The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-05-10
POOR BUNNY.
How it Happened that the Mess Had a Rabbit for
Dinner.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE:

am well aware that in so doing ! take
fearful risk when / aver we came honestly by
the aforesaid rabbit, for l can almost see some
tough cOmrade rising to explain how we
stole that rabbit from some poor soldier OF hon
| est parentage. But let me say right here that
the 9TH Ill. Cav. was made up Of men who
would scOrn TO do so dastardly an act. Why l
have known our men 10 90 hungry rather than
to steal-espeCiaily at such times nothing edi-
BILE could he found to confiscate." Now, after
these explanations, hope that no comrade will
be moved by the spirit Of Cussedness to in
sinuate that we stole the rabbt-not even from
the suffer, which would be drawing it mild >"
as in accordance with the ethics Of soldiers, an
outrage was no outrage if perpetrated upon
sutler.
But some impatient comrade may be saying
What Of the rabbitW Softly, Comrade /
| havn't forgotten G, although near a quarter Of
century has elapsed since / :" bore con-
spicuous part in the picking of his bones.
The important event under consideration
occurred on Christmas day, 1863, at Clear Creek,
Miss, at which place the 9Th i'll. Cav. twhen
not out on scout y occupied Winter quarters.
The weather at the time OF which | am writing
was rather cool for that region Of perpetual
Summer" The mercury sank below frezo, and
several inches Of snow lay upon the ground.
We had q superabundance of enthusiasm, as
most of US had re-eulisted as veteran volun-
teer8," and were in for putting down the rebel
lion, if it took all the relations of the wife Of
the now lamcnted A. Ward TO do it. But
! our ratiOms were Of the commonest kind, and
! the supply not over abundant. To add TO the
comfort (?) Of our mess on that eventful morn
| ing, we found our supply of wood exhausted,
| whereupOn a committee was appointed to lay our
| grievance before the Quartermaster, and our
representatives reported progress by reporting
r.! back with wagon and team Of mules.
Well, TO the woods we went, and were not
| long in finding tree suited to our purpose.
/ When the tree was lelledp out leaped rabbit,
! and he began to dance hornpipe, or, to come
down to plain facts, he hoped around =" like a
! hen with her head off" butsoon gaveitup aud lay
| still, weltering in his gore. We were astonshed
| at the strange freak, but on examination we
! found that a sapling at some previous timc)
! had been crushed down, but it had not been
/ broken Off aud had been held and continued to
/ grow in a recumbent position, with its top
/ slightly raised from the earth. Mr.. Rabbit had
! established his headquarters under the top of
! the sapling, aud when the tree that we felled
/ came down across the sapling bringing twigot
! its top in contact with the rabbits skull, it was
death to him and a dinner to US.
| do not now remember that we were dis
posed TO consider this seeming 'windlall in
the light of q special Providence, but have a
| vague recollection of one of our lucky party
| saying to one Of "A mess who had plenty of wood
but no rabbit, g You oughtto have had the better
| luck and been out Of wood then maybe you
would have had something fresh for dinner"
Now, comrades, this is not thrilling nara
tive, but circumstances Il mean the rabbit
were very interesting at the aforesaid time
though only TO " our ess."-JAMEs q. BEN
NETT. First Sergeant, Co. +, 5th Ill. Cav.
MerOm, Ind.