Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1919-06-05
CHICKENS FIFTY-FIvE YEARS
AGO
(Continued)
Ira Shockey
. Ira Shockey

tain for brief spell so they all be-
gan to plan to go so they got the
i boss to let them off for a 3 o'clock
supper. The drivers or teamsters
/ had to take care of their team over
Sunday or hire some one to take
care of it for them, so they began
early in the week to look for hostlers
! till Saturday noon two men had been
fhired to take care of all ten teams
50 about p. m. had supper ready.
Here they came in rush and after
eating hurried supper, away they
| went down the mountain leaving the
two hostlers and the cook to keep
the camp. As it was beginning to
get a little dusky, ! saw the two
teamsters saddling up mule back.
/ SAYS, Boys what now; one Of them
said, eve are going down to Being
ton little while Are you afraid
to stay by yourself" / says, mo,
if the Rebels come it will be them
and me for it to see who will get the
mu.es.a Well away they went, one
i of them was married man. About
midnight as | thought | heard one of
them ride close up to the commissary
tent and hallowed Cook, Cook, come
out here | got out of my slumber
and went out and he handed me a
rlate Of some. three pounds of butter.
says, where did you get that?"
lie says, II went down home and my
wife sent it to you" ! says, Good"
'Here," he says, pulling a sack down
from under him, lis two fat hens,
she sent YOU, says |, Good, we will
have roasted chicken for breakfast"
So | filed up and brought water
and cleaned up the old fat hens and
put them on to cook, when nearly
done, daylight was on, so l took my
chickens and put them in frying pans
4 using lots of butter. 0, dear what a
breakfast that was Two big fat
hens and pounds of butter for
there were three of us, work over
and no one to hurry us. | have often
though | enjoyed that Sunday on the
top of Laurel Hill the best of any
Sunday during the Civil War.
We didn't remain on the, mountain
but week or ten days after this till
we moved to foot of the mountain
East isde at the "Old Zeb" Stalnaker
farm, there we remained till Major
Hill made his early morning raid on
Beverly. The boys were just hitch
ing up and a man came dashing
down the Pike horseback following
at the top of his voice, Get out to
the railroad, get out to the railroad
the Rebels are coming" Our teams
were turned around towards Beling-
ton and our equipment hastily loaded
and the captain told me to take two
other boys as / had a gun and go or
, top of the mountain and wait there
I till the train came up and see what
= would develop. We got to the tor
of the mountain and took our stand
up from toward Belington dressed in
Rebel garb but no guns. ] halted
them and commanded them to hold
up their hands which they did.
searched them but found no army
guns. They said they were Union
men from Pocahontas County, had
been in Ohio and was making their
way back home to their families
Just now our team pulled up and
the captain made them get into 9
wagon and go with u.s. Now tho
Captain told me to go on down tx
Mustoes and there stand till they
came down, as the train came dowr
the mountain our prisoners jumped
out and ran off and / haven't seer
them to this day.
We moved on to Belington there
Bill Pains Squad over took us ant
we all lounged in the wagons anC
went to Philippi as quick as Uncl'
Sans mules could take us. Direct.
we got to Philippi, a dispatch bear
er came and ordered US back to Bev
erly as the Rebels had failed in theii
aim to take Beverly and had all beef
killed or captured, so back we went
getting to Beverly next day abou
10 a. M About 8 p. m. we were call
ed up and all discharged but myself
as / now had charge of both comis
saries, both ours and Pains and the
wouldn't let me off. We had piled al
Of our goods in a vacant house
Night came on but while waiting
went around to the hospital to Sc
the wounded. saw Major Hill wit
a bullet hole through his right breast
and released me Of my bu
About midnight an officer came
l Quoted down and at daylight | at
a lunch and went off for home.
Ito be Continued