The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-09-15
SOLDIERS BUDGET.
Company KS Christmas.

veloped, says writer in the Chicago
Times. Herald. Frequently the com
pany officer had been the friend or tn,
neighbor of his subordinate in th,
ranks, and it required no little resolu
ton on his part to refuse Private
Smiths request for canteen of whis
key now and then, when the weather
was malarious. Then, too, when Off
GERS and men were comparative stran
gers it took time and experience fol-
the former to know whom they could
trust with the privilege of handling
John Barleycorn.
Drunkenness was not prevalent
vice, If we consider the vast numbers
engaged in that struggle; and what
there was was confined mostly to the
commissioned officers, who could al
ways get whiskey when there was any
to be had. AS TO the noncoms and
the privates, they could get it only by
permission of their superiors, or sur
reptitiously, which was frequently the
case.
During the winter of '61-2 our brig
ade was strung along the Missouri Pa
cifc railroad, engaged in the stagnant
duty of guarding the bridges that cross
ed important streams on that line. The
season was desperately cold; there was
heavy fall of snow, and life even in
Sibley tents, under such circumstances,
was almost unbearable.
When it came to the Christmas holi-
days some of the Company X boys re-
solved to invade the dull monotony
with Christmas feast, and to that end
they foraged around the country until
they secured fat shote, quantity of
sweet potatoes, honey, eggs and milk,
etc. Three men were appointed COM
mittee to get some whiskey-it was
thought one gallon would be sufficient
but when this committee applied to
the captain for an order on the COM
missary the application was promptly
denied.
After discussing the matter thorough
ly the boys concluded that the end JUS
tilted the means in this instance, and
an order was accordingly written in the
captains name, and upon this order
the whiskey was obtained from the
commissary.
Eggnog flowed freely on Christmas
morning; and then came the dinner,
which was sumptuous for those times,
and to which the boys of Company K
did ample justice. The entire affair
was jovial, but not boistrous.
When the captain discovered how
the men obtained the whiskey his wrath
knew no bounds. Lining up the men,
he taxed them roundly for the decep-
ton, and demanded the names of the
guilty parties. No one responding, he
told them that unless the delinquents
came forward he should hold the entire
company responsible and impose pun
ishment upon all of them.
The boys at this period were ignorant
of the powers and limitations of their
officers, and supposing that the captain
could lawfully do as he had threatened,
all those who had participated in the
eggnog - thirty.nine in number - adj
vanced two PAGES to the front.
AS this was an acknowledgment of
guilt, the captain asked no further
questions, but marched the men some
distance from the camp to where there
was rail fence, and at his command
each man shouldered heavy rail; and
the squad was then turned over to
non-commissioned officer, with instruc-
tions to keep it marching the rest of
the day.
While the men were engaged in this
laborious occupation the colonel of the
regiment CHANGED to pass by, and, after
watching them for some time, in evil
dent perplexity, he sang out:
"What the - are you carrying
those rails for, boysP"
The boys explained matters to the
colonel, and he ordered them to report
at headquarters forthwith with the
rails. They complied with alacrity,
and the colonel directed them to un-
load the rails on the woodpile. He
then read the men lecture, the pur-
port of which was that they had done
very wrong in using their captains
name without his consent and in prac-
ticing deception upon the commits
sary; the offence must not be repeated
under any circumstances, and if at any
time in the future they wanted little
liquor for special occasion and their
captain refused to let them have it
Just come to me and I'll consider the
matter"
He then dismissed them, and they re.
turned to their quarters in a very salts
factory state of mind.
The captain of Company X was not
long in seeking the colonel, and
heated colloquy ensued, which ended
as follows:
care you in command of this regi.
ment, by -, sir?" demanded the
colonel.
"No, amt, but I'm in command of
Company X, if know myself"
Well, I'll let you know, Captain
W, that my boys didn't enlist to
pack rails round camp, and by -,
sir, they shant do it 80 long as COM
mand this regiment"
Sergeant O'Mara of the same COM
pany was good soldier, who had seen
service on two continents. He was
fond of glass, and would 90 farther
and risk more for it than any other
man in the regiment.
Upon one occasion he and Private
Shaughnessy went out on little forag-
ing expedition, and the agreement
being that they should be partners in
the venture.
A ham and a jug of applejack was
the result of the days work. The ham
was plump and brown, and reminded
the boys of home, and the applejack
was old and oily, and favored with the