The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1888-04-06
THR WAR I'M DIXIE.
80 " 44sAw MAh 2
A CONFEDERATE COLONEL GIVES
SOME WAR TIME EXPERIENCES.

I'm
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A Burnt oRerIes Of surplus nagsago.
NovsI Methods of Preparing . pinneh
APrimitiss spring Bed--An ley Couch.
A Prs~destinarian.
In the spring Of 1852 our patres con-
script had evidently become convinced
that the contest was likely to be both seri-
Gus and long, and volunteers for three
ysars or the wax were called for. Soon
after this / was at Corinth, Miss, as cap
tain Of a company In the Thirty-eighth
Mississippi regiment. Ihad provided my
self with an ample supply OF bedding, in-
GLIDING a mattress, and took along q trunk
containing some elegant citizens clothing
for dress or social occasions. One day our
quartermaster requested us to send all
baggage to the depot for Convenience OF
transportation IN case OF retreat.n This
was thoughtful of him and I felt grateful,
but not for long. In q few hours It trans
pired that a luggage was not to be
checked through, but was to be burned.
It began to dawn upon me that I had been
somewhat stupid in my military prepara-
lions, but when / rushed OF to the depot
and found several acres OF similar impede
ANAAbo GAACA w AQA ~ gnAnk UNWILLING 4 ISAH
somewhat relieved. 1t was clear that my
ears were no longer thar my ~neighborsi.
That night Cofinth wac evacuated. The
measles, q disease very fatal to soldiers,
had already appeared in camp and Che X
posure Of this retreat resulted In the death
OF ~ffty-nine men In my company Of 1870.
The regiment had been hurried to the
front before submitting to the hardening
process Of q camp Of instruction, through
the ambitious vanity Of its colonel, who
was in haste to win q ~brigadier's wreath.
It occasiened no surprise that the lean
Jack Falstah ran sway from u first
+ serious fight as fiuka and we saw him no
more. On this retreat a feat was per-
formed In q culinary way that could not
be excelled. Being separated from our
trains and having little knowledge Of the
need Of being always prepared for sudden
movements, there was neither pot nor pan
to be found IN the company.
Ia spite OF these minor difficulties /
dined q day, by invitation, and, as J
thought ct the time, luxuriously, of If
hot loaf bread and butter and br9iled
terderloin steak. Dinner was prepared
In this way. a pit was dug some twenty
inches square and one foot deep with a
shoulder half ways down. In this pit dry
DRA NNA4o WtfN EuIHCA 10 EM1DGfS. ~
clean handkerchief well Toured answered
for a tray and the loaf, when kneaded,
was placed In the pit. This was covered
with bark and earth and the oven was
perfect and complete. When the bread
Eas done other sticks were made to do
duty as a griddle, and with the help Of a
few necessities obtained from q farm
house the steak was broiled and seasoned
to a turn.
A PRIMITIVE SPRING BIRD.
After the burnt offering mentioned
trunks and mattresses disappeared and.
most generally, tents were an unknown
luxury to the private soldier IN the aeld
Here again necessity sprrred on invention
and q sort Of Hliputian tent was the re-
suit. Four stakes about two feet long,
with forks for cross pieces, were driven Ia
the ground. On these a platform waa
made by laying poles l~engrhwise, thus
making a spring bed OF no mean preten-
siorls. About three feet above this was d
ridge pole, across which a rubber or
wooden blanket was stretched tent fash-
ion. A blanket laid on the platform, ano
another for covering formed the tempo
rary couch Of two men. They entered on
all fours at the end, as a rat enters his
hole, but, unlike the rat, they did not
turn round TO come out. This ~prc5entious
style Of housekeeping wal only resorted
to In wet weather. Strict economy In the
matter Of labor was the rule among sol
diers, and the earth for a couch and the
sky for q covering suficed in most cases.
/ never knew one of these elatforrns made
to avoid sleeping on the frozen ground.
The soldier would spread his blanket and
lie down until his undertake. fraternixed
xnvtfh khm Nnn wrhna hn 3ntA4a1A 1901 -
turn over and freeze tho ether side while
the first thawed out, ana 20 on though
the night.
I well remember one fellow, q nne SOL
der, too, who scorned the burden 81 even
q blanket on the march, and so at night,
when he failed to steal one (which WAS
seldom, he sat up by 3 are and made
night bideoug with mock sermons Of won-
derful theology and doubtful morality,
Strange 10 say, he survived the war, and
Is now enlisted In the army OF the Lord.
At Vicksburg this same preacher was re-
spOnsible for q I0edy rotort under trying
circumstances. Ho was then a Arm Cal
whist, and was always ready TO DO battle
! L. aeeesse e kss
sitting, with 9 group, in an angle OF the
works, discussing his fRvorite dognia OF
predestInation. just then a shell explod-
ed and knocked the Professionalism over
without hurting him. When be recov-
cred his breath and legs he darted on for
the shelter Of 4 traverse Just in front Of
us. His antagonist yeEed at and twltted
him with his van IL faith in his own doc
trine. He did not panse ii the order OK
his going, but suffered back: sCa-ca.
can't stop, it's pre-pre-pre-destined that /
must ge6on the other side of che ira
txayerser' and he fulfilled the decree to
the letter and with commendable alacrity.
-Ex-C Confederate Col. J. II. jones' In
Philadelphia Times.
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