The National tribune., 1894-01-25

back of the officers quarters, and surround
ing the same with brush. Itwas built with
! a view TO long stay.
| Now, on that same day, the 18th, Capt.
| McKnigh had received from his home in
Reading, Pa, a supply of good things where
with to nouri>h the inner man. Our Captain
was of portly form and a good liver, if a
somewhat strict disciplinarian. The hamper
| containing those nice things had been taken
| in the Captains tent by the combined
efforts of my brother, the teamster, and
the Captains Orderly, Gabriel. So my
brother was very well informed about its
contents, having helped to open and unpack.
This was rather late in the evening, and the
brave Captain in Imagination enjoyed the
sight of what he fully expected to sample no
later than the following day.
Now we know how the surprise got in its
lick on the morning of the 18Th The Cap
tain was on the spot, aud tried very hard
TO keep the stampede from the front from
breaking our battery formation. Well,
while John Rely and Gabriel waited on our
Captain my brother, who was under arrest,
got an idea in his head. He was usually
full OF mischief, so it was not to be Won
dered at what followed. His job on the
officers retreat was not finished the day be-
Captains box, so all his tools were still
around the place.
While we boys were giving the Johnnies
canister for break fast my brother coolly went
in the Captains tent, packed everything in the
box, fastened it up in hurry, and by dint of
pulling, fumbling and showing, landed the
box in the excavation he had labnred so hard
to make the day previous; and in a twink
ling he spread a rubber blanket over the
box and filled sand on top of the treasure.
You may be sure it did not take him so
long to fill it up as it did to empty il.
Finally he c0Olly saddled his horse, and as
the battery was surrounded and partially
captured by the JOhnnits, he lett with US as
We pulled our section out of action by the
prol0nge, the horses of our Timber being ali
shot down.
1t is not my intention to give resume of
this bloody action here; il has gone down
in history, and the few living mbers-Au-
gustus Buell., the "Cannoneer," amonst the
number-Will remember that day, and its
fearful loss to our erstwhile conservative
battery.
During Sheridan's formation of his army,
my brother, now relieved from arrest by
gracious verbal order of the Captain, told
me of his buried treasure, and was very fer
vent in his wishes that the Johnnies would
not find and unearih it.
asked him why he was so solicitors
about it, and if regained he intended to in
form the Captain Of the safekeeping of his
highly-prized box.
"Oh, no, my boy; the Captain thinks the
JOhnnies have paid all due obeisance TO his
feast by this time, and has no idea of ever
behOlding vestige OF his belongings again"
n n Ia Mt oil hob
as the Johnnies had possession of our camp
from Z a. IN. until p. m. When we finally
regained our camp there was little left of it's
original contents, but about midnight we
had by hard work gathered up "a gOody COL
lection of effects from all parts of the field,
and in some measure retrieved our loss.
The Captain mouTned his losses, especially
the box bat my brother was not much bet
ter off, for if he did not get the box out OF
its hole that night, it would be found by the
fatigue party next morning so lie finally was
compelled to tell the story to the Captain
the following morning.
Now, our good Captain was very fastidi-
Gus, and hearing Of the disposition of his
box, be waved his hand, with a sickly smile
told nay brother 90, and never mention the
thing again.
The box was exhumed, and By the united
effort of our two selves, we not being as
particular as our worthy Captain, hal soon
sampled the delicaces saved from triple
destruction by the ingenuity of a young
artillery bugler. We took good care not TO
blow our horns too loud about our good for
tune, and / don't think Comrade RELY or
Gabriel ever found out what really became
Of The Captains box.-CARL HARTMANN,
Leavenworih, Kan.