Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-03-05


specuYe posts when once they had
made a bargain to do no firing; and
such bargain became & common thing
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 time at long
| range, but they soon come together
and rest their elbows on the top rail
and foot on the second rail. Wo-
men may begin conversation standing
in their respective doorways. but they
ar not long In getting their heads
ell sc together. Haven't you noticed
that? That was the way with the
tickets on the Rappahannock After
they had talked for time with the
| deep, narrow, black, sluggish Kappa
| hammock dividing them they sought an
easier, a more convenient, a more 50
ciable way. The pickets OF General
Cutters Union brigade managed with
the men in gray on the opposite side
Of the river after this fashion:
Il say, Yank ~
What is 1t, Johnny?"
I'VE uns like the smell Of You als
real coffee mighty we'll"
do you want some of IT, johnny"
Just homesick for some real coffee"
'How's your tobacco supply"
Plenty Of It,"
They were nearly always long on
| plug tobacco, but short on coffee, real
coffee, and our boys were often short
on tobacco, but seldom 80 on coffee.
Let's decker, Johnny"
That's US, honey how shall we de.
liver the goods?"
Make raft from boards on Won
barn and come over"
Mean 1t, Yank? Won't sneak us?''
ION honor, Johnny ON honor. Come
over"
Within an hour 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 bit. You'll go back as soon's
the goods are exchanged and you get
| ready"
| That completed the treaty, with Il
reciprocity attachment, and the good,
natured Virglnian did NOT need a s0.
ond invitation to partake of coffee
| fried pork and bareback.
When the ship sailed back to the
| Oonfederacy 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 picketsw
And IT was. There was not an hour
la the day when the raft was not en-.
gagged In bringing the pickets together
foi social and commercial intercourse.
They snapped goods, played cards. dis
cCssed battles and had as good a time
as the same men would have to-day
we're 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
tha lieutenant who had ,,,3,lyo ~ -. -.
turned his back upon these society and
commercial enterprises was suddenly
Frustrated, returned to camp and new
lieutenant took his place. And he was
new, brand new. He was a political
pull officer. He 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 II do? Papa
had drawn on the governor for a pair
of shoulder straps for his son before
he had earned them. BY honoring the
draft he had pleased one man and
another temporarily The young lieu
tenant was pleased until he ran upon
the Ice and scowls Of the veteran New
Workers. Then he was sad ] dislike
to think, even now, that there was
much Of that kind Of work done. not
alone by the Governor Of New York,
but by all Of the Governors, and in
both armies 1t seldom worked well.
There were exceptions, TO be sure. This
young fellow, who wanted to fight for
his country If he could begin as an
officer the third year Of the war, was
sent to take the place Of the prostrat-
ed officer. He reached the picket line
just IN time To see a Virginlan land
and shake hands with our men. That
was the first rebel he had seen. What
was be there for but to kill and cap
ture rebelsI You are prisoner Ser
gsant, take this man 10 General Cutler
with my compliments, and tell him he