National Republican., 1883-05-15
FISHING IN THE pAMUNKY.
An Interesting Episode I'm tho Life OF
Soldier.
N. n. Kdn ArsdaIe. in "Onlir

N. II. Van Arsddie IN "Omiino"
Footsore and weary, the army rested on tht
banks Of the Pamunky. We had sufficient
surfeit of salt junk TO give every soldier the
scurvy. Fresh meat was the crying need
How to get it was tho question, We had left
our base Of supplies far in the rear, and the
country was clean swept through by tn,
rebels of all live stock not even pig OF
chic was left to reward the sallies of the most
tireless forager. Near at hand, however
there was one source of supply that could not
well bo exhausted by either rebel or fed
eral army, tho river-the beautiful Pa
sured MS, was plontifully supplied
with fish. In our ranks there were
men representing almost every vocation
among them those who, before the war, fol.
lowed fishing for n living, and who could
handle a net with as much skill as they now
could their Enfelds. So there were fish in
the river and fishermen in the army; but
by what means these fishermen should get
the fish was tho perplexing problem. For, so
far as wo know, there was not not TO be
had, not even fish hook, short Of Richmond
which place at that time was about as inac.
cessible 10 us as tho inny inhabitants of the
Pamunky. In an active campaign soldiers
have enough 20 carry without the
additional burden Of a hshermans ont.
leave all his Yankee wii and grit at Nome
when he enlisted; and IN this instance IL was
satisfactorily demonstrated that when once an
idea gets into his head, he will give II no rest
until IL has evolved something practical. The
particular idea that took possession of them
at this time was that a not might be con.
structed out of shelter tents, aud IL soon crys.
talizcd into an experiment, though IL meant
sacrifice TO some of the boys, no roof but the
a nt N inn from, ta
scorching sun and pelting storm. The exper-
iment proved successful, and in an incredibly
short time q net was spread out upon the
shore, made from several pieces of the boys
tents, sewed together, perforated, and loaded
with bullets. Soon corporaPs guard OF
expert fishermen were stripped of their uni
form, and in the river. With their skillful
bullets had been attached to make IL hug the
bottom snugly; and though the meshcs were
only inch holes cut into canvas, ,wh ch caused IL
to drag heavier than net made in tho usual
way would have done, yet tho brave fellows
succeeded by firm grip, and steady pull and
cautious tread in making clean sweep. 1t
was manifest as they approached tho shore,
by the cQmmotion in the water, and occa-
sional silvery flash on the surface, that their
effort was not to be bootless. The net is now
brought end to end, aud carefully dragged
toward the shore. As their limits grow
narrower, the fish fairly make tho water
boil and splash in their fruitloss efforts
to be released. Soldiers crowd down and
press upon their fishing comrades with all
sorts of delighted CALCULATIONS. Negroes IN
the banks above distend their eyeballs and
display their ivories in broad grin, and from
their thick lips the shout is heard, "Lor'
Massa, neber see de like oh dat on de Pa
munk" 1t was a sight worth boholding.
Even our professionals, who in their life time
had caught car loads of shad in the Hudson
and Rarltan, contemplated the result of their
first drLught in the Pamunky with wondering
amazcment, Their subsequent attempts were
likewise successful, 10 that we had a sufficient
supply to furnish a whole battalion with II
royal feast. And from our frying pans,
long used to salt junk, there arose u
cloud of incense that hung like u
heavenly benediction over tho camp | am
ut loss to know just where to classify
the species. That did not concern us much
then, nor need it now. They were neither
herring nor shad, averaging a little larger
than the former and little smaller than the
latter. In shape and general appearance they
were somewhat similar to either, and as sweet
as both on the dish. 10th were we to leave
the bountiful, hosptable Pamunky, but the
supreme call then, in our country's trying
emergency, was to duty, and when the order
Fall inw was given that afternoon we
promptly obeyed, grateful for twelve hours of
rest and mess of fresh fish.