Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-10-19

federate soldiers home on furlough.
One night we came near having a dis
aster. The two bands, owing to some
mis- direction, unexpectedly met just
at the edge of forest, and only by
the presence of mind of the leaders
were prevented from firing into each
other. The voices of the challenging
parties were recognized, which was
all that saved some bloodshed then
and there. AS we were patroiling on
the pike one night in the direction of
Smithfeld, when near the place, we
observed bright light or fire some
distance ahead near the road and fig
ures were seen moving to and fro.
| Being about ? a. nj. this seemed odd.
Now and then there would be a flash
of light from objects connected with
the moving figures, which led us to
believe it was a party of Confederates
passing the night at camp fire, and
that the flashes were from their arms
or brass buttons. Our route lay right
past the place where this light was,
as Smithfield was the terminus of our
patrol, and we were not far away from
it. Hating, we held council of war.
We had no way of finding out the size
of the force, if soldiers they were, ex-
cept by dismounting and stealing up
on foot to reconn otter them Finally
we decided the best thing to do was
to charge boldly up to the spot mount
ed and take whatever we might en-
counter. So we put our horses to
their best speed and Numbered along
the pike with yells that might have
| frightened a regiment. Arriving at
the spot we found a terrified multi
tude of people, male and female, run
ming and bowling and shrieking 1t
was party of negroes. The dusky
beaux and bellies of Smithfeld were
having regular breakdown in
front of burning kiln. Our loud
yells of laughter at their fright and
fight somewhat treasured them, but
it is needless to say their fun for the
night was ended. The flashes we saw
and mistook for reflections from fire
arms, were caused by brass buttons,
some of the beax having on swallow
tail coats, the long tails of which
standing out almost straight in their
flight so excited our laughter.
Various tricks were resorted to at
Kearneysville by few of our men to
get whisky. Under military juris-
diction the article was contraband,
and captures and conhscations of it
were made now and then. Our COM
mander occupied as headquarters dur
ing the daytime an abandoned frame
dwelling on the pike, just across the
railroad. A capture was once made
of two barrels of whisky, which were
brought to this house and deposited
in an unused room Under this room
there was space of some two feet
between the earth and the floor.
Having got the location Of the barrels
down fine the whisky hunters pro-
cured an auger and bucket and bored
a hole up through the floor and into
a barrel, having previously made a
stopper for the hole. Here they drew
supplies when they pleased, and it
might have been carried on with safe
ty till both barrels were exhausted
had they used the stuff in moderation;
but men getting drunk every day led
to investigation and that to discovery
of the source of supply. One of the
barrels was about empty, for, of
course, the stopperage being defective
some leaked out and overrun what
was put to catch IT. Shortly after
dark one evening a freight train came
down the road and stopped bit at
the station. The whisky sharps
soon discovered that there was a plat
form car on the train laden with bar
rels of whisky. Two of them under
cover of darkness got on this car, and
4 when the train started and had reach
ed little distance south of the station
they rolled off one of the barrels and
continued to the next station-Duf-
fields-where they got off unobserved
and walked back. In the meantime
their confederates had secured the
barrel and buried it in an adjacent
field. This yielded supply for quite
a while, until one of them in a state
of intoxication revealed the secret.
| Some of the boys, feeling that fresh
pork land there seemed to be a great
deal of it around on fooD now and
: then would be welcome addition to
the Government rations, got up a
sort of pork syndicate. A mile OF
more away negro lived in cabin
alone, who was engaged as purveyor
and allowed a certain share of the
pork as his pay. He was to slaughter
and dress it and the boys were to fur
uish the living material At the
, same time he had rowing commits
, sion to capture all he conld himself,
, tor which he was paid small sum
Thus the pot was kept boiling some
| times.
There were some disloyal citizen:
!. in the region, and though the young
. ladies would occasionally airt with
Yankee" soldiers, for the most par
they put them decidedly under ban
, One beautiful Sabbath evening lieu
tenant of the command and myself
: were taking a quiet walk along +;
road some distance from camp anl
| near some houses. We met and pass
ed three young ladies arm in arm
e In passing them we politely raised