St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-06-14
"REMINISCENCES OF WARTIME.

REhI OF w a 4 ME.
The Springfield Union of Sunday,
May &c, contained, among others,
the following personal "reminiscences
of the war as told to d representa-
tive Of that paper by Veterans living
in St. Johnsbury.
THAT Hen Won't Hurt You,"
A good story is told of how Yer
mont bandsmen of splendid manly
proportions but of gentle and retir
ing nature, was put to flight near
Winchester, in the Shenandoah
valley during Sheridan's campo ign.
He was out on ioraging expedition
by himself, and coming upon farm
house, saw a very attractive hen
feeding behind the barn. He started
in pursuit. The hen ran, with the
man of war after her aS fast as his
long legs would 90, but the route
taken By the bi ped led him to the
front of the house, where stood a
splendid looking young woman,
who. with an amused expression on
her handsome face, said, with mix.
ture of scorn and humor: Soldier,
that hen won't hurt you
No weapon could have been more
effective, for the would-be chicken
thief was put to instant flight and
the poultry yard was lett in peace.
Deserted Her Soldier,
Great inducements were offered to
young men to go the front in war
time, and story is told by veteran
living in St. Johnsbury, of young
man about eighteen years old. who
got bounty of $1,000, and instead
of putting this sum carefully away,
married a wife, and gave it to her
keeping in order to keep it from his
father. He went to the front feeling
as happy as lark. Soon beauti-
full box came TO him by express, as
often happened to the boys, who al
ways opened them and shared the
good things with all. This young
man preferred to keep his luxurles for
himself, but having to go to the
front on picket duty he found when
he returned that the contents OF his
box were divided among the boys
according to custom. But badly as
his feelings were lacerated by this
loss, it was nothing to the blow he
received in a letter from his father
and mother, saying that his wife and
the hired man had departed for Can
ada. The boy was taken sick with
heart disease and never recovered.
Vermont Man Might Have Had a Com
mission If He Wanted II.
In the spring of 1861 we were en-
camped in Camp Griffith said Yer
mont veteran. Major Currie, an
English officer on General Badly
Smiths staff, and French prince
on Commander-in-ch McCleIlan's
staff, took an expedition composed
of a regiment of cavalry, regiment
of infantry, and battery OF light ar.
tilIery out of Louisville on recon
noitering party. was appointed
private orderly to Majo Currie.
When we got out to Louisville he
told me to get some water. went
down in the ravine into a house,
when colored man and woman told
me hadn't better stay there; that
the Southern boys were covering up
the guns with pine boughS on the
side hill. returned to Major Cur
RTE, and told him what had discov-
cred. He then sent two of his Off
GERS down with me, and we looked
to our satisfaction and found the
guns as | was told. Then we
brought the man and woman to
Major Currie, who asked the man ii
he knew how many men there were.
The man replied that there were from
300 to 500, as near as he could
guess. Then he asked if there was
any way to get around these men,
without going on the road. The
man upheld that there was, but he
was afraid to show it.
" This fear was got over, and the
major mounted the man on a horse,
and he led him and showed him a
road where we could get around the
enemy, and we captured from forty
to fifty men, a lot of wagons and
provisions and found three guns
spiked. The rebels saved and got
away with three field pieces. We
secured our cattle and other valua-
BILE spoils and returned without any
losses. That was the last heard OF
the affair until about a month or six
weeks later when | was called to
headquarters, end was there present
ed by Major Currie withan officers
commission in the United States cav
airy, which for certain reasons re-
fused to accept"