The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-03-22
TWO CHICKEN THIEVES.
How Pair OF Hungry Comrades Filled the Aching
Void,

somewhere, or how / captured, single handed
and alone, a battery of six guns, or anything OF
the kind. My recollection of those times is
that was perfectly content to let someone else
do the flag planting business. l wasn't banker
ing for hole IN me anywhere, and l generally
kept my precious head out of harms way when
! could. The burden of my story Will be how
Lou Gardner and l stole hen and ate her. 1t
was somewhere about Burnt Hickory think,
down in Georgia. Gen. McQuiStin sent an or
der to Col. Walters to take a company of men
and deploy them as skirmishers, and he select
ed Co. B. He generally did select Co. B when
there was any skirmishing to do; at least that's
what Co. 3 thought. We were ordered to advance
across an open field, and had got but little
way out when the command came to " lie
down. That was an easy matter, for we gen.
orally did lie down whenever we 60 q chance,
whether ordered TO or not. We didn't lie there
very long before we knew something was go
ing to happen. The officer in command rode
white horse, and he was on a ridge to our
right. " Look out now!' Boom whiZ-z-zyou,
whiz-z-Zyou, whiZ-z-Zyou, and it fell out
in front Of our line about 80 yards, buried itself
in the ground and exploded, throwing stones
and dirt around in q very uncomfortable man
ner. ! was terribly sorry was there, but !
COUlGn think OF any good excuse Tor going TO
the rear. I was certain before the shell fell
that il was going to light right on the small OF
my back, and flattened myself out like post
age stamp, and feTvently wished l was home
with mother The rebel battery, which was
out of sight, threw few more shells at Us
IN such peTfeCtly-reckless manner that we
moved on To get out of their way. was on
the left Of the company, and as we swung
around to the right, why, it Just kept me hump
ing 10 keep ia line Bnt the thoughts of being
left behind kept mettie in my feet. This, you
viii say. hasn't anything to do with stealing
q hen. Yes, know it, but it leads up TO it.
1t rained 1t usually did rain. In fact /
can't remember but mighty few days when 1t
didn't rain. l can feel the water running
down my back now, and yet that was % years
ago Toward night our line struck fence
aud about the same time the rebels struck Us.
We invited them to come in out Of the wet.
They promptly declined the invitation, and
sCampered across the field.
wonder how many of the boys recollect
Poke Petit. All of Co. B that are left do, no
doubt, and for that matter perhaps most all Of
the I23d. Poke was an adept in the
ART OF STEALING CHICKENS
and cutting high capers round the truth Well,
Poke happened to put e-bal down the
wrong end first, and when it went out it
4 screamed ike all possessed. That noise made
Z the JChnnies stop quick aud bend low. Word
soon came down the line how to make this new,
/ deviish kind Of noise, and in little bit there
was the most fearful racket along that fence
/ this deponent ever heard, and I've heard some
/ right smart rackets IN my time too. This was
fun for q while, but suddenly ] happened to
think was hungry. That wasn't nything new,
mind you. / was yOuug-in fact we were most
all yoUug-and I had an appetite like a saw
mill. One Of the greatest burdens l had to
carry was that hungry young stomach. II
i gave me power Of trouble, and yet | was al
ways examining something into it too-when ]
I could get It. Why Jake and You all know
/ Jake, Jake Bryan-Jake and ! used to get up
! In the middle Of the night to eat when grub
was plenty. Well, as / said before ! was hun
cry. Now, you'll think, the hen comes in
! here, bat she don't come just yet. I ran my
hand down into my hayersack and found
/ fried eggs and bacon2 No, sir; I found two
/ things-tbat my haversack would hold water
and that it was about half full Of that article
/ and dissolved bareback. Ugh but that was a
mess. I turned it out on the ground and sigh
! ed, and wondered when I should get another
bareback.
About dusk we were relieved by some Of
/ either the l24th, 129th OF 10th Ind, for
! get which II vas out OF the question t.
get 70 the command that night, so we went
/ back into the thick oak woods and prepared t.
/ make fire TO warm and dry ourselves (gruf
4 we had nonel when None o. that; you'll draw
the fire Of the enemy" came the order, and We
I realized that, wet, cold aud hungry, we must
lie down on the ground TO sleep. It's pretty
] DaG 70 Le hungry Wutu you re nice ana cry
but it's mighty uncomfortable to be hungry
/ when you are wet and cold. Notwithstanding
! We were so wet outside, we got dry inside. So
! Lou Gardner and ] took some canteens and felt
f. our way to the brook to I'll them. 1t was as
! dark as a stack Of black cats ] say we filed
( them. / mean Lou filed them; I superintend.
ed. / generally did superntend. We were
afraid Of the boys who had relieved Us, as we
& were close enough to hear them talk. We
knew they would shoot at circumstance If il
came f0oling around that night. There was
/ little log cabin near our camp, occupied by
lone woman. We had strict orders not to take
( anything from that cabin. Our way back led
by this cabin. The light shone out through
the chiuks, and we could hear the officers in
side talking. By the light We discovered
little hut about 10 feet from the house. W.
held whispered council Of war.
WAS IT A CHICKEN-HoUsE2
Suppose We ascertain. What If some Of TIT
officers should come out and find US there o.
what if we found chickens and one should
chance 70 squall? Hanger is a rough rider.
drove poor Lou and / to steal. Lou craWlet
IN and II superintendent. He handed on
an old cock, which, after mature dcliberati0l
and much sinking Of the heart, handed back
&" No use. Lou he's nothing but a rack Of bones
Put him back On the rCost." "Well, there
only one mora her" said he. Guess vel
take her, though she's not much better" Sh
don't stumble now, nor breathe loud till "
get out Of hearing And SO we two guilt
wreyche5 stole back 10 camp. By this time tn
boys had, in defiance Of orders, built small fire
behind big trees and were standing disconsc
lately shiycring over them. We displayed on
prize General rejoicing in our squad w
skinned and bToiied that hen, and without sal
we ate her ! was mistaken in my diagnose
Of her physical condition. She was az fat as
hog. Lets see There were four and perhay
five present az the feast. Lou Gardiner, Jak
Bryan, Cal ApPlebce, and, ] think, John Cues
besides myself That was % years ago. and
wonder where those boys are to-day.
The next morning / felt something in N
! ribs. 1t was the toe of Jake's foot. That VIZ
usually the place where Jake put his foot whe
. be wanted 10 wake me up.
Just see what I've got" One hand ";
! filed with pieces Of fresh pork and the otht
E with fresh beef, and Jake's face was one broa
B wreath Of smiles He had been 10 the butcher
: shop" 50 he said, and / didn't argue the poin
] had stolen hen and ! must not be caption
Z Dear old Jake. Are you still aliYe2 Som
Y how feel that you are still In the land of ii
= living, and ] would almost give my right han
e my left ones gone, you know-tO get sigf
D Of your dear old face once more. You were IL
2 younger OF the two, but you stuck closer tina
s a brOther.-J. +. CRAWFORD, Co. j, 123d Ind
B Saratoga Wyo.
i The Capture Of Huntsville.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: IN your issl
, Of Jan. 26 1 see an account of Gonna,