Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1882-10-17

dred welgnt Oh qulnine anu olnef tIuV'
in large hospital knapsack and strapped
it on Brumagen's back. About ever.
half hour the column would halt for &
few minutes rest, but Brumagen was al
ways behind and would catch up jus
about the time the boys would resum,
the march. With that big pack on hi
back he looked exactly like an organ
grinder, and the boys soon caught on tC
the idea. As he would come up, putting
and blowing, they would yell out; HUI.
10, Brum, give us tune, or, Where
your monkey Well, he stood it one
day; the next morning he was back in
his company with musket on his shoul-
der, we'll satisfied to-take his chances in
the ranks.
In the course of time they had their
experience in fighting and marching, and
in 1864 | have seen the same boys
who, in 1861, could hardly make fifteen
miles day, with one days rations and a
single blanket, go twenty and twenty
FIVE miles day and carry two or three
blankets, an oyercoat, change Of cloth
ing, cooking utensils, tent, five days ra-
,ions, hundred rounds of ammunition,
and pick or a shovel. And this isn't
all-they would do this work in the face
of the enemy, fighting their way, and in
the evening would throw up earthworks
that would surprise a civilian"
speaking of this ration business"
said Battery "D'" reminds me of my
first real experience with army fare. |
was too young to ge, into the army until
1862, and joined our battery as re-
cruit. They was doing some lively SER
vice when | reached them. which was
one evening about the time they were is
suing ralions. They give me a few hard
tack and piece Of rusty pork about three
inches square. took it back to the gun
where my haversack was, and as | stood,
very much disgusied, examing the meat,
an old gunner said:
Is ,ha, the kind Of ra,ions they give
YOU recruits: III be darned if would
eat it if was you
AMI won't neither says |, and !
flung the pork out into the brush. The
old cuss went out and picked it up and
brushed the dirt off with his sleeve, and
says:
This is good enough for me, but you
nice recruits ought to have sponge cake
and ice cream. I'll speak to the Captain
about it,.
1t wasn't many hours before wished
| had tina, pork back again and you can
be, your life that was the last time ever
threw away anything | could &c, my teeth
into"
Il remember one time when | could
not eat pork" said the Thirty-nin,h In
diana. at was on the second day Of
the battle Of Stone River.
The day before We hal been driven
back on the right, losing our position and
thousands of men, ard this day was de-
vo,ei to reforming our lines, and ge,tin,
ready for the struggle which we expected
next day. The boys were fearfully hum
cry, and owing to the fact that Whartons
rebel cavalry had capturel our trains and
held our communications in the rear, no
rations were obtainable. Along in the
afternoon some Of our boys found fat
mule that had been killed by shell and
they concluded to utilize him They cut
out some chunks and had them broiling
over a small fire, when two soldiers from
another division in our army, came
along carrying fat hog between them.
INQUIRIES were made and the information
elected that there were lots Of hogs just
outside the lines. A detail was made
from our detachment which soon returned
loaded down with nice-lookipg pork.
The mule steaks were pitched into the
mud, and their places on the fire occupied
by pork. While it was cooking, ser
geant from Woods division came along
and said:
Boys, you amt going to eat that pork
| hope
OF course We are. What do you sup
pose we are going to do with it
We'll, IL tell you, salu the sergeant
L just came in from outside the lines,
and while / was out there saw some
hogs feeding on the corpses of the boy:
that were killed yesterday. I'm just go
ing now to see if we can't get an arrange
ment to bury the boys that are lying ou
there before they are mutilated an!
more
That settled the pork question with US
We returned to our mule and it was
long time before / could see hog with
out shuddering. The sergeant told th
truth; when we came to bury the dea
- 4 a l.