The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-07-26
SHARED WITH THEM.
Bound to Relieve Necessity, if 1t Did Hell
the Rebellion.

Bound TO Relieve Necessity, II 1t Did Help
the Rebellion.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: / write
this sketch in hopes that some one who
reads it will be able TO give me the informa-
ton wanted.
Some time in the last of July or the first
of August, 1862, when Gen. Pope was con-
centrating his command a Culpeper, the
First Corps Engineers were ordered TO build
the wagon bridge across the Rappahannock
River at Sulphur Springs. A part of the
corps was retained at the river, while the
rest went out on the wagon road that leads
to Little Washington, and from there to
Culpeper.
The writer was with the squad that went
on ahead. After we had passed Little
Washington 10 miles, we received orders
one night to take our wagon and our tools,
return to the river and build the bridge, the
other squad having failed to put it in.
We started as soon as we could pack up,
and reached Little Washington the next
morning for a late breakfast. Our mess
wagon halted at the first house on the right
of the road or street going toward the river
There WAS but one street, as / remember
now. The house was long one-and-a-half
story, with long one story on the end to
the rear, making quite long house. 1t
stood with the end to the street or road A
plank walk extended from gate in front
parallel with the house back to a well and
then TO a smoke-house. A short walk ex-
tended from the well to door in the kitchen
part of the house.
AS soon as we halted three of US went to
the well for water, and seeing an old colored
woman in the smOke-house, that stood only
few feet away from the we'll, we asked her
for ZONE milk, butter, or bread. She said
that they had nothing in the house to eat
This we thought ruse TO keep us from
plundering the house; so we urged her to
get what she could for us, telling her we
would pay for what she would get. This
caused quite lot of talk and bantering.
While we were thus talking two girls, 10 or
~ years old, came to the door behind us.
Turning TO them, boy like, we told them
our troubles, and that old aunty would not
get us anything to eat. They affirmed what
aunty had said, which we did not believe
While chatting with the girls, hoping to
gain our point or our bread and butter, a
fne-lOoking woman came to the door, the
mother of the girls. We made our most
polite bow and address, and repeated our
request for something to eat. She gave the
same answer the others had We renewed
did not want TO plumber the house; that we
had plenty to eat, such as it was, but wanted
a change. At this she became very much
affected and began to cry.
Just then we had an urgent call to the
mess wagon, where we held council of war
and decided to divide rations with this family,
if it would be aiding the rebellion. So we
took bareback, salt pork and a little coffee
and gave them TO this woman. More thank
| full persons never saw She then told us that
her husband was doctor, serving as Surgeon
in the rebel army somewhere about Culpeper,
and that she also had boy in the army.
! This two girls were twins, l think. We ate
our bareback and salt pork, drank our coffee,
and marched on. When we returned I'VE did
not see this family. I think we passed
in the night on our way to Culpeper. 1 have
! often thought Of this family, and wondered
what fortune or misfortune the war and its
events brought them, and of late years a
strong desire has possessed me to know what
ever became of them hence this SKETCH
B. II. TRIP, Kenoma, Mo.