The Saint Paul globe., 1902-01-06
WAR time DINNER
EX-MAYOR EIEFER TELLS on
CHRISTMAS IN THE
ARMY
TURKEYS WERE NUMEROUS
Hard Cider and Sweet Potatoes
Helped to Make the Boys Feel
Soldering was Not
So Bad

Ex-Mayor A. r. Kiefer read an interest
ing paper yesterday before the German
American Veterans association on
Christmas Day in Camp Forty Years
Ago Extracts from 1t follow below:
1t was Christmas day, 1861, forty years
ago last ChriStmas-our regiment was in
camp upon large clover field bordering
on magnificent piece of timber, mostly
perslmmon trees This clover field was
level piece of ground and the size Of
forty-acre lot, and was used as drill
ground. 1t was located close to the charm
Ing village Of Lebanon, in the state OF
kentucky. Joining our regiment, was
also In camp the Ninth Ohio Turner regi-
ment, coming from Cincinnati-all Ger
man-Americans and commanded in the
German language. My company being
exclusively of that nationality, of course
readily fraternized with the Ninth regi-
ent boys and soon both became great
friends, and L might here state, that
both regiments remained side by side
during the entire war.
The day before Christmas I was ordered
on picket duty and upon my return next
morning about IL o'clock we found to our
great surprise and pleasure in the open
in front of the company's headquarters,
long table of some fifty feet, made cf
fence rails and benches. Both were neat
ly covered with wild winter flowers,
spruce boughs and small branches of
trees and in the center of this fence rail
table was planted a Christmas tree 40 1ut
ten feet high From the many branches
of the tree were dangling what the boys
called Christmas gifts-hard tack, sweet
potatoes, corn cobs, twigs of persimmon,
wild cherries, besides camp-made mo-
Iasses sticks, plug and smoking tobacco
and several canteenS of SWEEP and sour
cider. There were also just twelve nice
large turkeys and over this grau1 array
or Christmas gifts waved the stars and
stripes, our handsome flag pre- ;ented to
the company by the good alwl patriotic
ladies of st. Paul and given to us short
ly before our departure from Ft. Shell
ing. Never did this flag look fner and
never did banner wave more proudly
than did this of Company over the
company's Christmas tree on that morn
ing-just twenty-six days prior to our
first baptism of blood at the victorious
battle, of Mill Spring.
Christmas dinner was announced by our
chief cook, one Charles Wick, of this city.
A committee of the boys conducted the
other officers and myself to the head of
the table, made of fence rails.
Company G had invited some of it's
friends from the Ninth, and they in turn
had found a goodIy number of canteens
filled with hard cider which were hang
ing to the tree. Each had a good square
meal, and with sweet potatoes and the
cider, the boys soon began to feel that
soldering was not so bad after all.
Enjoyed the Dinner
Our Christmas dinner was a glorious
one, and SO was Christmas day The
hard cider was passed around the table,
each man being closely watched so that
the canteen did not remain too long on
duty at mouth The DrpSentS Woro
then handed around. I remember 1 re-
ceived great big sweet potato weigh
ing some two pounds, which was enough
for a good dinner the next day, others re-
ce1ved hard tack, an apple, plug tobacco,
or bunch of tobacco leaves.
Dinner over, there were short speeches
by some of the boys, and few songs,
such as ''The Day Of Jubilee is Com
ing" I'm Dixie's Land" Johnny Get
Your Hair Cut" The regimenta1 band
was Quartered with our company, and
having had some hard cider, soon struck
a lively tune, which ran into a German
waltz. All Company G and half of the
regiment, as well as the Ninth Ohio,
waltzed lightly as if they were holding in
their arms "the girl they left behind
Them It was one Of the happiest
Christmas days I can remember, How
and where those turkeys came from l
did not care to learn then nor did L ask
Later on 1 received an inkling from one
of the boys (who heard another say) that
the turkeys belonged to rich butternut
| planter, who lived some miles from camp
| 1t seems that these turkeys were in
! the habit of roosting in a persimmon tree
near a road, and had been reported to be
ardent rebels, which necessitated their
! being taken down and given a roast for
their disloyalty to the government. 1t
IL.