Wichita daily eagle., 1885-06-10
ON THE PICKET LINE.
ADVENTURES WHICH NEVER FOUND
PLACE IN OFFICIAL REPORTS.
Fed and Confed Meeting Half Way
Shaking Hands and Exchanging News
paper.-Coaee-H Hungry Confeder-
ate Sharpshooters.
Inter Ocean "curbstone Crayons. "


"a good many Of those picket-line adven-
tures, said a gentleman in the railway
mail service, never found place in the offi-
ciel reports or tie letters Of army cores.
IoEGen;s. They were in every case villa.
tions Ct instructions, and to have spoken of
them to superior officers would have been to
invite punishment; SO by a sort Of free
masonry Of the picket-line soms of the most
startling adventures Of private soliiers
never went 10 record. As for myself, | was
little conscientious in the matter Of obey
ing orders, ami only in one case did make
any departure from the strict line Of SOL
dier's duty. II was while We were in front
Of Chattanooga that il became fashionable
along the picket-line to exchange papers.
The plan was for a Confederate who wanted
paper to come TO the front shake south
err paper as flag Of truce. and in this way
invite exchange.
The piczets on either side in that i'm
meliate vicinity would cease firing The
Union soldier wouli start from his line, and
the GCn!ederate from his line, ami they
would meet half way, shake hanls exchange
PAPER, and, If there We're no officers in
sight, sit down and have a chat. This hal
been kept up for several days wnen there
caiEe an order from headquarters that no
more papers hould he exchanged. But the
boys, choosing their time for exchange, con-
tinuei the practice against orders. There
came week, however, in which no rebel
responded 10 waving or shaking, or flutter-
ing Of paper or handkerchief, and we knew
then that oriers against exchange had been
issued on that side as well as on ours
But one morning quite early my partner
discovered man on the rebel line franti-
cally waving large paper. He suggested tina.
We slip away from the reserve and 20 out and
see what the man wanted. He took a paper.
waved IL, anI We started toward the re bel
front. When We had proceeded about half
way 10 ths point q: meeting the fellow
ceased TO wave hi' paper We were puzzlel
at this, but finally concluded that lie was
down in hollow AMI We would see him
when he cana on high ground. So We
walked Oh and walked without warning
into group Of soldier a: the rebel picket
post
The men were Just rea ly TO take break
fast. and after the first hurry they jokei Us
n good deal about our extraordinary will
llgns 5 t. get into their clutches at break
fast time. Whsn We spoke of the exchange
of paper, the officer in charge informed US
that orders were positive against exchange
and that all his men understood it. As this
was the case he took the position that we
had come willingly into their lines, and that
he could not allow us to return. | saw at
once that his men disagreed with him, but
the question was how We were 10 get away
Ny partner, who had been solder in
Germany, exhibited ths greatest noncha-
lance, and lie joined in the jokes at our ex-
pense and proposed that be make the boys
81. r
ate had very poor excuse for that article,
and without more ado he proceeded TO make
a little kettle OF coffee the aroma Of which
seemed To fascinate the coffee hungry sharp
shooters When he had poured the coffee
into tn cups and had expatlated Oh the good
i; would do the men he took up MS rife and
said To me, Now leJ Us start for our own
line followed him, and not a rebel sol
der on that ricket-poSt lowered the cup Of
coffee from his lips. or lookei in cur direc-
ton. Eev.r diSobeyed orders after that"