The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-03-11
Gen. Lees Farm.

De lnciosed u IL is desired that manuscript unaval-
Gen. Lees Farm.
| w. G. Yard, Co. K, 4th Pa Cav. address
not given), writes: In 1862 / remember our
Cavalry Corps travelling in the Wilderness,
in Virginia We had been marching all day
southwark. Our destination was Fredericks-
burg, but We did not know it then, and it
was good thing, too, for many found their
Waterloo there. In the dusk of the even
ing we suddenly came in sight of a cleared
farm of about 300 acres, all improved-fine
buildings, extra out-houses and fencing.
The grand crop of corn was in shock, and
everything around bespoke prosperity. There
was as fine spring on the plantation as
| ever saw.
We were ordered to dismount and en-
camp for the night. AS the hundreds and
thousands of horses quenched their thirst,
1saw no diminution of the clear, liquid fluid,
which greatly surprised all of us. Very soon
feed call was sounded, and the way the corn
shocks ratified concluded the horses would
have rare feast anyway, which l am sure
they did at both feed calls, for on looking
over the farm next morning no corn-shocks
or corn was visible.
The sight reminded me somewhat Of the
cost in money of this terrible war. No COM
mand was given, but very soon after feed
call in the evening the rails (they were cedar
ones, toO), commenced to walk away, and in
short time one could see to read anywhere
| on the farm. Some time during the night
heard someone tearing the boards off the
| barn and out-houses The negro slaves occu-
| pied the fine mansion near the spring, and
were not disturbed. In the morning I sur
veyed the wreck and general desolation of
| the place, and wondered if Uncle Sam would
use up all the rebel farms that way all over
| the South.
The funny part of it was, that during
the destruction of the whole business no one
said any hing against it, and everyone acted
as if the place was public property. By
quizzing one of the negroes found out the
farm belonged to Gen. Lee, of the rebel
army"
Bill and the Bull.
L. F. Gould, Co. ], I'D ILL.,, Siege, CAL,
writes: "In the Spring of 1863, while
camped at Murfreesboro Tenn, our brigade
was sent out on seven days picket. We
went about seven miles from camp, and
stayed a week. While on this duty the
orders were for no firing in camp.
One day two-year-old bull came in, but
| no sooner was he inside than dozen Yanks
were after him armed with clubs, rocks. and
pocket-knives. He started to run, and so
did the boys. 1t was an exciting chase, and
as one gang gave out another fresh lot took
up the race.
I'VE had run Taurus until his tongue was
hanging out, and good many of the boys
played out. just then one of my company,
Bill Fortner, made dive at him as he passed,
H<1,J h; kc.l ~, hill
faster gait, and at every jump he beloved,
aud Bill sailed after like two-forty Oh
plank road. As he and the bull passed
good-sized sapling, Bill swung one, side and
tried to tie him up by the tail. The mo-
mentum was too great, and the hide of the
tail pulled Off The bull went on, and 80 did
Bill, end over end, still holding what was left
of the tail, and 'cussin" like only Bill could
when he was mad.
AT this juncture there was quite crowd
around, for it was right in camp. The bull
was coming straight for me, and let him
have it between the eyes with a rock, which
dropped him. His throat was cut and our
victory won, and Bill surely earned the tail
soup he had afte:ward."
Another War Time Athens.
W. T. Bailey, Co. II, 10th Pa, Tyrone,
article entitled "A War Time Athens by NJ
airy of the loyalty and culture of the people of
Wills Valley, Pa. There is avalley of smaller
dimensions in Blair County, Pa, named
Logan's Valley. It is not quite six miles
long, with an average width of one mile.
There were 10 voters. AZ Of them being old
and infirm, two crippled, and four afraid to
go to the war for fear of getting sunburnt.
So there were % voters to go, and yet we
sent SO to the call for $4,000, and had 1875
enlistments during the war, and in counting
the enlistments, according to my own knowl-
edge, they were all for three years, except %.
Now, the soil in our valley is not very pro-
ductive, but when it comes to raising pat
riotic sons and daughters, it can raise as
many of them to the square inch as any
place of its kind.
Scattering.
J. B. Horton, 29th Ind, Anthony, Kan,
says: The first time heard Grab root"
WIS on March Z, 1862, when my regiment
debarked from the steamer Crescent City on
the battlefield of Shiloh. At that time quite
q number of soldiers who had become panic
stricken were huddled together on the bank
of the Tennessee, near the landing Occa-
sionally one in search of better protection
from the enemy's shots would be urged by
his comrades to jump off from the steep
bank and grab root to prevent plunging
into the river beneath"
Chas. Banks, Co. Fl, LIST Ohio Dover, Kan,
says he heard the phrase Here's you mule"
in June, 1862, when marching east from
Corinth, Miss, toward Chattanooga. while
passing through Iuka we noticed on an old
saloon building sign, on which was drawn
the picture of mule with his heels high in
the air, and right under it was Here's your
mule Ever after we would hear it used
when there happened poor, dilapidated
mule in sight, or when soldier would ride
by on mule"
Aaron N. Stauter, Box Is, Arcadia, Ind.
wants by mail the song beginning: "On the
22d day of June, late in the afternoon
He wants his comrades to write to him.
P. T. Courier. Co. E. Goth Ohio protests
against the furnishing to inmates of the
Soldiers Homes of Oleomargarine. He says
it is 8 an insult to every farmer and soldier
in the United States to have the defenders
of the country fed on bogus butter by the
Government they fought to save. Many of
them suffered in prison-pens, and were fed
on wormy pork and beans-what they did
get Now, after 30 years, some of these
vnistraafad so1dierS No lOpvor oh1o 81 49,.