Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-12-31
Johnsons'Anodyne iniment


a soldier had heen .fortuhiite enough to
Shoot wild turkey, which generously
presented 70 hts eAptain.-sI lid not in.
quire whether the. fowl was prepared
according to Now Engla,td methods. hui
thankfully welcomed the change In o,il
diet Of canned food.
There were some exctfi1 u inciderts ~
our journey more amusing IN the retro
specs. than they provedst tho time One
day, after fording one nf the many little
streams which often cto1ssd our path, i
turned round TO wAtch the wagons.
Alas ON top CT one lded Was perchcd a
trunk, and this particular day, it had no,
been carefully fastened III place. A good
sized stone disturbed tn Equilibrium OF
the wagon, and saw my prccious trunk
20 rolling over and over, Ill It landed
bottom side up in tho mndny stream |
bit my lips and held my tongue, painfully
realizing that this particular trunk held
all my dresses. ] think could have
borne the accident with more equaninity.
II the stream had not been such d niser-
able, dirty little affair.f When we caInped
for the night, my entire wardrobe was
suspended on the lariat ropes 10 drf and
proved quite source of amusement 10
the soldiers who carefully inspected the
garments.
Another night, finding the ground
more suitable for camping on the near
side of the stream, we bad our tent
pitched there. At midnight, terrific
thunder storm burst upon us, In real,
tropical fury. had never imagined how
intense lightning could be, or how many
colors It could assume--I was actually
paralyzed with terror.
Not once or twice, but thrice, the cleo
trio forces OF the atmosphere gathered for
the fray and hurled themselves upon u.s.
In the morning, the little stream was
swollen TO rushing torrent, which II
would have been foolhardy 90 try to ford.
All that day, the sun beat down pitilessly
ON the white tent, and the stealning heat
was almost unbearable Toward night,
the water had fallen pcrceptibiy and we
planned to cross early in the morning.
However, man only proposes. Again
came succession of heavy showers;
another hot day followed, and not until
the third day, was It possible to start on
our way The water was still high and
the current so fwift, the captain would
not trust US IN <le ambulance. l climbed
.intssan army wagon, the white cover was
carefully tied dosvt, since many Of the
men were in the water for the purpose Of
urging on, the mules, and in darkness
and terror, with my baby clasped In my
aHns l. was carried safely across. Not
till months after, did know that my
husband barely escaped with his life. The
mules became frightened, the men terri
fed, and to restote order, the captain
rushed into the stream. Though an ex-
pert swimmer, he was caught in the long
streamers of wild grape vine, and but
for the fact that one Of the men saw his
perilous position, and rescued him, he
must have been lost in the torrent.
To this day 1 can not think of that ex-
periencs without IA shudder. We learned
our lesson, however, and thereafter, no
smiling meadow nor fair prospect tempted
US to pitch cur tent, until we had crossed
the water.
One evening the wagon containing our
supplies met with an accident, and was
delayed SO long, that my husband asked
II / would share the food Of the soldiers.
Faint and tired from long days travel,
1 felt any thing would be palatable. A
tin Upper Of strong black coffee, without
|sugAt, some hard tack and some, Wild
Eturnip fried ia lard and served In the
black spider "a which 1t had been cooked,
were brought to me. A thought of home
drew the tears 70 myeyes but only for a
moment: food was necessity, aud It
really tasted better than it looked more
over 1t did not kill me, as might have
been expected.
We forded the Red river, the Arkansas