The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-03-18

storie, % the Picket Line


n year after the war began and the
men had learned that in the main the
two armies were made up of human
beings and not hyenas or something
equally ferociOus. But talking at long
range soon became tiresome. 1t has
always been so, whether in war or
peace. in the city or on the prairie
Farmers may talk for a time at long
range, but they soon come together
and rest their elbows on the top rail
and a foot on the second rail. Wo-
men may begin conversation standing
in their respective doorways. but they
are not long in getting their heads
close together. Haven't you noticed
that? That was the way with the
pickets on the Rap1ahannock. After
they had talked for q time with the
deep. narrow. black. sluggish Kappa
hammock dividing them they sought an
easier. a more convenient, a more so
ciable way. The pickets of General
Cutters Union brigade managed with
the men in gray OH the opposite side
OF the river after this fashion:
Il say Yank,'
What is it, johnny"
"We uns like the smell of you alls
real coffee mighty we'll"
do you want some of IL, Johnny"
''Just homesick for some real coffee. :
''HOw's your tobacco supplyy
PLENTY of it,
They were nearly always long OH
plug tobacco, but short ON coffee, real
coffee. and our boys were often short
on tobacco, but seldom so on coffee.
Lets dicker, Johnny"
That's us, honey; how shall we de-
liver the gOOds?"
Make a raft from boards on yon
barn and come over"
MEAN ii, Yank? Won't sneak u.s.?
ION honor, Johnny; on honor. Come
over"
Within an hour a Confederate craft
laden with one unarmed Johnny and a
liberal supply of Virginia plug and
long Tom, ran its jagged nose against
the northern bank of the river.
mo shenanigan, Yanks."
Not a bit. You'll 90 back as soon's
the goods are exchanged and you get
ready"
That completed the treaty, with u
reciprocity attachment, and the good
natured Virginian did not need a Sec
ond invitation to partake of coffee
fried pork and bareback.
When the ship sailed back to the
Confederacy and the captain displayed
his stock of coffee and told of the ban
quet rendered him by the enemy, one
of his brethren called over:
Bully for you, Yanks. The war Is
over until they change pickets
And 1t was. There was not an hour
In the day when the raft was not en-
gagged in bringing the pickets together
fol social and commercial intercourse
They snapped goods, played cards, dis
cEssed battles and had as good time
as the same men would have to-day
were they TO come together, for with
such as they the war had been over
ever since Grant and Lee came togeth.
er and shook hands at Appomattox.
1t made no difference what officer
was in charge of the picket One day
the lieutenant who had winked at OF
furnad hic IN ct- ,,nop tbaca Soofo+.- =. - =
commercial enterprises was suddenly
Frustrated, returned TO camp and a new
lieutenant took his place. And he was
new, brand new. He was a political
pull officer. lie had been commissioned
by the governor at the request OF his
father, who had the pull, and assigned
to a regiment of New Workers who had
seen hard service and had plenty OF
good material OF its own for officers
OF course the whole regiment felt in
suited, but what could it doi Paps
had drawn on the governor for a pail
Of shoulder straps for his son befor,
he had earned them. By honorlng tn,
draft he had pleased one man ant
another temporarily. The young lieu
tenant was pleased until he ran upor
the Ice and scowls of the veteran New
Workers. Then he was sad. | dislike
to think, even now, that there wa:
much of that kind Of work done. mo-
alone by the Governor OF New York
but by all of the Governors. and il
both armies. 1t seldom worked we'll
| There were exceptions, to be sure. Thi.
young fellow, who wanted to fight FOL
| his country If he could begin as az
officer the third year of the war, wa,
sent to take the place Of the prustrat
ed officer He reached the picket lin
just I'm time to see a yirginian Ian,
and shake hands with our men. Tha
was the first rebel he had seen. VIVA
was lie there for but to kill and cap
ture rebels? You are prisoner Ser
geant, take this man TO General Cutie
with my compliments, and tell him h
was taken at Fitzhugh Crossing" |
mattered not that our boys and tn
Confederates protested, the lleutenan
l KNEW Ills DuSlutSS anu nOl WAN
private soldiers to interfere.
The prisoner was sharply questione
by the gruff old general. When Cutie
ascertained the facts I'm the case-tha
his boys had entered into an arrange
ment to exchange courtesies-he storm
ed like an enraged alderman.
Sergeant, return with this soldie
to the Lieutenant and tell him TO lie
him go back to his friends across Ii.
river and then report to me at once.
When the lieutenant reported the ger
eral said to him: young man, yo
have been guilty Of a mean act. |
not say that the men did right
make the bargain they did, but afte
1t was made 1t was infamous to vie
late it by making prisoner Of this
soldier. You may go back 10 you
regiment I will ask the adjutant