Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-08-12
Eating Grow.
An AMUSING ACCOUNT OF THE ORIGIN OF
THE TERM.

CHAPTER I.
Near the camp of the old Pennsylvania
}ucktail Regiment. in Virginia, early in
he war. lived an old, aristocratic. exclu
i've and pompous Virginian, in true bar
,nial style. His m in-ion, of very old age
vas made of imported brick, his chimney
were tall and massive, and the rooms were
5ill and pleasant. The chief attraction @
The old place, however, was the ground
hat surrounded the mansion. Large tree
gave lnxurIant shade, and the underhrul
n portions of the grounds afforded a shell
ter for rabbits and othar smlll game
There were walks, and orchards. and ar
bors. and the whole bore such an air oi
general peacefulness and repose, that l.
was no wonder the wild Bucktails were
harmed with the prospect, and anxious t,
penetrate into spot which gave sucl.
promise of enjoyment.
The Bucktails were not the most tracta
lie Sol'liers. They came from the step
ping-off place-the wilderness of Pennsyl-
vania-McKean, Potter. Forest and Tiog
counties and they obtained their ntme
which clung to them through the entire wir-
Trough fancy of Colonel Kane, brotf5s9
Of the Arctic explorer. who became thel
commander. He recruited the regimen
the early days of 1861 beginning or
he day of the arrival of the news of tn
fall of Sumter,) from the backwoods- men.
who were flmous marksmen. They wer,
Ill deer hunters, and, rs Il designation
every man was furnished with the tail of a
| buck by Colonel Kane, and when they
marched from Camp Cartin with the buck
tail in their caps it was a novel sight
Colonel Charles j. Biddle. of Philadelphia,
was made the Colonel, and Colonel Kane
the Lieutenant Colonel-both men no;ed
for their short attenuated forms. Neithe.
was scarcely more than five feet high, ant
their combined weight was less than two
hundred and twenty pounds.
| 1t may readily be guessed that these sol
| ders had little respect for Virginia aris-
tOcracy, and the tent-poles had hardly 60
settled in the ground before Il notei.raider
named d-well, Smith-shnuldered his deer
killer and started out on a little expedition.
| He was a Sergeant, of immense size,
named The big Sergeant" He made a
straight march for the old Virginia's man
or. Now. the old gentleman had many
| pets about the grounds, and among them :,
tame crow which he valued very highly.
| He also had tame rabbits, doves, etc. The
Sergeant imbed the stone wall, and
| uIOpDcu llllllStlt Ills vi liiS
| grounds The first thing his eyes struck
was the tame crow, who unconcernedly
flew near him. The Sergeant put up his
rifle to his shoulder and banged away.
Mr. Crow came f1uttering to the ground.
| The soldier reloaded his gun, leaned it
against the wall, and went to get his game.
Instantly there came running from the
house, in Il 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. VOW
ed that he would blow the soldiers brains
out With this he brought the piece to Il
cock and glanced along the barrel. Ser
geant begged for his life, and the Nirginian
swore he would take it.
The Virginian finally thought of Il COM
promise and with Il look of half between
amazement and rage. told the Sergeant
that he must eat the raw crow. In vain
the other protested; the Virginian insisted
on the price of his adversary's life. So tht
Sergeant pulled off the feathers and began
to gag and eat.
How do YOU like crow?" hissed the
Virginian 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 a
tame one, and he wouldn't do such a thing
agrin. Finally the old man took the gun
from It's aim, and told the Sergeant bt
needn't eat any more. His heart full Of
iov. the soldier threw the crow upon the
ground, and said:
"Well, 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.