The National tribune., 1901-03-07
A QUEER WEDDING PARTY.
VIII L. Welch Tells of Humorous Expert
ence at Hatteras Inlet.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: A short
time ago | saw n communication in IHE
NATIONAL, TRIBUNE from James Mckay
II have mislaid the paper and cannot give
his address,, giving some account OF the
prisoners under his charge when he was
Provost Marshal at Hatteras Inlet, in the
early part of 1864. l was at that post
when he was FrOvOst-Marshal, having
cone there in May, 1864, to assist a new
Commissary, Lieut.. A. III. Hamblin, OF the
1st n. c., in acquiring the proper methods
of distributing ratioEs.
The soldiers at the post were two COM
poDies of that regiment (natlyes OF North
CaroIina), oflicered by men formerly nom
commissioned officers of the Sd n. Y. Art.
The course pursued by the Government
was TO allow the families of the married
men on Hatteras banks who enlisted,
ratious in the proportion, say, OF one ra-
tion for the wife and n half ration for each
child. One day, while | was in the Fro
yost's office, a soldier came III and asked
for a license to marry, meaning to be mar
ried by an itinerant minister up the island.
I suggested to the Provost c'Mac," he was
famiiiarly called that he had the requisite
authority to marry persons, and that 1t
would be pleasant episode for him, as
also for myself, if could go with him.
The Provost notified the man that he
would 20 up to "Trent' on the night
expense to the parties interested.
We took a water passage" IN canoe
("cooner," as the local pronunciation has
it) to Trent, which is several miles up the
island, and found the couple ready. The
prospective bride was widow with sew
eral children, and the groom widower
with several children, so the arrangement
was a good one from a business point of
view for all concerned.
I offciated rs assistant minister, as you
might say, standing up beside the Provost
and bracing him for the effort. Quite a
number of witnesses-soldiers and citizens
we're present, and the couple, wearing
assistant minister, were soon man and
wife. A pleasant view from window of
the house was the grave of the late hus-
band.
After the wedding we proposed having q
pleasant evening, enjoying games applica-
Bile to the event; but the bride, having as
sumed position in the corner of the fire
place with the inevitable box of snuff,
went to work dipping" and assured us
she didn't or wouldn't allow any such
thing. This was rather damper to our
enthusiasm, and we were wondering what
would come next, when voice was heard
saving, "We'll go to Aunt Mavie's." Who
or what she was didn't know, but. after
some minutes walking through the Hege-
lian darkness of the woods, we came to a
house apparently of one room on floor,
and the evenings festivities began.
Being somewhat of n stranger, and my
assistant ministerial dignity hanging over
me. did not at first enter the ring, but
Aunt Mavie (she was aged, thin and had
seven or eight hairs on her head tied in
one knot on top) called me for her partner,
and in l went and enjoyed myself.
We played all the old-fashioned COpcn-
hagen, kissing games, and some that had
never before heard of; such as Bump
your noddle against the wall" Marching
to Quebec" etc.
Somewhere about midnight we started
for the "coOner," and set sail foc Hatteras
Inlet, but squall came up and we We're
compelled TO run ashore and foot it. The