Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1894-02-17
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
A BREACH OF DISCIPLINE.
How Foraging Federal Got Out of n
Had Scrnpc.

How q Foraglng Federal Got Out of n
had Scrnpc.
During the war a great many we'll
meaning persons on both sides of the
controversy earnestly deplored the ten
dency of the soldiers to lose the power
of distinguishing between meum and
tuum But these people labored under
the disadvantage of not knowing howit
was themselves. Put man in the posi-
ton that the soldiers were in-without
anything to eat, with the supply train
miles away, without money to buy any
thing with, and with nothing to buy if
they had it, and his ideas as to the own
ership of what he needs to eat get Won
derfully mixed. 1t can't be called steal
ing from purely moral point of view,
and IL among the commanding officers
there were those who had peculiar views
in regard to thepropriety of appropriate
ing eatables, there was always the argu-
ment to fall back on that the stuff be-
longed to the enemy, and was subject
to confscation anyway.
In the early part of 1862, a young fell
low named Berry was sent to the Tenth
New York. He was mere boy, and
had never been away from the farm on
which he was raised. He was literally
green, and would have no more thought
of taking anything that did not belong
to him than approaching one of Uncle
Sans gunboats. But the Tenth was q
good school in which to forget such
youthful teachings as led to the neglect
of ones stomach, and it was not long
before Berry was as active in foraging as
the oldest veterans in the regiment. The
regiment then lay near Mechanicsville,
and back of this position, toward the
Rappahannock, was a section literally
flowing with milk and honey. The
picket duty of the Tenth was frequent
ly performed on this front, and it was
seldom that the piclets failed to make
q bold foray into the enemy's country
and return with the good things of
earth. Berry soon became one of the
boldest foragers, because, being a
new recruit, he was not impressed with
the danger of penetrating into Sec
ton which swarmed with the enemy S
scouts. Gen. Warren, who commanded
his brigade, was not hide bound in his
ideas of military morality and yet was
frequently compelled to check the
growing tendencies of his command to
forage on their own behalf and finally
gave it out cold that the next time he
received complaint in regard to the
Tenth he would make an example OF
the culprit. A day or two Afterwards
Warren was ordered to take the Tent,
and reconnoiter the country lying be
tween his position and the Rappahan
mock. Before starting he issued or
ders that there should be no foraging
or leaving the ranks for any purpose
whatever. The men were up stump
Fowl, lamb and sucking pigs were
seen in quantities along the route, bu,
the commander placed n guard on every
farmhouse, and watched so CLOSELY
that during that day there was not a
'7'ngle opportunity for replenishini
the larder with luxuries. Toward
evening, however, when the regimen
was on the return, the vigilance wa
somewhat relaxed, and as the column
passed well-stocled barnyard Berr,
was missing When the regimen
reached the picket line Warren halte'
and allowed the regiment to pass, close
ly i..,pecting each man to see if hi
haversack was suspiciously full Whel
Berry came up a side of bacon depend