The National tribune., 1907-01-03
A SCOUTING EXPERIENCE.
The Boys Met With Many Strange Mis-
haps While ForagfnE.

permission l will rela.e for the benefit
of your readers little experience j and
two other boys of our company had III
trying to replenish our larder in the
Fall of 1863, while camped in the Sc
quatchie Valley. Our camp was at the
junction of the Sequa chic River, with
the main stream at a point called by
our regiment Evans Drowned Out, =
from the fact that the site for the
camp was selected by Maj. John d.
Evans, late of Indianapolis, Ind. We
We're there helping to guard the Valley
against the rebel Gen. Wheeler or any
rowing bands of rebels during the cam
paign against Mission Ridge.
Our army grub being extremely
scarce and of very poor quality, John
Hawkins, AlonZo Jordon and myself
concluded we would scout little on our
own hook, and see if we could find any
thing in the line of grub to help dimin-
ish the aching void gnawing a. our
Vitals in the region Immediately in the
rear of the U. S. belt plate that encir-
cled our body when on dress parade.
AS We were right on the bank of the
larger stream, We secured an antiquated
round log canoe, and Hawkins being
an old Ohio River ra:, raised near Mad
ison, Ind, We felt perfectly competent
TO navigate anything that would float.
We found that it was absolutely neces-
sary to maintain rigid perpendicular
while in .he boat but we landed all
right, and then carefully secreted the
craft for future use. We struck out on
an exploring trip up the side of a ridge.
On its summit we could see a clearing
and the glimpse of log house farther
up. When we got there we found a
little old log house, and in it a middle
aged woman with two children, boy
and girl. But what interested us most
was a good fat sheep of the masculine
gender which was browsing around in
the rear of the house. Now, there
were strict orders against foraging, not
so much on accoun. of the offense as
because of the danger the boys ran of
being captured. AS each Of us was of
an honest disposition, we concluded to
buy that sheep If we had money
enough. After an inventory of our
worldly possessions II was found that
each had paper half dollar, and with
this amount we wen. up to the cabin
to see if the woman would sell the
sheep in the first place and then, Incl
dentally, If We could pay her price. The
woman said she would sell the sheep
for 81, but the children set up such n
howling at the idea of losing their pc
that she was inclined to humor them
and keep 1t. We had now two obstacles
to overcome-the children's objections
and the necessary funds. We got
around the children by telling them
that some wicked, cruel Yankee would
undoubtedly steal the sheep, and the.
would lose 1t anyway, and altho the
woman came down in her price to 50
We yet lacked $1.50 of that. We formed
ourselves into a Ways and Means Com
mittee, and retired to consider the sit
uation. We had in camp about four
pounds Of rank, fat bacon, some coffee
and sugar, and each of us had about a
haversacls full of moldy crackers. The
boys made me spokesman, and l re-
turned to the cabin and endeavored to
make a trade with the woman, using
our rations as money. OF course, II
was figuring on a greenback basis, and
did not realize that she was using for
her basis very much Deprecated Con-
federate currency While talking with
her ! stood with one foot on the ground
and the other on the doorsill, with my
hands on the jambs of the door, We
had just about concluded the .rade,
which was that We should give her in
addition to the money two pounds of
bacon, tin cup of sugar and army hat
full of hardtack, and / was hugging
myself to think of my successful man
agement of the transaction, when some
thing quite unforeseen and most unex-
pected occurred. Mr.. Sheep, you see.
had not been consulted at all as to the
proposed change of ownership, and
while I was talking with the woman he
proceeded to file his objections hen and
there. The wOolly cuss struck we with
a force little less than that of two cars
coming together in a running switch.
He caught me on the caudle end of my
backbone, and sen. me scooting clear
across the puncheOns of that cabin floor
with such force as to rip every button
from my vest and blouse. trundle-
bed under the big bed brought me to a
sudden stop, and with stars still before
my eyes ] scrambled 20 my feet, and
sat down on the bed still my head quit
swimming and l could see straight
again. Inside the door stood the sheep,
sicking his chops in anticipation of an
other onslaught The children, the wo-
man and the boys We're nearly bursting
..heir sides laughing at me. | couldn't
stand straight when i got off the bed,
and in trying to walk across the floor
20 chair l fell to the floor in a heap,
entirely knocked hors de combat The
backbone, and sent me scouting clear
sheep looked disgusted and disappoint-
ed tha- he hadn't killed me, and Ger
tainly for while ] thought he had.
The boys drove him out of the house,
and / sat quietly in a chair until felt
more like myself. When we were ready
10 IedNe the woman caught the Shcep
by the wool, and with he help of the
two boys he was dragged TO a peach
tree IN front of the house. Hawkins!
got up into the tree, and took him by
the hind legs and pulled them up thru
the forks of he tree. Jordan pulled his
head backward and upward, while n
dispatched him with knife furnished
by the woman. And right here / wish
TO remark that j never did anything
during the war which gave me as much
satisfaction as it did TO cut tina. Sleeps
throat. After skinning him we all
started for camp. the woman and chill
dren going along to get the promised
grub. When we got % the place where
we had left the canoe we decided that
II would take two trips to land us all,
80 Hawkins at the oar soon landed
Jordan and the mutton on the o.herI
side, returning for the woman and my
self. We had decided to leave the
children on that side. where they We're
to wait for the woman. She got in the
boa. and sat in the stern end, while /
was in the front. We pushed off, and
when about midstream the woman
turned to speak to the children, when
the old trap Topped over quicker than
you could think. Both Hawkins and ]
could swim, but the woman wen. un-
der with her mouth wide open, scream
ing for dear life. She soon came to
the surface. however, and between the
near the top of the water we got her
ashore. In The meantime the kids on
the other side had set up howl that
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