAwell,. Snith4shouldere
his deer-killer and started out on a, IT.
tie expedition. He was sergeant, and
OF immense size, and went by the name
OF "The Big SefgeaTt, He made a
straight march for the old Virginian's
manor; Now, the old gentleman had
many pets about the grounds, and
among them a tame crow which he
valued very highly. He also had tame
rabbits. doves, &e,i The Sergeant
lelimbed the stone Wall, and dropped.
himself and his gun on the inside of the
grounds. The first, thing his eyes
'stfuek was the tame crow, who dncon-
eernedly flew near him, and aiigtted
on 4 limb and began to, cav at him.
The soldier put his rife TO bis shoulder
and banged away, and MfTCroW came
hutlering to the grOGnd. The soldier
reloaded his gun, leaned 1t against the
wall, and went to get his game;
: Instantly there can1e running from
the house, in a high state Of excitement
the old, Virginian, and when ne saw
that his pet g crow had been iits, kllled his fd
the sergeaht's gun, and sweating that |
he wouldn' y have given the crow fer
the. whole Yankee army, vowed that
tS1,th ti;d ne he btonobt tba rsiaca ~. q
cock and glanced along the barrel. The
Sergeant begged for his life, and the
Virginian swore he would take it.. $50
The Virginian finally thought of q /
compromise, and with W q 1ook q ts half be-
Sergeant that he must eat that trawcrow.
In Vain the 'other protested. the Vir-
ginianl insisted On the price of his ad,
versary's life. SO the Sergeant pulled 1
off the feathers and began to gag and |
eat p. IL
aHow do you like crow?'' hissed the
Virginian, through his teeth. i go +
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 a tame one, and he wouldn't do |
such a thing again. Finally the old 7
man took the gun from its aim and told |
the Sergeant he needn't eat no mOre.--l
His heart full of 10y. the soldier threw
the bird upon the ground. and said:
esWsII. i Kin eat crow, but l don't T
like IL pEsT = tn IT - i''7s' ssd (
The story might stop here If ft,,were
onivto show the origin of the phrase,
hutst the rest of IL "a the best. hi'-i
I'''''''ss ~ 80 l1IJLSi.sj o. .@a u
- eie eihGHAPTER III. l-e.'itt t-Gaial
The old Virginiari. after surveying
his dead petfor an instant in a sorrowful /
manner. returned the gun and started
for f,is mansion. THE other Quickly /
br6uDeflti his piece to his shoulder. and
Called out: 40 2fitiie1'sj3d o. oist f,sB.
ssHoidi on there, Mister. ~ ii'.il ~ ~.
isWhat do You want?''i asked the /
other, as he turned and beheld a bead
drawn on him. ''3I i-"''@ 81 - sad /
eIid like 10 have you eat the rest of
that ctow'' l.i'''1. ~ a.. 49,. - '. ~, aai
tdra shont Nm III, II, 4 frantic manner- saving
/ ne,d e De - u ne aiu, anu sllas ne 9lu-
NJ want any oi sne youtlg "a 'iIian n JOKES
Inc cocking ol tle gun, anu .ne ass1l-
ance aanc on tne Part Oh tlle s9ilier .nas ne
wouid certainly put &, pan enrougn nls
shoulder aniess ne coIn1plIeu WIN hIs |
demand, inuuceu the s.,1ln NlrgInIiian % re-