The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-04-04
RAIDS ON THE NOODLE SOUP
Showing That Civil War Was Not All
Grim, but Had Its Comedy.
New York Sunl

New York SUM-
Some of the incidents in a war play now
running in New York suggested to CT
william of the present generation that the
playwright of today takes a whole lot OF
license. A veteran with an empty sleeve
took issue with him.
THE incidents you mention he said
TO the young man. may not have occur
red as here presented. But the struggle
mad It's comedy situations. 1t was not
all grim. and ii was a good thing ii
wasn't.
There wasn't much time in the closing
days of the war for farcical incidents,
but while the masters of the great tsou-
ole were formulating plans Falstaffs
were plentiful in remote places. One of
these whom knew had got up to the title
OF major. He was a German.
His battalion consisted of the rawest
lot of recruits that ever huddled under
one command. The aggregation was
mounted. 1t was assigned to a post in
close proximity to a settlement of BUSH
whackers.
These were not the bushwhackers of
young men who were banded together
awaiting an opportunity of getting to
the front. Pending that soldering with
them was a frolic.
The big German major took his part
with the seriousness of a division COM
mander on the eve of battle. Once a
week, sometimes oftener the major sent
hurry orders for the recruits to ration
them out solemnly into the country.
las often as the column went out on
scout did it return, a day or two later
usually splashed with the mud of the
country roads, the horses looking faded
and uncurried. If they. ever brought back
a prisoner that fact was kept concealed
by the major.
"On one of these scouts the column
had an experience that was not down in
the majors tactics. The bushwhackers.
who always knew of the coming of the
column and scattered, concluded to give
him a surprise.
THE column had halted at the end of
its first days ride and was bivouac king
In corn field. The camp fires had been
lighted and the air was redolent with the
odor OF noodle soup. The bugles had
sounded for the serving of rations Even
the pickets had come into camp for grub.
Without warning the bushVhacllers
rose up out Of the fodder shocks and the
fence corners; with one combined rush
soup line and captured it. The colonel o.
the bushwhackers, a former school
teacher. and his staff appeared stimuli
taneously- as the major reported it 10 his
superior officer, before the ma jor's shack
and demanded his ratious
The colonel saluted the major aud
begged his pardon for the intrusion, He
SAID ne and his men had not come TO
the Odor of the noodle soup had made
them furious.
IF permitted 20 have their fill they
would retire in good order and the major
could do likewise. If the major wanted
To fight. he could have it, but they
were not there with any hostile inten-
tlons. other than those mentioned
The major was virtually a prisoner
He submitted gracefully and asked tho
colonel and his staff TO be his guests as
long as the grub held out. The colonel
regretted to say that he and his staff
would need all there was and as the
major could go back to town and get
more they would have 10 sweep the
board.
They deVOured every morSeL When
the repast was finished the colonel's eye
fell upon the majors spyglass: he allowed
that as the government had plenty on
hand and the article was scarce in tho
cOnfederacy. he would have TO take il
The major removed the field glass from
his uniform and handed it over
The major was then politely requested
to send word to his men in canp that
they were to allow the visitors to depart
in peace. This was done and the bush
wha"kers scattered as only bushwhackers
knew how to do.
Major Joseph broke camp that night
and returned to the city before davbreak
II was his last scouting expedition from
that post. He was ordered to the front
soon after and believe under thu
watchfu! eye OF his superior officer. who
was an old West Pointer. did some cred
liable fighting until he was mustered out
The story Of the bushwhackers' raid
on Major Joseph's noodle SCUM got 70 the
headquarters of MANY commanding off
GERS. but ! do not think it ever had gen
eral circulation.