Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-04-01
BATTERY AS TAME CROW.
Story Told Of II BY Private Smith Of Mars Nil.

! story in itself was recently publlshed
in the New York Sun. and there were
50 many points that confiicted that it
| is not known whether it is wholly true
or not. At any rate ii makes interest
/ ing reading so here it is in brief
| When Private George Smith OF COM
pany l.. LIST Maine Volunteers. came to
! Augusta last May Ia be mustered INTO
! the service of the United States. he
brought along a young crow. The crow
ua as hardly two months old at the time,
a saucy. greedy bird with great de-
sire to advertise himself and an uncoh-
trolable fondness for stealing brass
buttons. rings and silver money. Ac-
| cordino To a time honored custom in
Maine the crow was named jim For
a week or 50 he was called dear Jim,
| or ..saucy Jim or dandy Jim ac-
i cor,ling to the way his conduct inn
pressed the soldier who addressed him.
Later when his gluttonous and THEY
ish propensities had become prominent
| his Christian name was made the cen
| trepicce Of various profane words
which attempted to convey the con
tempt in which the regiment held him.
| After being in Camp Powers two weeks
/ Private Smith was taken down with
measles and was sent to the hospital
| whcreupon Jim. freed from all moral
| restraint, pursued his vicious course 50
! in the regiment had heavy bill of
damages against Smith by the time he
had recovered.
II can't pay it. boys" said he. as he
! looked over the long list Of articles
which the crow had stolen. Whats
more, | wouldn't paw if could. Catch
Jim ana give him military trial ana
| If you find him guilty, shoot him"
| The next day Jim was tried by court
martial. found guilty on every count
and sentenced to be shot in the pres
| ence of the regiment. They trusscd
his wings TO his sides. hauled a glove
ovel his head to blindfold him. ana tied
! his feet 10 the head Of a cracker barrel
| which was placed twenty rods down
/ the field Just as the detail was
| marching out to shoot him Briga-
| dicr-General Newcomb asked for
half hours delay saying
that the governor intended to
grant a pardon. A few minutes later
! the pardon arrived. and Jim was taken
back to camp in triumph and eorged
| with bareback and molasscs until he
was too heavy to fly.
Private Smith was still weak from
| the effects Of measles when his regi-
ment was ordered to Chickamauga. 50
! he WAS transferred Ia battery of heavy
artillery ana sent to Fort Pophani. near
the mouth Of the Kennebec river.
| While stationed here jim became 80
| Immersed in the delights of clam dig
| gine that he forgot to steal. In Octo-
| Der, when the battery was ordered to
Savannah. Ca. Jim went along. and
between that time ana January. when
| the men We're sent to Havana hp stole
| enough To make up for ten years Of
righteous behavior. In cuba he stole a
! gold watch belonging to a staff officer
and was shot and badly wounded i'm
the side while trying 70 get away with
his plumber. Everybody admitted that
the punishment was just but as it had
not been administered in due military
form. Jim was placed in a cage and put
| out to board with a colored family un-
Smith obtained his discharge and re-
| turned home. knowing the depths Of
depravity which Jim could display
upon slight provocation. Smith refused
to take his crow back to Maine. and, as
the colored family had become attached
70 the bird. he very gladly left him
with them. The day Smith reached
home his father addressed him thus
See here. George, you've been away
| having good time for nearly n year.
| You've seen Cuba and Havana. and
you've worn good clothes and talked to
a whole lot of big bugs Now. youll
just strip off those store buds of yours
and go out and tap the maple orchard"
In two days he had tapped and in
| serted spi2ots in more than 800 trees.
| At first the harvest was bad but after
a rainstorm. which barred the hills, the
| sap flowed freely keeping him en-
ployed all day and far into the night.
One warm morning this week. when he
| was very tired and sleepy. he heard
! some newly arrived crows. cawing and
scolding among the woods This led
him To remember the abandoned sinner
which he had left in cuba few weeks
| before. He whistled a few bars of mill
tary music. and then gave fairly
good imitation of taps. All the crows
but one flew aioft and made wide cir
cies overhead. The solitary exception
| icjn 20.