The National tribune., 1886-10-07

j forgaYe his conduct on this occasion, but
doubt If i have ever quite forgiven him for
losing any pipe.
Now this is triie, but triles sometimes
made a deeper impression and were remein-
bcred longer than more important events. For
instance one day on the march from Murfrees-
boro 10 Hillsboro. which, you remember. was
through heavily wooded country, the head OF
the column encountered a hornets nest sus-
pended from the limb Of tree directly over
the center Of the road. detour 10 the left
was made aud the troops marched around the
obstruction. Fifteen thousand men passed
that hornets nest, and not one OF them was
curious enough or reckless enough to fire a
rock nj il or prod il with his bayonet. A few
weeks later at Chickamauga, we ran into
different Kind OF hornets nest and were badly
stuns before being oXtricsted.
An incident of the Atlanta campaign viii
illustrate the influence Of trihes. lt is some
what personal, but in relating personal expert
ences j relate those common 90 all soldiers.
July 4, 1o64-the very day, 10y the way, ON
which Moody received his commission as Cap
tain---Our army was advancing toward the Chat
taboochee River, the rebels having evacuated
Konesaw Mountain and Marietta on the I'd.
constant battle was going on between the
skirmishers, and our advance was consequently
slow and cautious, the troops halting frequently
aud taking position in line Of battle. AT one
OF these halts the regiment formed in line, fac
lhG 10 TIE houlDf on tle CIeSl oI Il EluES8 anu
sat down by a tree, but not behind tree,
BECAUSE ANOTHER FELLOW
had already filed a caveat covering that de-
sirable place. ] was no sooner seated than one
of the company sat down beside me. He had
Just opened his capacious mouth 10 make
mark when spat bullet struck him in the
head back of the eye. and instead of addressing
me he ripped out an oath as long as musket
barrel and hurled it at his unseen enemy. i
never learned how many rebels were injured,
but if the casualties were IN proportion TO the
size of the oath the Confederate ranks must
have been fearfully decimated. Ordinarily,
il makes little difference on which side of you
person sits, but in this case my head being
in line and on a level with that of my comrade,
the fact that be sat down at my left instead of
my right thus interpOsing his person between
mine aud the rebel skirmishers, was the trifle
that saved me from a painful wound and the
disability for which be receives pittance in
the way Of pension.
My own experience proves the assertion that
some soldiers were more successful foragers
than Others. am not very old man, even if
j do part my hair with the towel, but il is now
"a years since / cOnfscated my first, last, and
only goose / remember the details Of the
tragedy quite distinctly. IL was a Kentucky
goose and consequently thoroughbred. 1t was
also a male. toted " that goose " from early
morn till dewy eve" and carried him trium-
phantly into camp at the end Of an exception
ally long and iatguing days march, during
which he had rapidly increased in weight, If
not in size. ] solemnly assert that my gander,
for at least three hours before we stacked arms
and unslung knapsacks, outwcighed the best
rn-fed steer in win County. After frugal
supper a eampkettle twO-thirds full Of water
was placed over the fire and the mess started
in TO pluck the goose. An hours hard labor
satisfied us that we should not have time 20
/ finish the contract, as we had already served
more than two months of the three years
1 for which we had enlisted, so we changed the
program and skinned the goose. This oper-
alton was a complete success, skinning being
a speciality in which soldiers soon became ex-
! pert. They learned the art from the suffers,
and you will recollect that IL was the only arti-
| Gle, saleable or unsalcable, we obtained from
them for which they failed TO charge profit of
/ cooper cent spot cash. Skinned and drawn
the fowl was returned TO his native element,
so 10 speak. and soon after we spread our blank
cts and retired. In the morning we made a
discovery. Eight hours constant boiling had
cooked our goose
As SOLID AS cANNoN-BALL
! There was only one way TO carve him, but, as
we had no drill, the blasting scheme was re-
luctantly abandoned, and, thoroughly disgust
cd, we presented the blasted goose TO the Sth
Ind. battery with the compliments of the mess.
/ learned afterwards that at Stone River the
battery boys, being ont Of ammunition. charged
one Of their pieces with musket cartridges and
this old gaDder, repulsed a rebel charge and
saved their guns from capture. This is tough
| story, but il could not well be otherwise, owing
to the phenomenal toughness of the goose.
On the Atlanta campaign, after Sherman's
army, or at least part Of il, including the
4 Fourth Corps, had crossed the CbattahOochie
| River and before the advance on Atlanta was
/ al Maals mt Frn nut Ia
picket-line one day TO reconnoiter the front.
At the distance of perhaps one-fOurth Of mile
the woods in which our picket-line was estab-
lished Joined an open field Of considerable eX-
tent, and in the woods, on the opposite side, the
rebel pcllets were stationed. A dilapidated
worm fence, fringed by a thick growth of
4 black berry bushes, ran along the edge Of the
clearing on our side, and almost in front Of
me and but a few feet from the fence was
a log cabin. Creeping through the bushes
and over the fence, i entered the door.
The only occupants Of the cabin were
two women Of that clayey complexion pc
culiaT 10 the Georgia female Of the Cracker
variety and of uncertain age. They may have
been either 20 or 40 years old. They
may have been sisters or their relation may
have been that Of mother and daughter. The
ladies were evidently surprised aud greatly
frightened at the sudden appearance Of a Van.
kee uniform. j apologized for the intrusion
and explained
THE ABSENCE OF MY HORNS
by saying that had left those cranial orna.
ments in camp, as / had not expected TO make
any calls that day. An inquiry rs 10 the
whereabouts Of the gentlemen Of the house
elected the information that they had been
conscripted into the army. Several bee-gums
stood Oh a plank at one side Of the building
and our ration Of honey having been discon-
tlnued about the time the Government decided
10 issue no more postage stamps or paper collars
TO the soldiers, j resolved 10 confscate one oi
them. My shelter tent soon surrounded the
best-lOOkng gums and throwing il across my
shoulder i started for our lines. Ia some man.
ner the bees escaped and two or three thousand
Of the inluriated insects got inside my trousers
aud under my shirt aud each individual bee
pTOdded me several hundred times before
reached the out post and was relieved OF fmycargo
IL is possible that have exaggerated the mum
Der OF bees engaged in the picnic, but my sensa.
lions indicated that the entire population OF a
colony was getting IN It's work on my epidermis
There were no dronos in that hive. No ques
tiOns were asked, and no interest was mani
tested IN anything except the bee-gum which
was quickly opened aud its treasure invoiccd
IL contained few bees, considerable comb
some wax. little bee ebread, aud less than
thimbloful Of honey. have never speculated
in honey since. Like the fellows who, at Muir.
freesboro. stole the ice cream freezer, j knew
when had enough.
The same evil genius of misfortune pursued
one Of party Of six that started out one moon
i 10 assl