The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-03-08
GOT THE HAM.
An Almost Pathetic Incident of the RI
River Campaign.

| River Campaign.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: During the
hurried and fatiguing retreat of Gen. Steeles
army from Camden back to Little Rock, after
| the disastrous defeat of Banks by Kirby
| Smith, when the latter turned his attention
to us, with the laudable intention and full
expectation of gobbing US in, we had fol
about 10 days OF more to run a race against
| time, with an Overpoweringly superior force
of the victorious enemy.
| The writer very distinctly remembers that
for eight days and nights he never even
loosened the sadde-girth on his poor horse
whose back was ruined, a huge blister APP
| pearing the size of the Mcclellan saddle
tree when it was taken Off
Much suffering, of course, was caused, not
only by our forced marches, but because we
| were out of ratiOns, having been obliged to
destroy most of our wagOn-train. The cav
| airy, to which the writer belonged, did not
suffer so much in this respect, as by cutting
out on side roads they secured many
Southern hams, besides -four, meal chickens,
and like additions to our supplies for the
inner man. The infantry, however, could
not make these raids, and therefore suffered
much more, many of them being literally
starved out.
ouS ady, as tiio WIltcT WIS llUll
very successful foray with half-a-dozen
fine hams strung on his saddle, package of
sausage, and pillow-case filled with -four, he
rode by numbers of foot-sore comrades strag-
Cling along in every stage of exhaustion
too tired, in fact, to indulge in the usual
gibes with which the infantry were wont to
regale the ears Of a cavalryman when riding
by them.
Finally young infantry soldier, a mere
boy, who was disconsolately sitting on the
roadside, as / was passing him, ventured
timidly to address me:
ooh, pard! you've got such lot of nice
meat there; won't you please let me have
just little slice off one of those hams? l
wouldn't ask you, but indeed l haven't had
but just two bareback since we began the
retreat, an ate the last of them yesterday,
and Pm just starving"
looked at him. His face was more elo-
quent than his words; his lips trembling
with emotions he vainly strove to hide.
$50 you would like just little slicep"
said /. well, pard, you can't have little
slice; but there" and detached ham and
handed it to him. Just you take this ham
and slice it to suit yourself, and divide it
with any of your comrades who are as hun
cry as you are; and don'tyou ever think the
cavalry boys are all hogs after this"
Inever saw more JOY displayed on human
face. He grasped the ham, as if he feared
it might escape him, and said:
Pard, do you mean that can have it
ALP" Then, as 1 nodded, May God
Almighty bless you, pard If ever / hear
anyone say word against the cavalry again
I'll stand up for them for what you have
done for me. / was just played out, but
Pm all right now" And his knife was out
and he was cutting and eating raw ham as /
babe him good-by and rode ON.
l have never forgotten the incident, and if
this falls under the eyes of that comrade /
shall be more than pleased to hear from him.
l was boy then, and am in the SOS now.
A few days later Kirby Smith caught
up with US at Jenkins's Ferry, on the Saline
River, and while he outnumbered us three
to one, we beat him back and crossed the
river, to safely reach Little Rock, though in
the fight we lost about 1900, killed and
wounded.-J. r. MARTIN, Co. E, 1st Iowa
Cav, New Hartford, Iowa