The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-06-06
WHO STOLE THE HAMs7
"reminiscences of Soldier Days.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Many of our
comrades have been writing for our soldier
paper, and for a long time / have looked for
something from my own regiment and COM
pany but have been disappointed, and now
think | will try and write a little sketch as an
entering wedge, and see if it won't wake up
some Of my comrades.
In the early part of September 1862, my
regiment the I'D Ohio was placed on provost
guard in the city of Memphis, Tenn. We were
quartered in large brick building that had
been used for storeToom below and office
rooms above. There was large, fine cellar be-
low, and on the right-hand side of our quar-
ters, facing the street, was small provision
store, with back yard and driveway for de-
livery wagon. Connecting the two buildings
along the front was a board fence seven or
eight feet high, with a gate of the same hight,
always locked. Persons passing along the street
could not sec inside the Enclosure, unless on the
opposite side of the street; then they might be
able to see the top of carriage inside the yard.
But the writer of this article and one other
comrade happened to be looking out of an
upper-story window of our quarters one fine,
warm morning, and we saw sight which glad
dened our hearts and made our mouths water.
Just below u.s. about % feet or more, were 30 or
40 nice smoked hams, hanging on hooks IN
serted in the side of our building. Said hams
were there for the purpose of airing. This was
dOOuG y u CiOCh IL NJ COtlIdAO SiHPPOA b'o
hands, saying, Good, we will have ham and
eggs for dinner" and we Immediately set
about devising plan TO get those hams.
In our rambles through the old building we
had previously discovered pile of molding
boards from three to four inches wide and
eight TO 10 feet in length, slowed away in the
cellar, and these were now to come into good
play. While my comrade went to the black
smith shop to get hook made similar to those
driven N tho side pf buiidiuO | went be-
low to the cellar and brought up three or four
strips of molding, and went to work splicing
them together with strong cord, until had q
pole that would reach nearly to the ground !;
and by this time my comrade had returned
with good, strong hook, which we pro-
ceeded to fasten to the end of the pole.
When all was ready we got two more COM
rades and showed them the hams, the pole
and hook, and told them what we intended to
do, and asked their aid. They readily fell in
with our plan and promised secrecy. We then
waited until II O'clock noon, when there would
be but few passers- by on the street, and our
chance for discovery would be materially les
sened. now took one of my comrades and
went below TO the provision store, and COM
menced bartering with the merchant for a
nickel's worth of cheese, few cakes, etc. This
was for the purpose of OBTAINING the merchant
inside the grocery until the two boys had Sc
cured a number of hams from the side of the
building below. This was accomplished III
short order and several fine, large hams were
thus taken in and securely hid in the cellar
under pile of rubbish, the strips of molding
were replaced where we found them, the
hook was lost in the ash pile, and no one
passing had witnessed the theft. The mer-
chant would not discover his loss until about
SHUTDOWN, and we would be safe in cooking
ham and eggs for dinner We found money
enough between us to buy couple of dozen
eggs for dinner, and the next day we found
sale for two or three hams at fair price, and
with the purchase-money we bought several
dozen eggs, and for week or 10 days we lived
as fat as pigs in clover.
For few days thereafter the merchant
scrutinized every member of our post that
came into his establishment very closely, but
don't think he ever discovered how the hams
got away; at any rate, he never used the side
of our building after that to air hams on while
we were provost-guards l believe there are
only two of the party alive at the present time
that are acquainted with the circumstances OF
the case and the other two have long age
been mustered out of service, and have joined
the Great Commanders forces on the other
shore.
And now have confessed part of my
misdeeds and relieved my mind of a heavy
load of guilt feel better, and some day in the
future | may possibly be persuaded to write
more of my confession, and tell where we found
the most chickens and how we got them-T
n. RUSSELL, Co. f, I'D Ohio, Rexville, Ripley
County, Ind.
If yon have not taken your spring medicine
I IL Il L.