The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-06-03
CHAPTER X.
WINTER QUARTERS.

duration, accidents and results from
scores which followed II. 90 out what
ever road we might. We were always sure
20 iind the Johnn,es doing business nt tho
same old stand and unwilling TO be In
terfered with. We always could reach
them I'm a days march. consume another
day m passing along their entire front
and still another In returning 10 camp.
They seldom returned our attentions In
force, probably because they had not a
large enough force to feel safe when far
from home. Besides. they could learn
all they liked about our post and It's
camps. for every farmer and planter In
the county was source OF information to
them. we never got into big engage
ment. II wasn't our business. except
when we were accompanied by a large
force OF infantry and artillery. to. worry
the confederacy by making believe that
the ION to Richmond" movement OF the
Potomac army was to be made from our
direction. When we went alone the
enemy did not worry much. for they had
a broad. deep stream along their entire
front They could quickly take up the
planking OF the only bridge within ten
miles so they exchanged shot and shells
with us across the river with the calm
confidence of the card player who holds
all the trumps.
Our colonel had been quite right In say
ing that the first scout was worth more
20 US than month of drill. The men
learned TO sit in their saddles and not TO
be afraid OF their horses. so we were able
10 begin mounted drill In good shape and
progress rapidly. Man ranks lower than
his horse In all good cavalry regiments.
so II was not until we had completed the
stables that our own winter quarters
were begun. BY this time however, we
learned, TO our delight. that We were too
valuable to consume our time In com
mon labor. A number OF the contra
bands Fugitive slaves) who had made
our post a place OF refuge we're sent into
the woods TO cut trees and split shingles,
and Just before Christmas each company
had great log house. about 10 feet
by so, for its winter homo. small
contribution from each man enabled US TO
-put-up a stove. which tempered the win
ter air. and one new member, who had
always lived in the tenement house dis
yrict In New York. said he never before
had known so comfortable home.
killing time i'm the winter season was
almost as hard as killing the enemy, for
there was such an appalling lot OF time
ahead OF us Some men played cards all
day. except while eating and sleeping;
others read incessantly; still others did
nothing but smoke. Some seemed TO
spend much OF their time writing.
liked TO observe these. for they had more
heart In their faces for the time being,
and as | knew some OF the people 10
whom the letters were going 1 amused
myself by imagining the scenes when the
letters were received.
But IL troubled me much that Ham
ilton and Brainard were writing so per-
sistently TO my cousin May. did not see
the letters. but l heard OF them through
my home correspondence. l knew that
Brainard. who visibly worshiped Mays
portrait sometimes when he supposed l
was not looking. and probably hundreds
OF other times. was not the sort OF man
10 cha nge his regard for any one, much
less for a sweet girl Some one had seen
I'm Hamilton's hands a portrait OF May.
I did not know that he brought one from
Summerton I was also troubled by his
manner toward Brainard. 1t was not
ugly but IL contained suggestion OF
condescension not unmixcd with con-
tempt. and j fancied Brainard noticed II.
Still. what could do In such a matter?
May was no fonder OF counsel than very
young women In general, nor was she less
could not imagine her In love with any
one. for she and / had been rough and
tumble playmates. and | knew only tho
tomboy and FUN loving side OF her nature.
After much thought over the rivals and
their respective chances, / could only
hope. for the sake OF peace that she
would not give the slightest encourage
inent 10 either. but would be won by
some other worthy Summerton youth. 1
believed that both Brainard and Hami
ton were manly enough TO recover from
any sorrow occasioned by the loss OF
something no matter how precious that
was not their own and had not ever
been promised to them
Our special comforts were not confined
20 shelter and rest. Two or three OF the
married men knew something about cook
ing. and so did one man who had been
a logger In Maine; so the cook was
coaxed. builied and nattered until he
learned to do something besides merely
boil the several raw materials dealt him.
ration OF cornmeal would sometimes
be served as fried hssty pudding and
again as cracking bread"-corn bread
containing tiny dice OF fat pork which had
been fried thoroughly and drained OF
grease. Remains OF a dinner OF salt beef
and potatoes would reappear next morn
ing as corned beef hash. Boiled rice,
modified only by cheap molasses was
ABOUT as unpopular US ChhloT olls puN with
a little coffee. which would not be missed
we could trade with a native for enough
milk and eggs TO make that once detested
rice so popular that there always was
some man Offering his supper portion
OF bread for half OF some other mans
rice.
Finally Hamilton. who felt that as COM
rnissary sergeant II was his duty 20 study
up on cookery. electrified us one day by
announcing that on the following Sunday
there would be a dessert OF plum pudding.
Up 20 that time about half OF the men had
called attention 10 the fact that never
once In our many skirmishes and fights
had Hamilton been under fire. Brainard
had combated this story for the honor
of summerton, but one day he, too,
learned that Hamilton had a picture OF
my cousin May. That silenced him. But
the mention OF plum pudding caused the
grumbiers 20 recant. Mick McTwyny go
fng so far as 20 borrow a pipe OF tobacco
from Phil Our guststory anticipations
we're marred only by Iiamilton's state
ment that the pudding would be made
entirely from army ratlons.
Where win he get the raisins7' asked
one family man.
And the euet7p said another