Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1885-05-07
A WAR PICNIC


MAN fiCNlG.
Result OF ~ sudden Meeting between
Federal and Confederate Bands
While Longstreet was in front Of Suf-
folk pecking at US with Wright's batter
les, instead Of coming in and "wiping
us out, as he could have done before we
were reinforced, Says Ned Buntline in
the New York World a report came in
that he was massing a heavy force to the
southeast of our lines, our weakest point
Of defense. To learn the true state
of things at that point / was sent
with small scouting party by the way
of the shingle company's canal into Lake
Drummond, to scout from thence south
of the Dismal swamp.
Going in skiffs we reached a.landing
on tolerably solid ground and camped for
the night on a little knoll in q dense
thicket Of scrub pine, half mile or
thereabout from the point Of landing. OF
course 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 at
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
sentineIs were called in to breakfast, for
there seemed to be no immediate danger.
We had just squatted to our coffee and
grist when 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 dozen men in
rebel gray, led by lieutenant over six
feet high and lean as nail, broke right
through the brush in front of US.
In second, while both parties stood
at ready, the lieutenant cried out:
''Hold on, Yanksl If you won't shoot,
we'll hold fire. That coffee smells
mighty good-we 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 enemies just
then, that Icried out:
'Tf you'll stack your arms out there
and trust to us, you shall share in grub
and coffee, and then be free to 60 back
to fight it out if you want to-"
ssGood as sweet cornl We are mighty
hungry, you betl''
They at once stacked arms and we did
the same, and while our cook put more
coffee and more steak on the fire we sat
there on the ground, the Blue and the
Gray, and talked as if we were old friends.
Not about the war or its causes, but
about camp life and other things.
And the way our coffee went down,
with hard tack and juicy venison steak,
would have satisfied the proudest land
lord that ever Dragged of his table.
After we had filed up, the Virginians
brought out their tobacco and did their
share of treating. The lieutenant had a
huge canteen Of old peach brandy and
that went the rounds.
After we had got so friendly asked the
lieutenant how he came to be in on that
point. He replied:
Il was sent to watch least you came
| this way in force to take US on the
flank. Our main force is massed in
front, where the batteries are ready to
20 in if You'uns weaken. and the old
man Qongstreet) was afeared you might
come through the swamp and tickle Us
in the rear What were you doin'
hereq'
"Just out on hunt for fresh meat
got this deer last night"
ssWell, the best Of luck to you. You
don't feel like fightin' now, do your
mot if you boys don't. It would be
a pity to spoil this picnic that way
So we all shook hands, traded coffee
for tobacco. and separated, at least for
then, as friends. The next day on the
lines we were all throwing lead and iron
at each other.
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