The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-12-04
Read Better than a Pension on page z.
THE DUTCH OVEN.

Experiences O. the 93d Ohio. IN East Tennessee.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUSE: After the
battle OF Mission Ridge and Lookout Noun
tain, part Of the Fourth Corps was ordered
10 Knoxville 70 raise the siege and relieve
Burnside. We started In the afternoon of
Nov. 2S and the next day crossed Chcka-
manga Creek and followed the Tennessee
River as far up as Harrison. AItor we crossed
the Hiawassa River we were issued rat!ons, and
/ given TO understand that We would gel no more
until we arrived ~ Knoxville, and that the
surrounding country would do 10 forage upon.
As every one was expected 20 lookout for No.
J, none OF us failed in keeping our haEor-
sacks pretty well supplied.
Our regiment mt this time numbered less than
$50 muslets. ono Captain (S. B. Smith, after
ward our Major aud two Licutcnaats; our
/ company one Sergeant one Corporal aud six
| priyatcs, myself one Of the latter.
One evening just before dark we went into
4 camp in an open plantation, within sight 81
4 several houses, and as soon rs possible, after
4 stacking arms one Of the boys Tom Walsh,
4 started of with some cautecns for water, or
/ anything else he could get IL was now quite
4 dark but Tom had not returned, and we began
I 10 think that perhaps lie had got lost. But he
I turned up all right and before we were all
through supper. But what is all this lie has
besides the cantCcas2 A twOgallOn tin pail
and little baci, Dutch oven" lie was hailed
/ with, Hello! Tom, where did you get that
4 little oven2 where did you gobble that TIN
psil2" and the only answer ho would give was,
4 Sh-e-e, there's a hen on"
There was no bail on the oven. and what TO
/ Go fOr one We did not know but one Of The
4 boys went to see r man in another regiment
4 and did not return emptyhan2cd rs he brought
4 back with him a ramrod, which was speedily
I converted into a bail for the oven. OF course
\ he found the ramr0d, as dark rs il was-icl
f over 1t Of course, aud did net like 20 see any
\ one else do So aud picked II up aud brought it
with him. This little oven was about 10
inches In diameter aud about four inches deep
with three legs about one and a half inches
4 long, and weighed five or Six pounds
During the evening Tom told Us how ho
captured the oven and pail. Ab0nt half a
mile from where we were camped, he went into
a house and found an Orderly Of some officer
sitting before The great open fireplace at one
end Of the room waiting for Auuty" 10 bake
him some biscuit, and being very tired had
4 fallen asleep. Tom barranCd for some biscuit
I and also inquired for milk. AT the same time
as Tom expressed il, threw out mo scrim-
magcTs for ail OF could git" and discovered the
4 paii on the floor near the Orderly, and the
batch oven IN the corner If the fireplace.
4 Tom said that IL did not take him long 90 make
I up his mind TO have both pail and oven. but
how TO get the blasted Things" hc did not
know. But mother wit came 70 lis sid, and
4 be said, Aarty. iJa very much Of drink Oh
=
out OF the back door 10 got the milk, aud Tom
won't ont Of the front door TO get to camp. Ils
TOOK the Opea and as On pas q tho Orderly
picked up The pail, that proved 10 DO full OF
milk. aud disappeared in the darkness ana
made his way 10 camp. What Anuty aud the
Orderly said alter Dis disappearance we never
learned.
Daring breakfast next morning we talked
about The way We were % carry the little oven,
rs we found It such handy little thing that
we concluded 10 sake IL along. " We will take
tuna5.ut carrying ...' said 0ar, and we Oh
agreed tD do So. Fortunately wecid not march
very Tan that dav. ar4 UC We're mighty .iad ri
it, Tor The .i.lg lh,HE" seemed 10 weigh 80
pounds after one would "tate" tia mile or two.
Eul Nc held on 70 b., and were well repaid for
orr trouble when VIC cooked our supper that
evening
Durug the evening 9erg't Holmer who COM
u.audod The company squad ! should cali it,
went over 70 The regimenial wagon aud made
arrangements wilh the Qgartarmaster 20 carry
tHc oven on tho wagon, tie QuartcrmastcT
promising " look after 10 ioT The use VI IL 0cca-
sOnu.ly.
The boys Of the ether companies had noticed
Us tUgg.ng lie oven along. and were inclined
o. make sport Of ms for the trouble We were
taking and the next day not seeing ID carried
by us concluded we lad thrown ID away, aud
then they dl4 have time at our EXPENSE, as
they thought But we turned The laugh on
them that evening WHOM our little ogen APP
pcarca on our IRE with good supper cooking
in il.
After few days II was found to be such a
handy little thing 10 as that first one aud
then another would come 10 borrow il after we
were through using IL.
We took turns in carrying Il 10 and from the
wagon morning and evening. While in Winter
quarters uunr CiinCh Mountain, above Knox.
vile, THAI little oven was used IN every com
pany in The regiment and the boys always re-
turned il as soon as through usingN.
Corn was plenty Ia that part Of Ahe State,
, and as waEyu-traius were passing Aur camp
every day We helped ourselves aud Fways had
plenty in our tent aud as the little oven would
) parch 81 so nicely IL was used for thai purpose
a great deal. IL one Of as could not sleep he
, would RCt up shell enough corn for all hands.
parch ~, and then arouse the COmpany-squad
j should sgy-tO the banquet OF parched corn.
j. A. for roasting meat IL could not bo eZcellod.
There were but two OF us Ia the company
s squad ] mean-that could or would eat mutton,
a aud that was all the meat we could get ~ that
: Time aud Of course the rest would have no
q fresh meat.
4 My pard said he Thought he could cook the
& mutton 80 that be could tempt the rcst 10 par.
t take thereof. WELL be first stcEcd il in that
o litLe oven, and When he thought IL ready he
II Pui the lad on securely and completely covered
o tie oven with Goals and ashes il was not Ions
G uUiu ne took The nc Oh, and such a beautiful
roast mono Of ua had seen since we left home
b As il WIS then dinner time be called the boy
> up 10 him aud asked them 20 try some OF ID
q They did So and the way that mutton disap
j. peaIed was a caution. They al liked mutton
- aftcr that.
ln the Spring we started on the march again
and The little oven was again put in its Oh,
place on tic wagon. We went 10 Dandridge
farther up in East Tennessee. aud there we RAJ
against LenRstTcct's Corps, and after a shar
N sk!rmish, in which our regiment took part, "
q leil back-TotTeatcd ia a hurry, 4 should say
q The rupds were ina terrible condition, an
~ wagons could be seen stuck ia the mud all alon
=, the road
ID We passed one wagon that looked very famil
9. iaF aud on nearer inspection found il was on
b own, and poor lItile Dutch oven " lay undo
y a wheel al brsRen To pieces, as The wagon ha
D. tipped over on il. There We left il IN a mudd
1r grave. Did we miss tie little Dutchyn2 IA
% deed We did, as did the boys Of the other con
70 paues.
4. Docs the above remind any Of the conrad,
~ ~ any incident Of camp lie or marchg l.,
d. rs have ii u IL does.-SILks CKowELL, 90.
lr d3I Ohio, Springfield, o.
u lead Better than Pension on page z.