The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-08-13

choking with berries and excitement, and
those fellows blazing away at rs.
THE Major had been in the business as
deeply as ourselves, but, having more re-
/ sponsibility on his mind, had raised his head
| just in time to see the Confederate line get
ting ready to fire. The men had dropped at
his command as though they had Teen shot,
and they lay still. not knowing what would
come next. After the first volley there was
an interval of silence; then we heard the
voice of Captain B., of the other battalion of
| our regiment. burst out: STEADY, now, left
oblique, firel' Then we understood it. The
rebels had been so intent in taking us in out
of the wet that Capt B., surprised at our quiet
ness and marching to see what was the
| matter had slipped ND on the Johnnies. As
| soon as we heard his volley we jumped up
with a common impulse and dashed forward.
| 1t wasn't much of a fight, but that was the
first taste 1 ever had of huckleberries."
THAT reminds me" said an ex-soldier
| who hadn't been to Minneapolis, ''of 8 little
| incident in my own experience. Oar cap
tain was straight up and down discipline
rian, and was always rushing Us into fight.
| One day, while IN camp in West Virginia, he
| ordered the company formed to light fight
| ing order and coming out of his tent placed
himself at the head, and, without explana-
] ton, we marched away at swinging quick
step, Scarcely a word was spoken during
| that march of three or four miles up noun
| tain road, but as the Captain directed the
march along bride path, the boys nodded
at each other as much as to say. This means
| trouble for somebody"
1--WE moved along this path until we came
to ridge. We skirted along the lower edge
| OF this until came the order to front face and
| deplOy. We went up that hill stumbling
| over stones and briars, the Captain exerting
| himself to keep the line without a kink or a
| curve. Suddenly he gave the order to halt
and to fix bayonets. The boys began to
| think the old codger had lost his senses
| when he Numbered out In measured tones:
| i call The attention of the men who have
| obeyed my orders so unquestioningly that
| there lies not more than five PAGES in front
| of them the finest patch of luscious black
| berries ever saw in my life. discovered
| them yesterday, and after tasting them l re-
solved to make a secret raid. And here we
are. The men will stick their rifles. bayonet
down, in the ground, and proceed to pick
| and eat black berries'"
Another time the old fellow came into
the company quarters with a call for volun-
| teeTs for scouting party. Every man vol
| unteered, and we went racing ground the
! country for two or three hours. At last the
| Captain affected an air Of mystery, and Or
| dering that strict silence be maintained in
the ranks, directed the march toward some
| what pretentious residence, very pleasantly
| located in grove. We moved in single file
| along a cow-path, close to q stone fence, and
| came out at spring-house, at the foot of the
hill on which the house stood. Here the
lire formed with the greatest care, and we
| were scarcely in order to suit the fastidious
| eye of the Captain when lady came trip
! ping down from the house. AS she APP
| preached the Captain turned and saluted
| and then said: i believe, madame, you said
| you would have q churn full of buttermilk
| to place at my disposal to-day She had,
and we had jolly time in drinking it."
"That was all right" drawled one of Ben
| Harrisoh's old regiment; "but will bet $40
| Captain Meredith, around the corner here.
| can't be hired to tell you of a little joke on
our company. We were out on a scouting
| and foraging expedition south OF Nashville
and about the time we were turning toward
| camp one of the most agile chicken appro-
| priators in the command reported that the
| orchard of the large house, half mile dis
| taDt was full of horses with saddles on. The
Captain at once assumed that a company of
| rebel cavalry was having good time at the
| house, and he determined to capture men
and horses. We spent an hour creeping upon
| that orchard. There were the horses sure
| enough, but they all had side-saddles on.
| This puzzled US, and while we were dis
cussing the unusual circumstance and con-
| slder1ng the pTopriety OF cOnilscatlng the old
raw-boned animals, group of ladies came
| down from the house to the orchard. They
asked for the commander OF the troops, and
Meredith stepped forward. good, old
| fashioned, mOtherly woman then explained
that they bad Deen called together by a very
| interesting event. The baby was doing as
well as could be expected in war times, but
the mother was unduly nervous over the
| preseLce of blue coats in her orchard, and,
| under the circumstances, would the officer
be kind enough to order his men to retire?
| The Captain would, and he swore by the great
/ horn spoon that if any of the men ever told
| the story he would have them shot. If he
! keeps his promise will leave this mundane
| sphere about breakfast time on Sunday
morning"
~ guess you won't be shot," said SLOUGH
hated bystander. II was there myself But
don't you remember the time Ben Harrison
| made the boys climb down out of Tonnes
see persimmon tree2 There had been two or
! three little frosts, and the battalion was out
on scout when potato prowler discovered
persimmon tree. The boys charged down
on the tree like lot of wild colts on a
| scamper, and the men first under the tree
got all the ripe persimmons. The others
seein the pleasure on the faces of those who
| had eaten, and not being well acquainted
| with the habits and character of the per
simmoD, began to climb the tree. In five
minutes there were twenty men in the tree,
| and twice as many more under it, who had
| green persimmOns in their mouths.
| Just then Colonel Ben Harrison rode up,
| and, with some VehemeDce of manner, he
ordered the men down. They came down
| with such a queer expression of countenance
| that the Colonel Dethought him he had
spoken too severely, and he began to say
that, while he sympathized with them in
| their liking for persimmons, he must insist
| on discipline He could excuse them in
this case because he would not object to
biting a persimmon himself. One of the
| boys presen ted him fine plump one as soon
| as the words were out of his mouth, and the
| Colonel bit into it with great confidence.
| Immediately his face took on a puckered-
| upness not unlike that on the face of the
men who had climbed the tree. He made
| no further remarks"
HENDRICKS AND LINCOLN.