Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-01-14

a Confederate War story.

MdTCu, II We CuduCSU " 81 AAto CeAAAQ
near the residence Of some well-to-do
citizen, TO have a guard detailed TO
sit up with the premises of said citizen
during the night, or SO long as we
might remain in the neighborhood, to
see that his goods and chattels and
chickens were not molested
The men were not stuck" on this
practice to any extent worth mention
Ing
We felt that 1t was large majority
of our business and privilege, after
pulling through the mud and hunger
from early morn till frequently after
dark, to turn our haversacks inside out
which it was not unusual for us to
do without the least danger Of splitting
the contents-spread our blanket (s1n-
gular) on the chilly bosom Of Mother
Earth, and go to sleep on an empty
stOmach-about as tough a job as
washing a dirty shirt without soap.
And man would have about as
much success in kicking against the
tax collector as to protest against guard
duty; it had to be performed on all
occasions and under all circumstances,
II for no other purpose than to keep
the men in good humor.
Not infreQuently some of the prop
erty Of the overconfident citizen came
up missing the next morning, appro-
priated by the very guard posted
around his premises to protect it.
Sometimes the command would be up
and off before the injured party would
have time to realize his loss; but when
this was not sthe case the Colonel or
General commanding might expect to
hear a healthy complaint from the
aforesaid citizen A search would be
instituted the result of which was in
variably the finding and returning Of
the missing goods to the owner-in a
horn!
A man would have better luck in
would in searching for a chicken, ham,
or begun in a crowd Of several thou
sand troops.
Generally speaking, your average
soldier will eat, If there Is anything
of that nature in the neiShborhood;
and If sufficient supply of rations
was not furnished by the conmissary
the grub of the citizens residing along
our line of march was predestined to
come up short.
The writer Of this remembers on
one occasion having good, 4 fat bee
hive mysteriously disappear from un-
der his nose one night while he was
vigilantly guarding that and other per-
ishable chattels on the premises
| could never satisfactorily account
for the mishap, but I know my mess
had honey and corn bread for break
fast next morning, all the same!
But, the Colonel's gobbler! Sure
enough!
How was it, Joe?"
Boys, that was the meanest trick
done durin' the war, and I'm ashamed
of 1t till yet" responded Joe B., the
party appealed to for the story, long
years after the 'windup" of the I'M
pleasantness.
Joe was one of the best soldiers In
the Virginia army, and would shove
back a plate of milk and peaches any
time to get shot at a Yankee. But
he said he was born hungry, and if
there was anything floating around in
his vicinity that could be masticated,
he was more than apt to draw" his
share Of 1t.
eco on Jne"
We'll, we had been marching all
day through mud and slush, and when
night come we stacked arms close to
the fine mansion of rich old fellow
Of course, and of course somebody had
to do guard duty. A sergeant's squad
of six men were detailed from my regi-
ment, and l was one of the unfor-
Inmates.
Il was tired and mad, and if cussin
would have done any good / reckon (
would have had a spell of that too
But there was no help for it, and on
duty I had to go.
Each one Of us had two hours duty
to perform, and my turn came about
o'clock. We were posted in the yard
with Instructions to let no one in or
out. except members of the family.
Il hadn't been on duty more than
an hour when l saw some one ap-
preaching the house
ut was pretty dark, but I could see
well enough to decide that the in
dividual was a niger
HE approached the gate, and was
in the act of entering, when
Halt says I.
He stopped movingi
What are you up tor I asked.
81 cum ter see if 1 could cit dis
ere lucky cook fer de Cunnel,' he ex-
planned.
"'All right says I, go ahead.
Right there, boys, l disobeyed my
instructions, but 1t struck me all Of
sudden, right in the stomach, that that
turkey was mine, so let the niger In
unmolested.