Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1884-04-17
COFFEE IN THE ARMY.
How "Old Government Java" Helped
Sustain the Government
Good Coffee for Good Fighting Woe
to the Enemy who Upset the
Coffee Pot -.- How Coffee
Won Battle.
Inter Ocean "Curbstone Crayons. NJ

"The best cotfea.lnakers," said an old gen
t!eman who bad been listening with "A mouth
watering sort of an expression Illuminating
his whole counteEance, "were this soldiers OF
the old Union army To begin with, they
had the best Of coffee You may not know
it, but tic contract that put the very best
Java in the hand, Of Tie soldiers was en-
gineered by all old ARMY officer, who con.
tended that a cup oR good, strong coffee
would put more spirit and light into a tired
aud discouraged soldier shan anything else
that could be given him. AMI he ins.stn
that whatever elsa might be bad, coffee
should be good, ani it was
"Ihe boys learned in time just how TO
make it. In the first months II great deal Of
coffee was spoiled IN the making 10y company
cooks But in tie later years OF tine vice
each man carried his own cotfoe-iot und
made his pint CT quart OF coffee 10 suit his
taste A soldier who loved coffee beculne
more absorbed ii tho process OF getting that
feature OF his breakfast just right tnan in
preparation for battle, and one oi the most
splte!ul and hlOOdiest battles ever SAW grew
OUT CT cavalry attack on camp just ,ls t;e
boys were IN the ,n,sc OF their cotfec-nla&ii5.
"ihay explained atterwarl tiut they cuu.d
stand almost anJ thing, but they would not
stand tne spoiliiin OF SO Macy pots OF coffee
Just comm. t. u boil. The process Of making
WAS Ike tulS. The reg gimeut had isen inorCh-
in. all night, aud in the oa.iy morning
stopped for breakfast. The !lea, each wItl
his lltle quart kettle III his hand ran to the
su'e4rn naar, aid When lltt'c Grcs la. been
stnrlcl the wa,er III these Kett,s was hurried
to II boil. Then spoonful or more OF coi.oe
wHs d4uplel IN.
\,,t II. ,.riti c,l n.
cJT. went in there va, rlcu iuamy rlsL,
OF tie t.NiD"r mass, Hui " required Attle
manipulation to prevent boiling over. BuC
w.su tue c.laS as t.s. !.!H nt.e ke,,te was
placed w..e!s t.> cone. woull silnner f3r u
few uluMsats. Tnls c!-lrst II, Or cause, the
xrou .Gs 10 settle and II was natter into
vL.cn tho men t..rew . GouI deal OF interest
and eDta4s.sA:!. 10 utact II ca!ica pot ut
that iu.c;ule was to provoke II,.lle .iate
co..Il.c,.
"On the occasion of the attack spoken Of
tAe DJya EAI "Itn & eat det. OF un!iuriM.Ly
brought ,hy!r coffee to the boiling or cr!dcdl
point. ii bile tury were latent cn tne ,oant-
mo-up phvuo,aeHoG tLu!o came u f4sna.e
IIU.u ca.Iiu,s. A loo. Of iu,-e- u,lty was
fu,lOwsd hy one OF pits flr tno poor uevIl,
who had tne tcnler4ty to Interfere at such a
juno tGre. Gasn CHu.c reluctant wrr' iUl
iOu.lAa out of LalI-in &c cot - er frantic Al
Temps ~ s,sG.ioW tae Seo'til5 hot llqud,
ana Ii.y tLu. b furious l.uA.,ri IiuHs" mo
tuc I9u6. SaAu,ue,I by disappointment an!
the loss of ter col'r, tle uUys made shirt
"UgE f tao Gttt|AIn., i+lty, and uciore tn
Sk!T.tlsA a. ia.rty e.u.1I rIc .s.grNe IL!
I5@u.-.yu tao basin 81 q. cot ut9o-llaMln,.'
Lac rear OF your 5.~.y Ar2s INTO tGe front
end, nti jo:," put II d An "i.I II SHter marx
across lis face. You starred cut II show
that coffee pat +. .UIo men, and you e.I
by 3noAlly tAag ii, ~. :, ,,,Li.s rI,ts' wn N
tuty wanted 1t nGdr ineA ..pIU Ike :l7s:1,
AUlA prU;os,tous aIe c,.itc., as thO,sh.-.tS
OF inen can vo.tuy. / Remember one case n
whicn oar colonel MAJ i forced AAlcn
uu.eg orders Gt Cen. Stanley, now AlIed Of
Us Gen. AackenAte5 Successor. S,A4ley
when lie came 20 cp.I 'dnl al lHIGl.IJ
dsH.on, la,i uut mSrca'sOA The sca,' G. c "
any s,unLalI,, EN- t>e tA2A Of his "lNIa.on,
after hall Il score # lo.1 AaIcu"s Ia {. iIc@
lMl.r, dubbed tnannety1s 'S.aIeys Foot
Cavalry
"Nn lais occasion Stanley ordered the reg
meut to ho al Al certain pyiAt at an iioAr
named to cut OF TIE retreat Of re''sl
coluun. The lun"l protested ,""t thc
E!.rcu, about to,ty MI ~ ne> too long vue
ter iu9t ao.u!els ~ cover IN the time gwen,
bat his answer WAS IA th- HAtGTe oI u -
rruacniul reDaEe, ani he hit IL" genera >
ii N.s ,"ltrl3 "iia tat GtcIsiati1n that no
wuuII b. ut the ,ipul;et go!at .. lun Roar
required if every iuun II lhs rea!ule"t
dropped ~ IT, way. II WAS an al!-n /, nj
II arch wi,..ut luuun rest, ana there was 10
t.lAe for naHlIg Co.i"s
"!AI lest tnere VA aI.nu5t open ro5o.ii n,
aid toe col, nel explained what Ia WAS ra-
gUiIei 10 do. Il, st,,u uain'y tt2t he pro-
lUaed to 40 with th, co.or5 to where he was
urucIoa, and ii lilr utn couil not keep up
they must DO Il IcXt test thing, come on As
quick q, they coUli. As the husr.el march
cUutluld, Il,n lant.d SItli hot tongues and
finally cropped e1hHusl0i The co.uAel " .th
u c0rpurals suard reach5d tAe h.l 70 Hh.ch
he Was o. dered AM pl1n;ed his boWlta Is to-
conlmaa. toe road. !Ia Was at tie ap-
pointed place, but he had ouiy twenty ex-
hn stel raen TO defend tae position.
"l.uuk.ns ,ne wy ne co,,.l ste, from his
eierat posi- o. view, the enemy retreatiIg
frunl an assault in front. Looking Gnoiher
he could see e,relcnsd aiong the roa lie had
p,s,,d owe. hunIlc,.s 0! i.t!e l.'ed s. aiding UP
ia. columns OF sIl0k", AGI lie took ne"
hole ~ thu thou., HI came to his mind, tlo
boye are n.a&ins coHee. That was the truth
Tlere Was a cuiuu.r, of Cuifee-mlnrTs *
t,l,di&g tor n4ii%n, ANA before !Ae reDic"t!S
reD. column Showed Ii ,nt, tie u!aj jJr,ty ol
tue mau refreshed by Ia, cuiire came Ptauc'
ins, to the scene nf act;oa as Jtunty III Their
ca eln.ss for battle Us snort,ng war horses.
Aau tn. widely dint. luu,el coffee maNers
srrvei auUtnri pm, ,u.e. lhe rcb.ls, Sc. lls
the lAe ol fires and the array in lro".,
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