Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-12-03

Sketch in Harper's History of the War.
region was well stocked with corn, bacon,
sheep, chickens, turkeys, honey, etc. The
corn was in cribs, from which it was taken,
shelled and carried to the horse mills, one
of which was on nearly every plantation
where it was ground into meal. Every
Southerner regards his home incomplete
without a large and we'll filed SnOke-hoUSe
This is a rough out-building, consisting
usually of one room and generally without
q floor. AS soon as cold weather comes it
brings to the Southerner hog-killing time,
when from ten to thirty hogs are butchered,
the number depending on the size of the
family and thrift of its heal. The pork is
first "saltcd down" in brine and after
soaking for time, hung up to drip in the
smoke-house. After a little while it is
thoroughly smoked by having under it for
days a smothered fire made of hickory.
After going through this process the
meat becomes bacon, and in the prepare
ton of the latter the Southerner has no
equal Ham taken from his smoke-house is
matchless in taste and quality. Many
smoke houses were found filled with
bacon; others were discovered that bore
marks of hasty removal of contents tc
some less conspicuous place for safe keep
ing.
Often the meat was buried or put in some
retired spot in the woods, but through a
udrhy Ut 6OLl0 SUN uLSduS, lis p1dCC
was in nearly all instances sought out by
the persistent Northerners.
Homemade bacon was a favorite meat
with the soldiers and for time they en-.
joyed with it corn bread made from the
freshly ground corn meal of the country.
Lamb, turkey, chicken and honey for a
season made the bill OF fare seem perfect
But the greatest trouble of subsisting an
army of a country in this way is the great
Soora Nrril nf q FNhnnn
more wasted than7eaten.
However for more than two weeks in
May, 1868, Grants army of from thirty to
forty thousand men lived bountifully of
the region east and southeast Of Vicks.
burg.
Many pleasant camping places we're
| found. One in particular comes up in mem.
DRY which, If the writer's recollection
| serves him we'll, was near Willow Springs.
| The hospital department encamped in the
| shade of some bushy-like trees in the very
shallow and dry bed of wide stream that
was covered smoothly over with the
whitest and finest sand. 1t was level and
clean as a thrifty housewives kitchen
floor. Here the corn-meal was made into
toothsome bread and eaten with fresh
| young lamb, while luscious honey was in
| plenty for dessert.
The writer about this time, remembers
longing specially for fresh milk, and re-
solved at the very first opportunity to gel
some. One day when on the march farm
house was passed, and upon the opposite
| aide of the road were a lot of cows fastened
up in the "copper"" as the Southerners
/ say. The writer was not long in getting
over the fence, nor long in selecting COW
| with fine udder, from which he soon filled
his canteen. The fence was again hurried
| ly clambered over and the regiment over
taken. By and by, when drink of nice
fresh milk could no longer be postponed
the canteen was turned up, when, horrors
what bitter tastel Quinine could have
been no worse. 1t was learned soon aftel
from a native that in April the cows feet
upon young cane-sh. Is, and these give thu
bitter taste to the milk.