The National tribune., 1893-09-07
FEASTS OF HAM.
One Occasion on which the Humble Private
Got His Reward.

oHe oCCaSiOH OH WHICH the 1uBlDle
Got His Reward.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Durin
the month of January, 1864, the 18th Pa
and the 2lst Wis. were doing post duty ant
building Notifications on Lookout Mount
ain, Tenn. Col. glakeley commanded.
A negro came into camp from Lookou
Valley one day and reported to the com
manding officer that an old citizen up th,
valley had some wheat and pork hidden TO
home consumption and to entertain hi
rebel friends with when they called on him
AS our boys had pretty slim living and
hard and difficult way of getting our small
allowance up on the mountain, orders were
| issued for q detail of two men from eacf
company to 90 out and see what could bt
| found.
T. M. Fleming and the writer were the
| two from Co. A, 18th Pa. Some 80 alto
| gether started under command of Lieuten
| ant of the 21st Wis, after providing one
days supply of bareback and coffee.
We marched out along the top of the
mountain some distance until we could find
a place amongst the rocks to descend the
mountain. After getting down into the
valley we marched up the valley some dis
lance, when we came to the house where
report said we would find that which our
appetites were craving.
When we asked the old man if he had
any meat he told the boys to 60 the smoke
house and take all that was there. The
boys made rush for that smoke-house as
though each one wished to get the largest
ham; but on investigation there was moth
ing but the skeleton of ham there.
The boys became angry, first at the old
man and then at the darby, but the darby
had fallen out of ranks some distance back,
for he did not want the white folks to know
he had given the information. My comrades
came to the conclusion that they would not
tempt the old man to tell any more lies, so
they commenced an investigation for them
selves.
Upstairs, down stairs, and in the cell
lar of the house they went. In one cor
ner of room upstairs, under bed, they
found some wheat with which they lost no
time in filling their haversacks. But those
sugar-cured hams-where were they?
The house was two stories, with a porch.
Suddenly one of the fellows noticed in the
wall of one of the rooms upstairs what APP
peared to be door without hinges. After
some consultation one gave the place in the
wall punch with the butt of his musket,
and it fell over and showed passage into
ton revealed a number of nice hams and
shoulders of bacon hanging to the rafters.
After dividing with the company and in
speeding everything about the place, we re-
turned down the valley until we came to
mill operated by an old citizen. We en-
plOyed him, without any ceremony, to grind
our wheat. After our wheat was ground
we filled our haversacks, and it being late
in the evening, Comrade Fleming and | were
detailed TO 90 out on videt picket. We
went back up the valley about one mile, and
passed the night at the forks of two roads.
In the morning we were called into line
and started on our way back to camp. When
we got 10 the top of Lookout Noun ain it was
dark, and, we were some three or four miles
from camp. Meantime the officers at camp,
expecting we would be tired and wish to
be relieved of some of our forage, sent out
team and wagon to meet u.s. We got orders
to put our chops and hams into the wagon.
Our haversacks being private property, we
refused to give them up. The hams we
deposited in the wagon, and then moved on
toward camp. The boys on thinking over
the matter as we marched along, concluded
that they might not be so fortunate as to
receive their share of the hams. So as they
marched along one comrade would carry
anotheT's gun, while he would pass the col
umn, gain the wagon, and, az the night was
very dark, climb into the wagon, take out
ham, and fall into the ranks again. This
continued until all the hams were out of
the wagon.
When we arrived at camp there was o
guard placed at the wagon, and no person
allowed 10 take anything out. When morn
ing came one of the Quartermaster's Aids
was sent to make an inspection of the con-
tents Of the wagon. Not pound of ham
was there to be found in the wagon. 1t was
said by some of the boys that the Quarter
masters official said that if there ever was
any hams in the wagon the boys had made
clean sweep, as there was not so much as
smell of ham.
The Quartermaster not being satisfied,
and 1 suppose feeling disappointed in not
having ham for breakfast, made complaints
TO the Colonel A guard in charge of an
officer was sent to search the quarters of the
men, confiscate all ham found, and arrest
those having the same in their possession.
The officer first went to the Captains tent
While he was there consulting with the
Captain, the boys hid their sweet morsels of
ham, so there was none to be found by the
guard. We had feasts of ham for a week
after that, and for once the private got ahead
of the "commish. "-Serg't VIM. A. MIL
LEN, Co. A, 18th Pa, Parkwood, Pa.
The Body of Col. Fletcher Webster.