The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1907-03-29
"JoHNNY" GOT HIS BLANKETS
Story Of How the Yankee Picket
Helped the Enemy to Comfort.

The, pension examiners who are
working all over the country pick up
many little stories of the civil war,
some of which throw pleasant light
on those dark days. The following,
says Youths Companion, is an Incl
dent recently related by a federal vet
eran:
Once we were camped in the noun
tains of east Tennessee. didn't know
1t could be so cold down south till
tried it for myself. One bitter night
| was on picket duty away Off from
camp, down in the edge of some woods
and close beside little creek. l was
tramping along through the snow,
kicking my feet and beating my hands
together trying to keep warm, when
heard voice somewhere off on the
other side of the creek calling softly,
"Yank! Yank!'
l knew the enemy was in camp not
far away so, l raised my gun in an in
slant; but the voice called again,
Don't shoot, Yank! I'm all alone.
and l don't mean any HARM
Who are you, then, and what do
you want?" l asked, as quiet as !
could
I'm Johnny" said the voice
again, land I want to see if you can t
spare me a blanket"
''You are crazy" said I. I'D be shot
If they caught me giving you a
blanket"
"There's no need for you to get
shot, says Johnny, land I'm bout to
freeze, picketing out here in the
| snow. My uniforms nothing but rags
and I haven't got any overcoat OF
blanket or anything. Blankets are
| scarce over in our camp, and it's aw'
full cold, Yank."
| He said it solemnly in that sof;
voice OF his-the southerners have a
soft, easy way of talking-and, we'll
the upshot of it was that I promised
him l would bring blanket with me
when l came back the next night and
leave it to him to get it.
Next night when I went to saddle
up-our picket-line was so far from
camp that We had to ride-I got hall
a dozen blankets out of the commits
| sary and put them under my saddle
and was just about to get away with
them when the sergeant spied me.
| Hello, there!" said he what you
going to do with all those blankets? p
| My heart was in my mouth, but
knew he couldn't see how many
really did have, and 50 I answered
back, cool enough: ''You don't sup
pose it's warm out there picketing q
night like this, do you?" and with thai
he turned away
I tell you l was glad to see his
back!
well, got safe Cat to the woods
with my blankets, and pretty soon
heard the same voice calling again
"Yank. Yank, have you got thai
blanket?'
YES" I said. 81 have, six of them
and I came near getting caught too.
, "Glory!" said Johnny. "Glory
Now you jest slip down to the Greet
and unfold them little, and dro1
! them in one at time, and I'll do thu
rest"
I did just as he told mel didn'
| have to get off my beat to do it-ant
he went a little way down the creel
and fshed the blankets out as thu
current brought them along.
When he'd got the last one out, hi
fell down on his knees-I could set
him in the dim moonlight-and
never heard anybody pray such - :
| prayer for as that southern soldier
prayed for me, kneeling there in the
snow in his ragged old uniform.
took Off my hat and stood still till hi
was through, and then he faded away
| in the darkness.