The National tribune., 1889-01-17


stay in the Union when she doesn't want to-
Union-"W We won't talk politics just now, as
times too short. Do you know Northern
man in this part of Arkansas named -
Rebel" Yes; he's from Chicago, and first
rate machinist he IS He's in Churchill S regi-
ment, and was with US at Pea Ridge"
Union" He has a brother in the 36th ILL.,,
Co. B. I'm not sure whether those two regi-
ments met in the battle or not
Rebel-'"Nor am /, but it's quite possible. l
know the 36th H. fought with the Sd La, and
one of the men in that regiment had brother
in the Illinois one.
Union-"Well, this war seems to bring
brother against brother in good many cases;
and the sooner it is over the better for all OF
US"
This was heartily agreed to, and then the
conversation naturally continued with remin-
iscences of Pea Ridge. One of the stories told
by the wounded rebel was as follows:
During the retreat we were awfully mixed
up, as you've quite likely heard, and if you fell
lows had fallen on Us with anything like vigor
you would have scattered US like sheep. Regi-
ments were broken up, and even companies
could not be kept together; nobody knew
where the baggage-wagons were and lots ana
lots of US had nothing to eat for two days to-
gether, and some longer than that
The first night of the retreat we had to
bivouac on the ground, with nothing TO eat with
very cold. Several of us huddled together
under the side of a big log, and tried TO cover
ourselves up with dry grass and leaves. The
log kept the wind from Us and the covering
gave Us some warmth, and, as we were very
tired, we soon got to asleep.
We'd been asleep some time when one OF
the crowd got alarmed and jumped up, saying
we were lying among rattlesnakes, and should
all be bitten to death. There was lively
shaking up out of that bed you may bet aud
every feler was wide-awake in moment.
zone man swore that he'd heard the rattle
of one of the snakes close to his head, and
another declared that he'd either heard one or
dreamed it. Some of the men laughed, and
said it was all nonsense to suppose snakes would
be out in such cold weather; but no matter how
much they laughed they couldn't get any OF US
to lie down there again"
Jack asked if he really thought there were
any rattlesnakes there.
" don't know" was the reply, but this
do know, that that part of the country abounds
in rattlesnakes and the spot we selected for our
bivouac, by the side of an old log in a sheltered
place. was the very kind of haunt which the
crawling things like
AS we couldn't sleep there any more we
determined to make it lively for the snakes,
so we got together big heap of leaves and
grass, which we piled against the log and then
set on fire The boys stood around with their
]
rattler that showed himself, but not one of 'em
came out, or if he did he got way in the dark
ness.
"The second day we had panic and gen.
eral alarm that the Yanks were after US, and
it came about in a funny sort of way that
don't mind telling you.
"In the afternoon of that day we came to a
large open space on the banks of creek, and
it was reported that our wagon trains had been
/ ordered there and would come in by side
road. So my regiment halted along with some
/ others, or rather with fragments of regiments
and companies, and as we were dying of hunger,
! we set about finding something to eat.
There was a grist-mill there and some corn
| in the ear, but there wasn't any owner or any
body else to look after the place, so we shelled
! lot of the corn and started the mill, and in a
| little while had some cornmeal, which was
/ taken away as fast as il was ground. How to
/ cook it was the question, as we hadn't a single
utensil of any kind, all having been left with
| the wagons, and nobody knew where they were.
] But necessity is the mother Of invention, and
we invented way Of cooking that meal into
| bread"
"How was that?" queried Jack.
THE bed of the creek was full of stones Of
| all sorts of shapes and sizes The men picked
| out stones that were fat or hollow on one side,
and then propped them up on the top of other
stones so that they could build fires under and
around them. They mixed the meal into dough
with water from the creek, and then heated the
stones so as to bake the STUFF into bread.
Some were so hungry that they wouldn't
wait for the stuff to cook, but devoured it be-
| fore it was half done, or evan just warmed
through. Up and down the creek for mile or
so the baking was going on, and all at once we
| heard firing around bend of the creek, which
was out of sight from where we were.
1--WE left our cooking and ran to our arms, and
| some of the companies fell in and marched
| away before the cause of the alarm was dis
covered. And what do you suppose it was2"
Nobody could guess, and then the soldier
continued.
"The stones on which we were baking our
bread had begun to explode with the heat, and
the reports of the explosions were very much
1 like the firing of musketry. The stones were
porous to certain extent, and, lying in the bed
Of the creek as they were their pores had be-
come full of water The heat turned the water
into steam, and the steam blew up the stones.
| As we had all begun the cooking process pretty
near the same time the stones fred themselves
off rapidly when they started, and the bends
Of the creek hid the scene of the first explosions
from nearly everybody except those that were
at the spot.
We had good laugh over the alarm as soon
the cause Of it was found out; but. unfortu-
nately, during this time many of the stones
where our bread was cooking had been blown
up and thrown our promised feast into the air
or buried it in the ashes. Some of as that had
worked hardest had to 90 hungry after all.
We staid there two days" he continued
land kept the mill going as long as the corr
lasted, and until we'd had something all around
to stop the gnawing at our stomaehs."
ITO be continued