Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-09-22

foragiag from that day, and the even
ing sir soon became fragrant with
the scent of broiling meat.
About this time a half dozen men
from Companies G, H and l drew (?)
a quarter of beef and while coming
into camp were pursued by provost
guard from the % Illinois. the non
commissioned officer in charge cali
ing:
Halt. or wen shoot"
The bee. wss strung on a pole.
swinging viole " from side to side,
the men rur. az well as they
coHid trying to reach mp before be-
ing overtaken. The threat to shoot
made them hesitate. Ed. Emo of. Co
urged
Ran, boys; they won't shoot among
the tents"
And they did run.
When the provost men came I'M
soon after, and searched the camp.
they found no beef, but Comrade Emo
was literally burning up with typhoid
fever in a Company G mans blank
cts, while other members of his
party We're on tip toes conversing in
whispers and by signs. No Illinois
man has ever. suspected that the beef
he was after was under the typhoid
patient.
There was little or no personal en-
nifty between the members Of the OPP
posing armies. There were many
friendly conferences held between the
picket lines Extreme outposts OF the
opposing forces were frequently very
near each other and videttes some
times joined in singing sacred hymns
or popular songs of the time to while
away their tedious hours on duty.
Whatever was plentiful in one
army was sometimes very scarce in
the other Especially was this true
Of coffee and tobacco, the former of
which was abundant in Shermans
army, the latter in Johnston's and
often were these commodities ex-
changed. Our boys were frequently
| accused OF Yankee shrewdness in
that they were suspected of drying
the used grains and then going out to
trade. The man who rated the
Southern lad an easy-mark, however,
was sure 70 close a bad bargain
sooner or later.
On one occasion, in the shade of
Kennesaw mountain, youngster from
the gulf coast was being quizzed by
his comrades while trying to steep
his recently acquired coffee till it
would color the water in his can. He
bore their chatting in silence for a
time, and then retorted with:
/ What do you ali think the Yank
ud say if he knowed that terbacker
let him haye soaked in a Florida tan
vat all wihter?"
On another occasion an Ohio boy
called over his shoulder as he was
walking back to his rifle pit after
making a swap;
Il say. Johnnie, you may have to
pick some worms out of that lard
tack"
The grizzled old sou herne1 replied
I pleasantly:
You can't outen the meal. l
smashed EN- all when a-poundin' the
con-"
You will recollect that nearly
every grain of old corn grown in
Dixie has a weevil in it.
Personal observation of the At
lanta campaign, on the part of Blair's
corps, the 18th, to mich the 18th
| Wisconsin infantry belonged. com
menced at Big Shanty, Ca, early in
June, 1864. Fresh from our homes,
where the time allotted by our veteran
| furlough had been spent, the trip
from Carlo H. to Clifton, Tenn, by
steamboat and the strenuous marches
from Clifton to Big Shanty were for
ever behind us and a brave, deter
mined foe in our front, foe skilfully
handled by an able general, and fully
conscious of his immense advantage
/ UI pOSlIlOH anu CONCIcu utlGHECos
! There was not private soldier in the
confederate army but knew full we'll
that every strong position, land
there were many between their front
and the City of Atlanta had been
made nearly impregnable by as strong
and well-planned earthworks as their
engineers could construct. They
knew too that many thousand slaves
were kept steadily at work day by day
on other strong works so that in case
| they should be driven from one line
they had but to retire to another.
This knowledge inspired a confidence
in our enemy which was terribly hard
to dispel.
| When the federal army was fully
deployed and was confronted at every
point by strong works well manned,
.the confidence of the enemy was COM
plete. mistaken, serene. Their army
and the people of the south believed
there was little or nothing for them
to do but play waiting game till the
northern army and people should be-
come disheartened and retire from the
| field.
Constant skirmishing along a ten
n,jia hattie front for days and weeks