Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-05-20
A War Picnic.

While Longstreet was in Suffolk,
writes Ned Buntline. pecking at us
with Wright's batteries, instead of
coming in and "wiping us out" as he
could have done before we were rein
forced, a report came in that he was
massing a heavy force to the south
east of our lines, our weakest point of
defense. To learn the true state OF
things at that point ] was sent with a
small scouting party by the way OF
the Shinglc company's canal into
Lake Drummond. to scout from
therce south of the Dismal Swamp.
Going in skiffs, we reached land
ing on tolerably solid ground, and
camped for the night on a little
knoll in a dense thicket of scrub pine,
half mile or thereabout from the
point of landing. OF course, l had
sentinels well out from our bivouac,
for we knew by many sounds that the
enemy were not far from us. All
went well through the night, and al
dawn we made coffee and cooked some
venison that ! had got from old Duke
at the head of the canal as we came
by his place on the previous afternoon
The sentinels were called in to break
fast, for there seemed to be no imme.
diate danger. We had just squatted
to our coffee and grist when a sound
struck our ears which made every
man in silence spring up and grasp
his Sharp's carbine. 1t was the heavy
tread of men. We had just got our
arms in hand when a dozen men in
rebel gray, led by lieutenant over
six feet high and lean as a nail, broke
right through the brush in front OF
us.
In a second, while both parties
stood at ready, the lieutenant cried
out:
"Hold on, Yanks If you'uns
won't shoot, we'uns II hold fire. That
coffee smells mighty good-we'uns
haven't had none for year. We've
lots of tobacco, though"
He and his men looked so gaunt
and hungry, and so little like enc.
mics just then, that l cried out:
"If you'll stack your arms out there
and trust to us, you shall share in
grub and coffee. and then be free tc
go back and fight it out, if you want
to-"
"Good as sweet corn We'uns ar,
mighty hungry, yeu bet !"
They at once stacked arms, and W,
did the same, and while our cook pu
more coffee and more steak on tn,
fire, we sat there on the ground, tn,
blue and gray, and talked as if W,
were old friends. Not about the wal
and its causes, but about camp lif'
and other things.
And the way our coffee went down
with hard tack and juicy venisor
steak would have satisfied the proud
est landlord that ever Dragged of hi
table.
After we had filled up. the Virgin
ians brought out their tobacco, ant
did their share of treating. The lieu
tenant had a huge canteen of ole
peach brandy, and that went tn,
rounds. After we got so friendly
asked the lieutenant how he came t,
be in on that point. He replied:
81 was sent to watch lest you'un
came this way in force to take us OF
the flank. Our main force is masset
in front. where the batteries are read,
to go in if you 'uns weaken, and tn,
old man (LongstreeD was afearet
you might come through the swami
and tickle us in tho rear! Wha
were you 'uns doing here?"
"Just out on hunt for fresh meat
got this deer last night"
Well, the best o luck to you
You don't feel like fightin' now, dc
you?
"Not if you boys don't. 1t would
be pity to spoil this picnic tha
way"
So we all shock hands, traded cof
fee for tobacco, and separated, al
least for then, as friends. The next
day on the lines we were all throwing
lead and iron at each other.
n