The National tribune., 1907-07-25
EGGS sig A DOZEN.
Life on I. Hospital Boat ON the Missis-
sippi River.


sippi River.
Editor National Tribune: 1 was Act
ing Hospital Steward and A. A. Surgeon
on the U. S. n. hospital-ship Red Rover
when BankS'S army and Admiral Por-
ter's fleet of g;.nboats went up Red
River. and we arrived at the mouth of
Red River on April 10, 1864, to receive
the sick and wounded. Here was an
chored one of the monitors with her
large guns ready for any emergency
In a few days Admiral Porter's vessel
the Black Hawk, came out of Red Riv-
er and anchored near us. she being too
large for the river. Sick and wounded
were brought to us every day. The
weather was very warm, and 1t was
becoming rather monotOnous until April
26, when the rebel side-wheel steamer
Gen. Price came out of Red River, run.
ming very rapidly. with a full head of
steam on, coming directly toward the
Monitor, where the boys were watching
her movements and when at a proper
distance they gave her 400-pound
shot, cutting off the port-side wheel
and all that side of the vessel, making
her list to the starboard side, and that
who ell running rather deep in the water.
But she did not stop. Away she went
on one wheel, passing every vessel on
the river, until she got 25 miles below
New Orleans, where she was destroyed.
May 16 Banks's army came to Nor
ganza Bend. Admiral Porter came out
with his fleet, and, of course, hundreds
of sick and wounded for our care. The
| 18th we went down to New Orleans for
supplies, receiving the sick from the
different vessels on the way, ana some
| from the South Atlantic Squadron, un-
! til we had about 900, some of them Sc
verely sick with fever and others badly
wounded, the object being to transport
them north to Memphis and Mound
| City After we had got most of our
supplies on board 1 found we were
short of eggs. ] gave two of my as
sistants money to go out in the city
and purchase 10 dozen, as that amount
would do us until we would get UP to
Vicksburg, supposing they would cost
$3.50 or SO per dozen In few hours
they came back and reported they
could not get them for less than ST.
per dozen. supposing ! would not be
willing to pay that, which was correct.
Then | went along, and met with the
same demands al: several places, which
/ very positively refused to pay. One
groceryman would let me have them
! for $40 per dozen in Confederate cur
rency, but would have $f2 per dozen in
them - greenbacks. | then went to
Gen. Renj Butler. He had helped me
several times and j made statement
of my trouble to him, and he said he
did not know whether he could help
me or not, but when he said it he had
one of those sly smiles on his face.
However. he gave me note to a gro
| ceryman. but the best he would do was
sS per dozen. So 1 gave him $50 for 10
dozen of little creole hens eggs not
larger than bantam eggs.
We left New Orleans May %, and on
| arriving. at MorganZa Bend found a
number of vessels there with a large
mum ber of sick for us. At the mouth
of Red River we had to wait for more
vessels with sick. SO we did not arrive
at Memphis until June 3. We sent our
sick to Hospital Pinkney, and the next
day / was getting ready to go up the
| river, when there came an order for me
| to report to Admiral Porter Immediate
| ly. / did not know he was near, as We
had left him at New Orleans, but /
| learned he was anchored over near the
Arkansas shore, a mile off. / dressed
| in my best, with side-armS and went
over in the cutter. was soon admitted,
and saluting the Admiral / asked:
| What is the desire of the Admiral?'
He, looking at me with his terrible.
| black, piercing eyes shook his finger at
me. and said he commanded me to buy
eggs for the sick if they cost S12 apiece,
let alone s12 a dozen.
Very well, Admiral. Anything fur
ther?"
That's ALL" And I bowed myself
out. To me that was a terrible stinger.
and the first and only time I was ever
called on the carpet. / was unable to
see where I had done wrong. True.
had refused very positively to pay the
COnfederates s12 a dozen for their eggs.
was doing business for the Govern
ment the same as / would for myself.
accounting faithfully for every cent and
not helping our enemies. Arriving at
our hospital boat, / ordered the fire.
men to fire. up and we started up the
| river. When we came to Cairo ! got
on an Illinois Central train and went to
| Bloomington. III. There ] found a man
who had Is barrels of fresh eggs packet
| in oats for 37Ia cents per dozen, and
when l said I would pay him the cash
and take all of them he looked at me
| fairly wild. as he supposed / only want
ed a barrel or two. / ordered them sent
| TO Mound City, H., and when they
came | had small basketful sent over
to Admiral Porter with my compliments
and price. On this same trip up on
| Sunday. May 30, 1864. we came to
| Island No. 35, which belonged to 10 and
Jefferson Davis. about 300 acres. II
was overlooked bv the river when high.
We stopped here and let all go on shore
that could be spared from the sick. We
always had eight of the Sisters of Char
| ity with us as nurses. They had not
been on shore for some time. At Jeff 8
residence aunt EettV, as tnCy CalIe.I
her. Jeff's old housemaid, was making
a great fuss about two -- rebs, as she
called them, who had just been there
and took Massa Jeff's silverware Ques
tioning her which direction they had
| gone, she pointed to the upper end of
the island. Taking four men with me
VINO We're armed. we ran to our boat,
and could see them starting across the
river in skiff. We got down our cut
ter, and started after them. AS we
came near them they dropped their oars
and took up their guns. AS We could
show five to their two they went at their
oars again. We pulled by the side of
them and they surrendered. Taking
their arms and oars from them, We
towed them to the hospital boat, and
turned the prisoners over to the Cap
tain. i asked him what should be done
with the silverware. He said it was
too small a matter TO turn over to the
Government; to divide it among our.
selves. 1t consisted of one dozen
knives and forks, one dozen tablespoons
one dozen dessert spoons and one and
"a half dozen teaspoons They being
white metal, or German silver. triple.
plated. 1 divided them into five piles
as near as i could. / taking one par,
and bought the shares of three others