The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-03-15
"GOIN' THROUGH I'M"
A Comrade Tells an Incident of Suite
Raidfng.

sutler plundering that 1 witnessed is still
fresh in my memory. Late one afternoon
in the Autumn of 1868, while my battery
was as Catlett's Station, Va, two suffers,
accompanied by cavalry guard and two
loaded wagons, came into camp. They told
our officers that they were in bad scrape.
The cavalry brigade to which they be-
longed had gone on an expedition some
where and they could not reach it. The
army was about to advance, and all suffers
had been ordered back.
They were in a quandary. They could
not follow the army, and were afraid to start
back loaded with goods, as there was great
danger of being gobbled by Mosby's guerril-
las, with the certain loss of everything; so
they asked permission to sell what they
could to the battery men.
Permission was readily granted to them
to sell what they could to the battery. and
at the same time they were warned that the
men would probably steal more than they
paid for.
| We'll" said they, 1--WE are old hands at
this business, and if your men can steal
much from us, they are smarter than we
think for, and are heartily welcome to all
| they can get; BESIDES we have good guard
with US, and are well able to protect our
| selves"
So they selected a suitable spot, put up
their tent, and long after taps sounded and
our lights had been put out, we could see
the suffers moving about arranging their
goods for business.
] slept late next morning, and was awak-
ened by the return of my terminate, the
battery bugler, who already had been hunt
| ing he early worm at the suffers. He was
much excited.
"Come!" said he, "get up, quick! The
sutler is open and has a fine stock of goods
that are going fast, very fast" And he
laughed pleasantly at the recollection of a
good joke. He sat down, unbuttoned his
| blouse, and took out miscellaneous assort-
ment of plunder-a fancy wool shirt several
plugs of tobacco, a can of lobster; and some
molasses cakes.
Time was far too precious that morning
to waste in boiling coffee for breakfast. So
we made light and wholesome meal off
canned lobster and molasses cake, and then
started out to interview the sutler.
Quite crowd had already gathered; bat
teries of artillery and regiments of infantry
were camped all around, and men were COM
ing from all directions. They were, indeed,
rallying from the hillside raliying from
the plain and all of them on their way 10
the suffers
Business was just booming, and the suit
lers and their guard were all kept busy pass
ing out goods and making change. / stood
back for a time and looked on. The suffers
were so eager to close out their stock of goods
that their caution relaxed. If a man called
for gloves, wool shirts, or anything he would
naturally wish to examine or try on, a box
containing several was placed on the counter;
then, instead of watching them until a selec-
ton was made and the goods paid for, the
sutler would yield 10 the importantly of
some one else, and while waiting on him he,
of course, could not keep his eye On the shirt
or glove box. The consequence was that
parties in rear reached through between
those in front, at the counter, the box was
very quickly emptied, and the goods con-
cealed.
Inside the tent, and little to one side,
several men We're trying on cavalry boots,
and when they found pair to fit kept them
on, and taking advantage of the hustle and
confusion some of them were able to get out
without paying, but left their old boots in
exchange for new.
On each side of the tent was flap that
buttoned back, forming small windows, and
just under one of them was piled a pyramid
of boxes of cigars. They could be easily
reached from the outside by putting an arm
through the opening, and tie way they
walked of was caution. They were nearly
all carried off when the cavalry guard hap
pened to see box lifted through, and at once
stepped up 10 close the opening. Reaching
his arm through to the outside he was in
the act Of unbuttoning the flaps when some
one placed the lighted end of a cigar against
the back of his hand. 1t was cruel sport,
but just suited the wild recklessness of the
crowd, and they laughed at and chaffsd the
victim, who fairly wild with rage and pain,
drew his Colts revolver and swore he would
shoot the man who did it, if he could only
find ont who it was. OF course he couldn't
find out who it was, and he had to simmer
down.
Just inside the tent and near the rear en-
trance were several barrels that contained
either cakes or crackers. A man who was
inside waiting to Try on boots while facing
the sutler, reached back his foot behind
him and pushed one of the barrels over As
it fell it raked the skin pretty nearly all off
the shin Of a man who stood in the doorway
and dropped on his foot. Frantic with pain,
he lifted 1t off, and gave it twist and kick
that rolled il on side the door
lie quickly pulled up his trousers leg to
see the extent Of his damages, and when he
saw how the skin was torn and rolled up in
beautiful little punches, and the nice, warm,
red blood stood out in beads, or trickled down
his shin, he hoped around on one foot and
ripped and tore and cursed.
While one act Of the circus was going on
inside the tent, another was taking place
without. No sooner had the barrel rolled
out than it was grabbed by two men, carried
away short distance and broken open. The
crackers were turned out on the ground, and
the men scooped them up and carried them
away. Several Of the men took off their
blouses and used them as bags.
All around the tent the fun went on, and
at the same time money was passing over the
counter in steady stream as exorbtant
prices were the rule, they probably received
fair equivalent for the goods. They did
not kick very hard anyway, and only COM
planned to the officers of the depredatioDs of
one NANNY tent mate He was compelled
to restore few things, but had plenty left -
p. PLAYFoRD, 18th N. Y. battery, Amster-
dam, N. Y.