Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1919-05-22
CHICKENS, FIFTY-FTyB YEARS
AGO
By Ira ShecAey

The Progressive of old landmarks
and civil war stories, concluded
while it is raining would spin one
Of the civil war as saw it in the fall
of 1864.
"Wolly Bill" Price as ne was called
came to me in August and said he
wanted me to cook for a squad of
road hands as he and Bill" Paine
were appointed to organize squad OF
some 80 men each, to repair the pike
between Philippi and Beverly. Paine
was to begin at Beverly and Price
would begin at Belington and work
the mountain part first, each squas
was furnished 10 mule teams, so we
went in camp August IS, taking
charge of the old Ward buildings
to quarter in instead of pitching our
tents. We stayed at Belington per-
haps three weeks then we moved up
to the Music place nearly opposite
where "Web" Hillyard now lives,
| there we pitched our tents and re-
manned here some six weeks /
can't call to mind at this time but
one of the old settlers living that
was there then is Martin Hillyars-
Nothing particular happened at tho
camping places that / wish to spes
of now, then we moved from MustoE
to the top Of the mountain, pitching J
our tents and making our camp on
the little level spot right by the side
of the pike, very noted spring some
distance perhaps $50 yards down to
the right of the pike furnished water
for cooking, also for the mules After
locating here on the mountain some
ten days perhaps. | saw one eve
| ming that some of the boys were
going out on some sly business; the
superintendent was there that night
| and when he was there, he as the
captain" as we styled William Price,
the boss, would play cards till late
hour. Now, all had retired, every
thing quiet, l had my sleeping bunkA
in the commissary tent, l was thSe
| only boy that had gun. There were
few little reyolvers in camp, but |
had regular army gun About mid
night captain" Price, came rushing
into my tent, saying, 'cook, cook.
hand me your gun; quick, quick &
horse thieves or Rebels, Rebels I
feeling sure some of our boys were
out, let on to be asleep. | had nv
gun under the side of my bunk just
pressed on it little tight when the
captain" thought he couldn't wake
me he came and grabbed for my gun,
but | was kindly lying on it as he
couldn't get a hold Of it quick, so he
rushed out. | soon heard him calling
| "Alph" Wilson, the Supt He Ct.
out, heard them swearing the d
eldest oath; their oaths were as d
ed as rams horns and pea vine
expected there was something
hand for the cook" to do directly:|
the captain" called, "eook, cook,
come out here" | jumped into nv
old rags quickly, tell you and went
out too, and behold there was pile
of chickens enough seemingly to load
a two horse wagon. The captain
and superintendent hadn't used up all
OF their "twisty" oaths yet, as they
kept spinning them out too crooked
to undertake to ninmick them now.
after a lapse Of time of nearly SIS
years. But they managed to tell nae
/ to IRE up and get to work cleaning
them as every fowl was headIess.
4 dead as the old heck, and it wouldn't
! do to let them go to waste. I add
4 them | couldn't clean them till break
last time, much less cook them: the
captain told me to get to work. and
ne would get another man up to help
i me 50 he called one Fred Harsh up.
4 ne had some experience in cooking:
we had our water to carry UP that
hill, had to scald and clean and cook
that wagon load of chickens, % in
number.
We had no lantern either, but we
worked by fire light or the dim lirin
OF a sperm candle, so you can read3O
see we got them good and clean NJ
we put two big camp kettles
Of chicken, we sat there still
the fire till morning, everybol
not guilty, but we all wonder
could have done such dirty t.
that; one fellow said he would baYgV
penny the Rebels did it just to give
us bad name. Well, now, if you
ever saw chicken eating done that
morning beat the heater. We boiled
the chickens till nearly done, then
took them and put them in pans with
few slices of sow belly If that
wasn't good breakfast, boys, get
away My mouth waters again for
another camp breakfast like that but