While at Nashville many incidents happened in camp and we will relate
one of them here. Our sutler, Charley Pratt, had found a very neat
sutler's store, built of plank, and fitted up in a very substantial
manner, probably by the sutler of the 16th Ill., and he was not slow to
appropriate the building to his own use. In this he opened out his goods
for our inspection and benefit, and we were pretty good customers.
Charley had bought some fresh fish of which he sold a good many to the
officers. These fish lay on a shelf in the rear end of his shebang, but
in such a way as to present an inviting appearance to all. On the day to
which we refer, Charley had received a fresh supply, and among the
number was one uncommonly nice large fellow. Directly over this fish was
a large knot-hole looking to the rear of the store. Now there had been
the usual crowd all the morning around the sutler's store, and in the
crowd was Jake E——. Jake was a good soldier, but had very crude notions
of the rights of "mine and thine." Such thoughts never bothered Jake
when anything particularly tempted his vision, especially if it was
anything good to eat. Charley was aware of this fact, and when during
the morning he happened to glance over towards his fish rack, behold the
big fish was gone. He reflected a moment; he had not sold it, he knew;
his eye rested on the knot-hole; a closer inspection showed scales
adhering to the edge of the plank; he put this and that together and
finally it beamed upon his mind that his big fish, his pride and joy,
had been appropriated by some one who had not left him an equivalent.
Jake had disappeared too. A happy thought struck Charley, and off he
posted to our captain. The result of the interview was apparent when
Cap. was seen to come out of his quarters and going into the tent of the
first man who was nearest to him, commenced a search, as if looking for
lost property. This he kept up until Jake's tent was reached; in went
the captain. Jacob was reclining on his bunk in innocent ease, and when
the captain entered, he greeted him with a cordial good morning. The
captain returned the salutation and went on with his search.
"Get up Jacob," he said, as he approached the recumbent warrior.
"Why, cap., what are you hunting for?"
"I'm looking for a big fish that Pratt says was stolen from him this
morning."
"A fish," says Jake, "well now, cap., there's no fish here, I've been
laying here all the morning, as I didn't feel very well, and if any one
had brought a fish in here I would surely have seen it."
"Well, well, get up," says the captain, "I have examined all the other
boys' quarters and I must examine your's too, get up, Jacob."
Unwillingly Jake arose. The captain gathered up a blanket which he had
under his head for a pillow. Holding it up and giving it a gentle shake,
out dropped the lost fish, or a twin brother to it. Jake had nothing to
say, the captain looked amazed, quietly picked up the fish and carried
him off in triumph to the sutler. At roll call that evening the captain
stated the facts of the case as far as he knew them to the company.
"And now, boys," said he, "I want you to convene a court martial,
organize it in accordance with army regulations, bring before it Pratt
as the plaintiff, and Jacob as the defendant. If upon evidence you find
that Jacob has been guilty of stealing the fish, sentence him to such
punishment as you think the case demands; we don't want any stealing
here; if on the contrary you find the evidence faulty, why then of
course you will acquit him."
The captain's suggestions were carried out the next morning. A regular
court martial was convened, and Pratt and the prisoner brought before
it. The testimony was taken _pro_ and _con_, and the result was that the
theft of the fish was laid without any doubt on Jacob's shoulders, and
the sentence of the court was that Jacob should be thrown in the river.
As might be expected, Jake remonstrated strongly against such severe
treatment, as he could not swim. But it was no use, the sentence had
been pronounced and must be carried out, so he soon found himself being
hurried vigorously toward the river. Arriving there he was gathered up
by two stout fellows, and in he was sent head over heels. He sank and
came to the surface again. The Cumberland is a very swift stream, and
Jacob was soon going with the current, when some fellow stuck out a long
pole to him and pulled him ashore. He climbed up the bank very wet, as
might be supposed, and awful mad, and amid the laughter of all present,
for the scene had drawn a large crowd to the river side, he started for
camp, swearing vengeance on the members of that court martial. Rushing
to his quarters, he grabbed his gun with the expressed intention of
blowing the whole outfit to kingdom come, but his gun was soon taken
away from him. Jake was awful mad, and all he wanted was an opportunity
to retaliate, and it came in due order. Not many days after we received
orders to prepare for inspection, and when we went to our beds that
night we laid down with an inward feeling that we would pass a good
inspection on the morrow. Our guns and accoutrements were in splendid
condition, and each fellow had blacked his shoes until they fairly
glistened. These we placed carefully in front of our tents, for there
was a nice cane arbor there which kept off the dew, and turned in for
the night. It so happened that Dave W——, of our company, had been, as
Jake thought, rather prominent in his trial and punishment, and to
Dave's tent he made his way. Everything was quiet, all were asleep in
the tent. There stood Dave's boots as bright as leather could be made.
It did not take Jake long to accomplish his errand, and when David went
to pull on his boots to attend roll call at daylight the next morning,
he found them filled with a very unpleasant composition. There was a
row; Dave got late to roll call and came near being placed on extra duty
for it, but nothing more was said about it that ever we heard of, and it
was not until long afterwards that it leaked out who had put Dave's
boots to a use for which they never were intended. Regular details as we
have before stated, were made every day for provost duty in the city,
and each company furnished the detail as its turn came around. It was
not very severe work, but on the contrary was often mixed up with a good
deal of fun. One morning the provost detail from Co. "B" reported at
regimental headquarters for duty, and were sent under command of
corporal James Duncan over to the city to relieve the guard then on duty
there. The guard's headquarters in town were in the building used for
the custom house. The front part of the building was used by the guard,
and a room in the rear by a captain who had charge of the custom house
business. This captain was a very pompous, dignified, little creature,
and if we mistake not, was an officer of the regular army. At any rate
he acted as if this world was not quite good enough for him, and as if a
private soldier was a being so much beneath his dignity, that the only
place suitable for him was in the field; there he would serve to keep
the naughty enemy away and our little captain's precious body would not
be endangered. Well, corporal Duncan marched his squad over to town,
arrived in due time at the custom house, and reported to the
non-commissioned officer in charge that he would relieve him. The change
was soon made, and away went the relieved guard to their regimental
quarters, leaving corporal Duncan and his squad in possession. For a few
moments the corporal was busy attending to his duties and getting his
men ready for the duty to be performed by them, when suddenly, "Corporal
of the guard," came the summons, in a very imperious tone, from the room
occupied by the captain just mentioned. Dropping everything, the
corporal started to see what was wanted. The door of the room was open,
and he marched into the august presence of the little captain, who
looking up cast on him for a moment a disdainful glance.
"Go back, sir, and come in again," was the command. Jim obeyed, and
again made his appearance.
"Go back again, sir," shouted the captain. Again he made his exit,
wondering to himself what in the world that fellow meant. Again he
returned, and again the same command for him to "go back." Jim was
getting mad; he did not like to be made a fool of by this little
pop-in-jay in shoulder straps, and the sequel might have proved
unpleasant if it had gone on much longer. But at last the little
captain, very red in the face, shouted at him:
"Go back and come in again, sir, and when you come in, salute me in a
proper manner."
Poor Jim obeyed this time and the irate little captain was satisfied, as
Jim, with not a very good grace, raised his hand to his cap in regular
military salute. Pop-in-jay then gave him some orders, and Jim came back
to us shutting the room door in a manner more forcible than pleasant to
the nerves of the conceited fop inside. Was Jim mad do you ask? well
slightly we remark. Did you ever see a hornet's nest stirred up? how mad
each individual hornet will get! well, Jim was as mad as a whole nest of
hornets, and he vowed the deepest vengeance on that captain. But that
was all that ever came of it. Corporal Duncan was one of our best men,
and was liked by all, and was always ready for duty; but ever after this
affair, if any one wanted to be particularly aggravating and
tantalizing, they would ask Jim "if he didn't think he could give 'em a
salute, this fine morning." Poor fellow, he contracted the small-pox
while at Nashville, and came very near dying; but he recovered at last,
badly disfigured, and with the loss of an eye. He was discharged and
sent home.
[Illustration]