Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-12-28
THE SOLDIERS CHRISTMAS,

the good things of the season, one OF
them said to the hostess: "No one
could enjoy a dinner more than I have
enjoyed this"
John will not agree with you," turn
ing toward her husband: che insists
that he helped to cook and eat dinner
which tasted better than any | ever
| prepared"
The guests joined in requesting the
husband to tell the story OF that dinner,
and after they had moved to the sitting
room and were comfortably seated,
John began:
ION the last Thursday of November,
1864, three Of us sat in a shebang in the
prison stockade at Florence, S. 6. She
bang was the prison word for a dwelling
| constructed in this way: An excavation
about feet in length, 6 feet in breadth,
and 2 feet in depth was made. The
earth taken out was banked up per-
pendicularly on the edge of the ex-
cavation inside; outside the surface was
sloped. Two crotched sticks driven
firmly into the ground, a ridge pole laid
in the crOtches, army blankets stretched
over the ridge pole and fastened to the
earth slope with wooden pins, a mud
| chimney at one end, and hole for a
door at the other finished the building.
"It was in the afternoon. We had re-
ceived our daily rations-about three
tablespoonfuls of gookas, or cow-peas,
and little over pint of cornmeal-
had cooked and eaten them, and we're
sitting on the ground floor of the She
| bang, our eyes llstlessly turned towards
| a rude bas-r relief upon the chimney
| which was meant to represent human
| figure. In moment Of art enthusiasm
one of US, Kentucky ca valryman, had
fashioned it when the chimney was put
up. 1t would have made a tobacconiet's
Indian split it's wooden sides with
laughter. But our thoughts were as
| shallow as our faces.
CATER a time the Iowa man spoke:
| Boys, it must be Thanksgiving Day at
| their dinner. | don't believe they
cared much for it.
1--WE were silent for awhile. / was
| the first to SPEAK:
Well, boys, we mustn't think about
home or anyone there. We all know
| what that means if we keep it up-deatG
and a place in the trench. 1 want my
bones laid in New York, where | was
horn. l know we have had mean
Thanksgiving dinner, and it does seem
es though we had to look around a little
to find something to be thankful for, but
we are alive yet and we may yet get
home after al Thanksgiving gone, but
if we live until Christmas we can HAYES
dinner, and won't be hungry after we
have eatenlt.'
"'How?' inquired my two comrades
eagerly.
1--WE won't feel mach hungrier than
we do now, ii we each put by spoonful
of meal and spoonful Of gookas every
day from now until Christmas, and |
think our savings will make a dinner
that will be satisfying
After some discussion as to the reIa-
tive strength of our appetite and our
Wills, it was decided to lay by our six
spoonfuls of food every day, all agreeing
that thespoonfuls should not be heaped,
but even. | dreamed that night o feast
ing on all the good things in the way Of
food that have ever heard of or eaten.
The next morning we made two bags of
generous size. In the afternoon, when
our rations came, we put three spoon
fuls of gookas in one bag and three
spoonfuls of meal in the ether. Every
succeeding day the bags received their
portion, and were felt Of affectionately,
to dnd out how much they contained.
christmas morning, 1864, after being
long waited Tor, came at last. The faint
light of the morning found us stirring.
We had boarded our fuel, saving little
every day. 1t was not an easy thing to
do. for the daily fuel ration of ninety
men was three sticks of pine cordwood
OF average size. To this supply we had
added by picking up every splinter as
large as toOthpick and every chip as
large as ten-cent piece that we discov-
cred in our Wanderings about the stock
ade.
tThe occupants Of a shebang near
our own. in addition to the usual cook
ing utensils-Quart bottles and tin cups
or sheet iron pans-possessed a gun
boat. This was piece Of old roofing
tin, made into pan more than a foot
long and about six inches wide and
deep. The corners where the tin had
been cut off or turned were soldered
with corn meal. 1t was not slightly, but
was convenient. We had bargained be-
fore for the use Of this gunboat.
''The fire was lighted. The gookas
had been soaked the night before, and
were now put in the gunboat, covered
with water, and the gunboat was set
over the fire upon two mud bricks
made for the occasion. A watched pot
may not boil, but a watched gunboat
did, for three heads bent forward and
six eyes gazed intently upon the con-
| tOnIS Oh In0 VeSS6l over ln0 IRE, unLll
/ the water was bubbling and the peas
| dancing in and out among the bubbles
''At short intervals lew peas were
taken out in spoon and allowed to
cool, and pea was tasted by each of
us and judgment given as to its being
done. Finally we were unanimous in
the opinion hat the gookas were cooked
enough. Meal was brought forth and
stirred in, and the pudding was allowed
to remain on the fire until it had thick
ened, so that there was danger O It's
being scorched. The peas were dark
skinned, and had given the pudding q
purplish hue. The gunboat was lifted
off and set on the ground to cool While
We were waiting the fire was renewed.
Corn meal saved for the purpose was
put in pan and thoroughly dried and
Drowned. This corn coffee was divided
into three portions, put in three quart
kettles, and boiled.
Sat last our dinner was ready. The
gunboat was put on the ground in the
center of the shebang, and we sal
around it. Two of US had small tin
pans. and one flat piece of sheet iron
for plates, and each had spoon. Not