The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-12-16
CHRISTMAS IN
CIVIL War TINE

Seeing all the people buying Christ
mas things now said veteran OF the
civil war, makes me think Of some
Christmas experiences OF my own, first
Of the time when used to hang up my
stockings by the fireplace, sticking
forks through them. ana then jamming
the forks into a crack under the man
telpiece, where Santa Claus could get
ct them handily when he came down
the chimney, and then OF q time when
we were more grown up and Santa
Claus came to us in the army.
The regiment served in put in a
good part of its time In states on the
southern Atlantic seaboard, in South
Carolina. Georgia and Florida, where
with water transportation to us we
could be got at rather more easily
than troops not so far away, but at
interior points, and SO. while you
couldn't have things shipped to you
there as you could to this town or the
other In times OF peace, you could get
things there pretty well, and the pat
ron for whom our company was named
when it was recruited used to see to it
that at Christmas time there was de-
livered to us big box filled with
things from friends at home.
We no longer bore his name in the
army, for from the minute we were
mustered into the United States serv-
ice we had simply become company
so-and-so OF such and such state vol
unteers, but we never forgot our friend
at home. and surely he never forgot
us, and at Christmas time he used to
see that our company got that box.
We'll. in advances be would announce
in the home papers that on such and
such date box would be sent to the
company and its friends or relatives OF
members of the company would bring
in the gifts they wished to send: they
would be carefully packed and duly
shipped. And then the people used To
bring In the things and though some-
how never thought OF 1t then. have
thought often since with what loving
care and tenderness must those Christ
mas gifts have been prepared, those
things sent from home to their soldiers
in the field.
when everything was all in our
friend would have the things securely
and safely packed, and then he'd hike
the box down to New York, and there
the quartermaster's department would
put 1t down to us. So Santa Claus
wasn't coming to US with his pack on
his back, down the chimney, but in a
box In the hold of q steamer.
when we got our first Christmas
box we were on an island down the
coast there. drilling some and doing
guard and picket duty. but largely en-4I
gagged In building corduroy roads
through swamps by day, and by night
in hauling by hand. with whole reg
iment on the ropes, heavy mortars and
guns over these roads, and also, under
the same friendly cover of darkness. In
building masked batteries I'm which the
said guns and mortars were mounted.
all this in the course Of besieging
fort occupied by Confederate soldiers
on another island.
TT was plenty OF hard work and not
much play, and most Of the freight
that came to us besides the usual COM
missary supplies. was guns and NOR
tars and powder and shot ana she'll and
the various materials Of war. bun one
day there came shore on a lighter from
q transport anchored of. along with
barrels of pork and kegs Of powder.
that Christmas box from home FOR us
soldiers.
We hauled it up from the beach ana
set II down carefully, right side up,
at the end Of the company street, and
doubt IL any fireplace on a Christ
mas morning was ever greater mag
net OF attraction to children than that
box was to the men Of co. X. 10
man they gathered around 1t to see
what Santa Claus had brought them
from home.
1T Was big box. biz dry goods
packing box. bis enough to hold some
thing FOR everybody, and carefully We
opened it and with the lid off 1t SEEM
Cd full 0f innumerabIe treasures, SO full
to the last inch Of space was it packed.
THE orderly sergeant OF the compa-
ny made the distribution. He raised
his hand and reached over and picked
up package that Iay III the center Of
the box and lifted 1t and read the name
on 1t and passed it into the outstretch-
ed hand OF the man to whom it be-
Ionged.
Then he went on more rapidly
picking up the things and reading III |
the names and passing them over
packages Of ali sorts and shapes ana
sizes. al1 eagerly received. Some men |
stayed to See everything given out. ana |
some went to their tents to sec what |
a