The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-05-27
A WAR INCIDENT.
a Rich Story Of Adventure-Tho Now Moon
and the Seven Stars, or tho Bitter Bit.

Inthe spring of 1868, the regiment to
which belonged, to wit, the 18th Mis-
sissippi infantry, ~as ordered from Port
Hudson, La, to Tulahoma, Tenn, as was
understood. We went as far as Mont
gomery, Ala, and for some cause un-
known to the writer, were ordered back
to Mississippi.
But what I wish to tell you occurred on
the way from Port Hudson to Montgome-
ry.
We had not been paid ofFin good long
while, and as a consequence were all out
of money. AS usual, we were extreme
ly anxious to get hold of anything to eat
that was more palatable than corn bread
and blue bull beef. If we did this we had
to buy it, and, as I said, money was scarce.
We were in Jackson, Miss. l was emphat-
ically hungry for something extra and set
about borrowing small sum with which
to purchase it. Our good Major Terry
lent me two dollars out of fve-dollar
bill. Now, you must remember that Ma
jor Terry had only five dollars. He let
me have two dollars, with the full under
standing that three dollars in change had
to be returned to him; 80 you will see
that I had no control of three dollars of
the money. After got the money I set
about investing it. I went to q little
shop on the right.hand side of the street
that led from the confederate house, by
the governors mansion, to the capital.
The little shop was just next to the con.
federate house, and was kept by an Irish
woman, the wife of q railroad man, as 1
then understood.
Now let me, in few lioes, describe an
average confederate stores stock at that
time. 1t generally consisted of dilapi-
dated wells, currycombs, ribbons-faded
and ancient-slays, SAWS, artificial flow.
ers-tangled, twisted and old-calico, at
several dollars per yard, boiled eggs, pies
breeches at fabulous prices, and to cut
the description short a confederate stock
consisted of q conglomerated mass of
mis6tted and ill-assorted heterogeneous.
ness. Such were the contents of the shop
to which I repaired and it was as good as
the average-the very best stocks gener.
ally had in addition to the above, parasols
and hooks.
The question was, how should I spend
my two dollars. I didn't want any wells
or wheel.whirls, but 1 wanted something
"to chaw," as we used to classically ex.
press it. 1 knew the woman sold hard
boiled eggs, and I knew they were two
dollars per dozen. thought a dozen
eggs would "go further" than two dollars
worth of anything else, and decided to
get them, but while negotiating for the
eggs, saw very fine half-moon pie put
into the stove. I wanted it too, but the
two dollars wouldn't get the eggs and the
pie also. So 1 resolved to lift (aot steal)
the pie while the woman went into little
back room for the eggs, which she kept
already boiled. The strategy that put
into practice was to call upon the woman
hurriedly, for the eggs just at the moment
when the pie was not quite ready to take
from the stove and yet SO nearly done
that it would be just ready for lifting"
while she was counting my eggs. Now
this was nice calculation and no one
but regular rebel infantry man with
just two borrowed dollars to 60 upon
could have made it. So just in the nick
of time said: Madam, get me dozen
eggs just as quick as you can. I'm in a
big hurry" Just as l had expected she
glanced ut the pie the stove door was
open-may be it had no door) it looked
too pale-not quite brown enough. l
suppose she calculated that it would be
just about right to take up by the time
she got me the dozen eggs.
We were in kind of middle.room.
AS soon as her back was we'll turned I
lifted the pie. Jerusalem, how hot it
was! danced it around on the tips of
the fingers of my right hand while 1 un-
buttoned the bosom of my overshirt, so