The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-05-27

How the sth PA. Cav. Gathered I'm the Stores-s
To TIE EDITOR. sec so many interesting
letters from different departments and not any
4 from Wilson's Cavalry Corps, ] will with your
permission give an incident that j think has
never been In print I'm regard 20 forging
4 I'm Alabama. We left Louisville, KY on Dec
I - 1854 Cor Gravel Springs, Ala, where we
went into Winter quarters. After being IN
camp a couple OF weeks we marched 10 Chicka-
saw, Ala, where we went into camp, and some
time In March cant give the date we received
orders 70 ease OF and prepare for forced
march, Broke camp the same day and reached
Selma, Ala. on April 2, which we captured,
after fight Of about an hour and half, with
several guns and about 1900 prisoners From
there we struck for Montgomery, where we
arrived on the Iath. The rebels had evacuated
4 on hearing Of our approach. and the citizens
4 had hOisted the Stars and Stripes over the Court
house, where they waved triumphantly on our
4 entry. At Montgomery party of eight nclud-
/ ing the writer, were detailed from our company
/ (G) 10 20 out for forage. We were commanded
\ by Serg't Dial. Andes. MY horse was entirely
A played ont at Selma, and / was compelled TO
walk and lead my horse the greater part of the
way TO Montgomery. During the night L
met two negroes mounted on a mule,
swapped in true Yankee style, and reached
/ camp at about midnight. At break Of day next
morning we left camp. After short ride we
had to ford small stream. My mule was
small and stubborn. and by the time had him
across my comrades were about half-mile in
advance Of me, but caught up to them at the
\ first plantation, where we stopped. The owner
came ont and pr0fessed that he was loyal
4 Union man, and would do anything TO further
the Union cause. We told him if be was anx-
! ious 10 help Uncle Sam" be could do IL by
/ giving his boys a good square meal to eat.
\ He went in the house, but came cut immedi-
/ stely and said his old woman would have ii
ready in a short time. We dismOunted and
4 tied our horses and mules and gave them some
corn fodder, which the only negro on the place
brought in from the barn. When this was done
| our breakfast was ready. The bill OF fare was
ham, eggs, hot biscuits and fresh milk. You
can bet your bottom dollar that we did not
leave much on the table. When we had fin
ished we missed the negro, which led us 10 sus-
/ pect that this Union man was not what he
| professed to be, but was a fnli-blooded secesh.
i We examined the house TO find something TO
confirm our suspicious. We found two double
4 barreled shotguns, loaded, which we roped
around tree standing in the yard, and two
cavalry revolvers, loaded, and Spencer seven
shooter
After ransacking the house we decsmped.
II NY comrades struck for the main road, and /
struck for a house a short distance across the
field, where j met a rebel Surgeon, home on
! furlough. After talking awhile he showed me
/ a Union swOrd-belt that he had picked up on
Il
doctors horse was in rail pen in the yard
near the house. / asked the doctor how be
would swap FOR my mule. He did not feel like
swapping. put my bride and saddle on the
horse and mounted and rode around the house
q couple OF times.
"Mell, how does he suit your" asked the
doctor.
"Quite we'll he is PAGER"
Ia CHANGING around / saw squad Of grays
| coming down the hill, which i afterwards
learned was a company of niggers picked up by
our officers. ! gave the horse the spurs and
made for the bush.
The doctor yelled, 4 ought to have some
thing TO boot"
Uncle Sam viii give the boot" answered.
Back from the house a short distance /
jumped my horse over the fence on some loose
stones and famed him. and was compelled 10
carry my saddle, Bride saber, carbine, etc,
about three-quarters Of mile where met my
comrades, who had captured n wagon-load Of
goods They were busy ransacking the boxes
and trunks on the wagon. They found two
ladies' gold watches, 81. $50 Confederate money,
silk dresses, and other fnery without end, and
@ hogshead Of ham.
When we had done "going through" the
wagon, an old farmer with two horses and a
load of wood approached. He was politely re-
guested, in the name Of Uncle Sam, TO deliver
up his horses Refusing, / unhitched them
and mounted the best one.
We continued our journey till we came across
a rebel commissary on large plantation. There
were three buildings on the lawn, one (the
cOInmissary) directly in front, and the Others
on the right aud left. As we approached the
buildings a rebel in officers uniform came out
waving his handkerchief and crying out, I'll
sErrenderl" ] told him / did not want him,
whereupon he gave me tho key Of the building
TO my left i took the key, bat went for the
building directly ahead. IL was locked but
the door soon yielded 10 the persuasions Of my
= carbnebntt, and inside / found -four, sugar
and shoes. dumped the shoes al in bag
found, and pitched cut all the -four and sugar
we could carry.
We continued our journey till night came
on, when we camped on the lawn Of planters
house. The next morning we picked up an old
wagon alongside the road, captured a set o.
, harness, hitched up two mnles, and loaded
with the ham, -four, etc, we had captured the
day before
I Nothing Of importance happened that day
except capturing horse or mule occasionally
When we reached camp in the evening ia,
whole regiment turned out 10 cheer Us. We
turned the forage over 10 the regimental Quar-
/, termasteF. Our haul consisted Of 50 head o
horses and mules and the wagonload of forage
Ii was the most successful forage ever partici
pated in, aud one Of the best that ever cam,
into camp-A w. HUBER, Co. q, 18th pa. Cav.
: Pine Grove, Pa.