by John McElroy
CHAPTER VIII. THE GLORIOUS FOURTH INDEPENDENCE DAY FUN
ON THE BANKS OF ELK RIVER.
"THIS is the glorious Fourth of July," remarked Si, as Co. Q broke ranksfrom reveille roll-call on the banks of Elk River, and he and Shortyturned anxious attention to the problem of getting a satisfactorybreakfast out of the scanty materials at their command. "Up home they'regittin' ready for a great time. Yesterday mother and the girls cookedenough goodies to feed the whole company. Mother had Abe Lincoln splitup a lot o' fine, dry hickory. Then she het up the big brick oven outby the Summer-kitchen, and she baked there a lot o' loaves o' hersplendiferous salt-raisin' bread, the best in the whole country, if I dosay it myself."
"Resemble this, Si?" asked Shorty, who was pawing around in his shrunkenhaversack, as he produced two dingy crackers and a handful of pieces,discolored by contact with the coffee and meat during the days ofmarching in the rain.
"And, then," continued Si, unmindful of the interruption, "after shetook the bread out, smelling like a bouquet, she put in some biscuits,and then some dressed chicken, a young pig."
"Just like this," echoed Shorty, pulling out a rusty remnant of very fatcommissary pork.
"Shet up, Shorty," said Si, angered at this reminder of their meagerstore, which was all that was left them for the day, since they had farout marched their wagons. "I won't have you makin' fun o' my mother'scookin'."
"Well, you shut up torturing me about home goodies," answeredShorty, "when we hain't got enough grub here to fill one undividedquarter-section o' one o' our gizzards, and there hain't no more thisside o' the wagons, which are stalled somewhere in the Duck River hills,and won't be up till the katydids sing. I ain't making fun o' yourmother's cookin'. But I won't have you tormenting me with gas about thegoodies back home."
"I know it ain't right, Shorty," said Si. "It only makes us feel worse.But I can't help thinkin'--"
"Jest go on thinkin'," sneered Shorty, "if you kin fill yourself up thatway. I can't. You'd better set to studyin' how to make less'n quarterrations for one fill up two men for all day. There ain't no use goin'a-foragin'. They call this country the Cumberland Barrens. There neverwas grub enough in it to half support the clay-eaters that live aroundhere, and what there was the rebels have carried off. The only thingI kin think of is to cut up some basswood chips and fry with this pork.Mebbe we could make 'em soft enough to fill up on." And Shorty gloomilyshook out the last crumb from the haversacks into a tin of water tosoak, while he fried the grease out of the fragment of pork in hishalf-canteen.
"And Pap," continued Si, as if determined to banish famine thoughtsby more agreeable ones, "has had the trottin' team nicely curried,and their manes and tails brushed out, and hitched 'em to that newStudebaker-spring wagon he wrote about. They'll put all the good thingsin, and then mother and the girls'll climb in. They'll go down the roadin great style, and pick up Annabel, and drive over to the Grove, wherethey'll meet all the neighbors, and talk about their boys in thearmy, and the Posey Brass Band'll play patriotic tunes, and old BeachJamieson'll fire off the anvil, and then Parson Ricketts'll put onhis glasses and read the Declaration o' Independence, and then somepolitician young lawyer from Mt. Vernon or Poseyville 'll make asky-soaring, spread-eagle speech, and--"
"O, do come off, Si," said Shorty irritably. "You're only makingyourself hungrier exercising your tongue so. Come here and git yourshare o' the breakfast and mind you eat fair."
Shorty had fried out the pork in the dingy, black half-canteen, pouredthe soaked crackers into the sputtering hot grease, and given the messa little further warming and stirring. Then he pulled the half-canteenfrom the split stick which served for a handle, set it on the ground,and drew a line through it with his spoon to divide the food fairly intoequal portions..
Meanwhile Si had strolled over a little ways to where an old worm fencehad stood when the regiment went into camp. Now only the chunks at thecorners remained. He looked a minute, and then gave a yell of delight.
"Here, Shorty," he called out; "here's something that beats your friedbreakfasts all holler. Here's ripe blackberries till you can't rest, andthe biggest, finest ones you ever saw. Come over here, and you can pickall you can eat in five minutes."
He began picking and eating with the greatest industry. Shorty walkedover and followed his example.
"They are certainly the finest blackberries I ever saw," he agreed."Strange that we didn't notice them before. This country ain't no goodfor nothin' else, but it surely kin beat the world on blackberries. Hi,there! Git out, you infernal brute!"
This latt'er remark was addressed to a long-legged, mangy hound that hadsuddenly appeared from no where, and was nosing around their breakfastwith appreciative sniffs. Shorty made a dive for him, but he cleanedout the half-canteen at one comprehensive gulp, and had put a good-sizedfarm between him and the fire before Shorty reached it. That gentlemanfairly danced with rage, and swore worse than a teamster, but thebreakfast was gone beyond recovery. The other boys yelled at and gibedhim, but they were careful to do it at a safe distance.
"'Twasn't much of a breakfast, after all, Shorty," said Si, consolingly."The crackers was moldly and the pork full o' maggots, and the Surgeonhas warned us time and again against eatin' them greasy fried messes.All the doctors say that blackberries is very healthy, and theycertainly taste nice."
Shorty's paroxysm of rage expended itself, and he decided it wisest toaccept Si's advice.
"The berries is certainly fine, Si," he said with returning good humor."If I could've only laid a foundation of crackers and meat I could'vebuilt a very good breakfast out of 'em. I misdoubt, though, whetherthey've got enough substance and stick-to-the-ribs to make a meal out ofall by themselves. However, I'll fill up on 'em, and hope they'll lasttill a grub-cart gets through. There ought to be one here before noon."
"One consolation," said Si; "we won't have to march on this peck. TheAdjutant's just passed the word that we're to rest here a day or two."
The rest of the regiment were similarly engaged in browsing off theblackberries that grew in wonderful profusion all around, and werereally of extraordinary size. After filling themselves as full aspossible of the fruit, Si and Shorty secured a couple of camp kettlesand gave their garments a boiling that partially revenged themselvesupon the insect life of Tennessee for the torments they endured in theTullahoma campaign.
"The better the day the better the deed," remarked Shorty, as he and Sistood around the fire, clothed in nothing but their soldierly character,and satisfiedly poked their clothes down in the scalding water."Thousands must die that one may be free from graybacks, fleas, andticks. How could be better celebrated the Fourth of July than by thewholesale slaughter of the tyrants who drain the life-blood of freemenand patriots? Now, that's a sentiment that would be fine for your oratorwho is making a speech about this time to your folks in Injianny."
By this time they were hungry again. The black berries had no stayingpower in proportion to their filling qualities, and anxiously as theywatched the western horizon, no feet of the mules bringing rations hadbeen seen beautiful on the mountains.
They went out and filled up again on blackberries, but these seemed tohave lost something of their delicious taste of those eaten earlier inthe morning.
They went back, wrung out their clothes, and put them on again.
"They'll fit better if they dry on us," remarked Shorty. "And I'm afraidwe'll warp, splinter and check if we are exposed to this sun any longerafter all the soakin' we've bin havin' for the past 10 days."
Comfortably full abdominally, with a delicious sense of relief from thefiendish insects, the sun shining once more brightly in the sky, andelated over the brilliant success of the campaign, they felt as happy asit often comes to men.
The scenery was inspiring. Beyond Elk River the romantic CumberlandMountains raised their picturesque peaks and frowning cliffs into awondrous cloud-world, where the radiant sunshine and the pearly showersseemed in endless struggle for dominion, with the bri
ght rainbows forwar-banners. When the sunshine prevailed, filmy white clouds flags oftruce floated lazily from peak to peak, and draped themselves about therugged rocks. It was an ever-changing panorama of beauty and mystery,gazing on which the eye never wearied.
"Bragg's somewhere behind them mountains, Shorty," said Si, as the twolay on the ground, smoked, and looked with charmed eyes on the sky line."The next job's to go in there and find him and lick him."
"I don't care a durn, if it's only dry weather," answered Shorty. "I kinstand anything but rain. I'd like to soldier awhile in the Sahara Desertfor a change. Hello, what's that? A fight?"
A gun had boomed out loudly. The boys pricked up their ears, tooktheir pipes from their mouths and half raised in anticipation of thebugle-call. An other shot followed after an interval, and then a thirdand fourth.
"They're firing a National salute at Division Headquarters in honor ofthe Fourth of July," explained the Orderly-Sergeant.
Everybody jumped to his feet and cheered
Cheered for the Fourth of July;
Cheered for the United States of America;
Cheered for President Abraham Lincoln;
Cheered for Maj.-Gen. Wm. S. Rosecrans.
Cheered for the Army of the Cumberland;
Cheered for the Corps Commander;
Cheered for the Division Commander;
Cheered for the Brigadier-General;
Cheered for the Colonel of the 200th Ind.;
Cheered for their Royal Selves.
"Whew, how hungry that makes me," said Shorty as the cheering and thefiring ended, and he studied the western horizon anxiously. "And nota sign yit of any mule-team comin' up from the rear. They must havereligious scruples agin travelin' on the Fourth o' July. Well, Is'pose there's nothin' to do but hunt up some more blackberries.But blackberries is like mush. They don't seem to stay with you muchlonger'n you're eatin' 'em."
But they had to go much farther now to find blackberries. The wholehungry regiment had been hunt ing blackberries all day, and for morethan a mile around camp the briers were bare. Si and Shorty succeeded atlast in finding another plentiful patch, upon which they filled up,and returned to camp for another smoke and an impatient look for theCommissary teams.
"I like blackberries as well as any other man," mused Shorty, "but itdon't seem to me that last lot was nearly so good as the first we hadthis morning. Mebbe the birds kin eat 'em four times a day and sevendays in the week without gittin' tired, but I ain't much of a bird,myself. I'd like to change off just now to about six big crackers, apound o' fat pork and a quart o' coffee. Wonder if the rebel cavalrycould've got around in our rear and jumped our trains? No; 'JoeWheeler's critter company,' as that rebel called 'em, hain't quitrunnin' yit from the lickin' Minty give 'em at Shelbyville. Mebbe themules have struck. I'd 'a' struck years ago if I'd bin a mule."
The sun began to sink toward the western hills, and still no welcomesign of coming wagons.
Si remarked despairingly:
"Well, after all the berry-eatin' I've done to-day I feel as holler asa bee-gum. I don't believe any wagons'll git up to-night, and if we'regoin' to have any supper at all we'd better go out and pick it before itgits too dark to see."
They had to go a long distance out this time to find a good berry patch.It was getting dark be fore they fairly began picking their supper.Presently they heard voices approaching from the other side. Theycrouched down a little behind the brier-clumps and listened.
"Be keerful. The Yankee pickets must be nigh. Thar's their campfires."
"Pshaw. Them fires is two miles away. Thar's no pickets fur a mile yit.Go ahead."
"No sich thing. Them fires ain't a mile off.
"Their pickets are likely right along that 'ere ridge thar."
"Bushwhackers," whispered Si, rising a little to reconnoiter. "One,two, three, four, five, six on 'em. Sneakin' up to pick off our pickets.What'd we better do?"
"Only thing I kin think of," whispered Shorty back, feeling around fora stick that would represent a gun, "is the old trick of ordering 'em tosurrender. It's an awful bluff, but we may work it this time. If they'vegot any grit we needn't worry no more about rations. They'll git us."
Si snatched up a piece of rail, and they sprang up together, shouting:
"Halt! Surrender! Don't move a hand or we'll blow your heads off."
"All right, Yank. We surrender. Don't shoot. We'uns 've bin a-huntin'yo'uns to gin ourselves up. We'uns is tired o' the wah."
THE BLUFF WORKED 107]
"The thunder you do," said Si in amazement.
"Yes," said the leader, walking forward; "we'uns is plumb sick o' thewah, and want t' take the oath and go home. 'Deed we'uns do."
"Well, you liked to 've scared two fine young soldiers to death,"murmured Si under his breath.
"Halt, there," called out the suspicious Shorty.
"Don't come any nearer, or I'll fire. Stand still, and hold your gunsover your heads, till I send a man out to git 'em."
The rebels obediently held their guns in the air.
"Sergeant," commanded Shorty, "go forward and relieve the men of theirarms, while the rest of us keep 'em kivvered to prevent treachery andgittin' the drop on us."
Si went out and took the guns, one by one, from the hands of the men,and made as good an examination as he could, hastily, to see that theycarried nothing else.
"Lordy, Yank, if you only knowed how powerful glad we'uns is to git toyo'uns, you wouldn't 'spicion us. We'uns 's nigh on to starved t' death.Hain't had nothin' to eat but blackberries for days. And hit's binmarch, march, all the time, right away from we'uns's homes. Goramightyonly knows whar ole Bragg's a-gwine tuh. Mebbe t' Cuby. We'uns wuzwillin' t' fout fur ole Tennessee, but for nary other State. When hestarted out o' Tennessee we'uns jest concluded t' strike out and leavehim. Lordy, Mister, hain't you got something t' eat? We'uns is jeststarvin' t' death. 'Deed we'uns is."
"Awful sorry," replied Shorty, as he and Si gathered up the guns andplaced themselves behind the group. "But we hain't nothin' to eatourselves but blackberries, and won't have till our wagons git up, which'll be the Lord and Gen. Rosecrans only knows when. You shall have itwhen we kin git it. Hello, the boys are cheerin'. That means a wagon'sgot in. Skip out, now, at a quarter-hoss gait. They may gobble it all upbefore we git there."
Inspired by this, they all started for camp in quick-time. Shortywas right in interpreting the cheering to mean the arrival of aration-wagon.
When they reached Co. Q they found the Orderly-Sergeant standing over ahalf-box of crackers.
Around him was gathered the company in a petulant state of mind.
"Cuss and swear, boys, all you've a mind to," he was saying, "if youthink that'll swell your grub. You know it won't. Only one wagon's comeup, and it had only a half-load. Our share in it is what you see here. Ifigure that there's just about one cracker apiece for you, and as I callyour names you'll step up and get it. Don't swear at me. I've done thebest I could. Cuss the Tennessee mud and freshets in the cricks all youwant to, if you think that'll fill your crops, but let me alone, or I'llbust somebody."
"I've my opinion o' the glorious Fourth o' July," said Shorty, as henibbled moodily at his solitary cracker. "I'll change my politics andvote for Thanksgiving Day and Christmas after this."
"Well, I think that we've had a pretty fine Fourth," said the morecheerful Si. "For once in my life I've had all the blackberries I couldeat, and otherwise it's a pleasant day. Them deserters gave me a coldchill at first, but I'm glad we got 'em. There'll certainly be morewagons up to-night, and to-morrow we'll have all we kin eat."
And that night, for the first in 10 days, they slept under dry blankets.