The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-06-19
ON THE PICKET LINE.
ADVENTURES WHICH NEVER FOUND
PLACE IN OFFICIAL REPORTS.
Fed and Confed Meeting Half Way
Shaking Hands and Exchanging News
papers-Conee- Hungry Confeder-
ate Sharpshooters.
Inter Ocean "Curbstone Crayons."I


"A good many of those picket-line adven.
tures," said gentleman in the railway
mail service, "never found place in the Off
cial reports or the letters Of army CORES.
pondents. They were in every case viola
tions Of instructions, and to have spoken of
them to superior officers would have been to
invite punishment; so by q sort OF free
masonry Of the picket-line some OF the most
startling adventures of private soldiers
never went to record. As for myself, was
a little conscientious In the matter Of obey
ing orders, and only in one case did make
any departure from the strict line Of O sol.
dier's duty. 1t was while we were in front
Of Chattanooga that it became fashionable
along the picketline to exchange papers
The plan was for Confederate who wanted
paper to come to the front, shake south.
ern paper as a flag Of truce, and in this way
invite exchange.
"The pckets on either side In that i'm.
mediate vicinity would cease firing. The
Union soldier would start from his line, and
the Confederate from his line, and they
would meet half way. shake hands, exchange
papers, and, If there were no officers In
sight, sit down and have chat This had
been kept up for several DAYS when there
came an order from headquarters that no
more papers should be exchanged. But the
boys, choosing their time for exchange, con-
tinued the practice against orders. There
came week, however, in which no rebel
responded to waving, or shaking, or futter-
ing of paper or handkerchief, and we knew
then that orders 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 a large paper. He suggested that
we .lipawa from the reserve ami go out and
see what the man wanted. He took a paper,
waved ii, and we started toward the rebel
front. When we had proceelel about half
way to ths point OF meeting the follow
ceasel to wave his paper. We were puzzlei
at this, but finally concluded that he was
down in hollow and we would see him
when he came on high ground So we
walked on and walked without warning
into group OF soldiers at the rebel picket
post
The men were just ready to take break
fast, and after the first hurry they joked US
a good deal about our extraordinary will.
ingness to get into their clutches at break
fast time. When we spoke Of the exchange
Of papers 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 to get away.
MY partner, who had been q soldier in
Germany, exhibited the greatest noncha,
lance, and he joined In the jokes at our OK,
pense and proposed that he make the boys
some coffee that was coffee. The Confeder-
ates had very poor excuse for that article,
and without more ado he proceeded to make
little kettle Of coffee, the aroma Of which
seemed to fascinate the coffee hungry sharp.
shooters When he had poured the coffee
into the cups and had expatiated on the good
it would do the men he took up his rife ami
said to me- Now let us start for our own
line' / followed him, and not a rebel SOL
dier on that picket-post lowered the cup Of
coffee from his lips, or looked in our direc.
ton never disobeyed orders after that"