The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-12-30
SOLDIERS BUDGEI.
Ihrlstmas in Cnmn.

liei, soldiers an, Dbl, CONT. T. ligni-
ing. Tn, enlisted 44u Do soon au b
that " n y also serve who only stand
and wat - aud tue intervals betwesn
actUral marching and the tnevitabl
clash Of am are usually occupied IN
resting, ltter writing, aud the necCs
sary duje, OF caml life.
When winter came on, and we lived
in tent aud log hut, our minds were
often emplOyed IN p.al mug pr jects Tor
enter talnmenis Of various kinds.
Christmas was al ways kept as best we
could, considering our surroundings,
for it was a day when we knew " they
would miss us at hOme," and we sought
to drive away homesickness by a brave
show of perhaps "a good dinner, fol-
lowed by some comic display that
would create laugh.
We spent the winter of 1923 in
environments at falmouth, opposite
Fredericks burg, on the RappahBnnoCk
River spot full of historic Incidents,
for Fredericksburg was the home OF
Washing on's mother. Her small
dwelling was an object OF peculiar in
terest to us in that ancient town,
where her contemp ated mJnumt mt
was lying prone upon the earth near
the spot where she VS. buried, he
re-ideu OF The l1cAiy having failed
to erect tbe ~ mortal shaft after t had
been dlveied into thei keeping. Blu
this was done ata IHte day President
Cleveland having participated ia The
ceremonies
While eucamp h re we were daily
receiving MO our lines he hell-starvyd
and poorly cid ueLtoos who were
seeking ONE lac oil ,fug8 where
they could be Z" free" Ca morning
early in December there came 10 us
one whom We were 20 know AS Georgs
Washington Dearbones, As black as the
ace OF spades, giant in frame, aud as
good-natured as was that huge fat negro
coachmau known as Little MIC" so
delightful y described by Porte Crayon
in Hdrper'S Magazine of 1S60-61 in
series Of ticles purporting to be writ
ten by traveller through Virginia.
George was useful and willing, and
became fixture in our camp, attach
ing himself more especially to our regi
mental com missary agent in drawing
supplies aud rations. As Christmas
drew nearer he became unusually popu-
lar, and was the most faithful of the
many black servitors who swarmed
drOuuu our camp.
The men Clipped in a part Of their
rations and on Christmas day George
and his associates were Astounding in
bacon fat and hominy. Whereupon
the soul OF the dusky cOntraband waXed
eloquent, and thus he broke out: Now
all You niggers take notice of what l
says. Last year we all was among the
Sesesh, no bacon, no Gavin, no nothing.
But here we all is in de lam of Linkum,
with good close, good marsters, good
everything, and (here his feelings be-
gan to choke him, and he sobbed out)
and nOtD oDe has too much WittelS!" The
poor fellows soul was afflicted when he
realized that he could not eat all that
was before him.
Perhaps as laughable scene as any
that came to us during our soldering
was in evidence on Christmas Eve of
1852. The regimental mail had come
in, freighted with many letters and
good things, and the chaplaln's large
tent was crammed full of line officers
and the sergeants waiting for their
companies mails. Our chaplain and
postmaster was peculiarly fussy little
man, a rigid Presbyterian, and he COM
planned at the size of the crowd, even
going so far as to request at least part
OF them TO dispense in order TO give him
more room. His entreaties had no eff
feet, and at last Captain Chittenden,
one of our most popular and witty Off
GERS, got up on bench and said, "Chap-
lain, can tell you how to get move
on this crowd" The chaplain eagerly
replied, " Well, Captain, l will be glad
to adopt your suggestion" Then up
Hn fatt A
Chaplain, call it prayer-meeting."
The chaplain was angry in flash, and
very properly though brusquely replied:
Captain Chittenden. l allow no man
TO insult me, be he officer or be he pri.
Vate:" Then the boys quickly filed out
of the tent, 30 full of laugh that they
could only find relief in out.of-door
ordinations of intense gee. From
that day :" Be he officer or be he pri-
vate passed into a bywOrd in the old
Thirty-hith New York infantry, and it
wore well for nearly year-always ex-
tortlng a grin from the most sedate
among US. The brave Captain Chitten-
den apologized to the chaplain for any
want OF respect to the cloth, and that
officer himself had to laugh at the cum
ming trap into which he had fallen.
liz "a IOOl' We WbTO Slh-
toned at Falls Church (eight miles
from Washington, point from which
the Confederates had for more than
six months Haunted the flag in def
ance. Taylor's Tavern, our headquar-
tiers, was on high plateau, and from it
the national capitol was plainly in
sight. The brave James S. Wadsworth
was our commanding general at that
time, and his Christmas present to our
regiment WAS pair of thick wooden
gloves for each soldier; gift that was
highly appreciated.
| called at the Generals headquar-
ters the day before Christmas. He oc-
cupied deserted farmhouse. In his
own room were three chairs, an old
fashioned camp bedstead and small
desk. That was the way he chose for
setting an example to his officers. This
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