UNDER ARREST.
Although the years have long gone by,
And I ought to wear a wig,
I often give a smile or sigh,
To the memory of that pig!
And how we carried him that day,
Upon that weary tramp,
And thought that we would have a feast,
When once we got to camp.
But when at last we stopped to rest,
And cooked that little beast,
We never even got a bite,
The general had the feast!
_L. M. James._
My company was detailed to guard the ammunition train on its way back
into Virginia. Before starting on the march, we had general orders read
to us, forbidding all foraging in Maryland. On the first day’s march
towards Harper’s Ferry, several of the boys, myself included, noticed
a number of small pigs in a field near the road.
As we had been on very short rations for about a week, it seemed to us
a good chance to have a feast when we went into camp, so over the fence
after the pigs we went. As I raised my gun to fire at a pig, I saw
General Griffin, (who commanded our brigade,) and his staff, passing
along the road on the further side of the wagons.
I waited until I thought he was beyond the sound of my rifle and then
fired. The bullet passed through the pig, struck a stone, glanced, and
went down the road, passing within a foot of the general’s head, for he
had stopped for a few moments, instead of riding on as I had supposed.
After I had shot the pig, one of the boys ran up and was using the butt
of his gun to finish him and stop his squealing, when suddenly we were
surrounded by the staff of Gen. Griffin! I made a break for the road,
but found it was of no use, for the general himself stood by the fence,
so back I went and with the rest of the boys was placed under arrest.
Orders were given to march us to camp without rest, and carry the pig
along, which we took turns in doing. It was a long pull, and when I
could march no longer, down I sat. The guard repeated the order. “I am
going to rest,” I said. “Don’t let the general see you,” said the guard.
I did not rest long, but traveled all day without anything to eat, for
we had left our haversacks and overcoats in the teams, which were now a
long distance ahead.
At night we went into camp, then had to dress the pig, and it was
cooked for the supper of the general and his staff, and we poor
fellows got nothing. We pitched the general’s tent and were then
turned over to the provost guard. About eight o’clock I went under
guard to the general’s tent to do something he wanted done. “Guard, to
your quarters,” said the general, “This man will not run away!” “No,
general, I will not,” said I, and I quickly performed the duty required
of me and went back to the provost guard.
At ten o’clock we were all sent under guard to our regimental
headquarters. Our colonel had just rolled himself up in his blanket for
the night and did not care to be disturbed. “Do you know where your
company is?” he demanded:
“Yes sir” we answered, without any regard for facts.
“Go to it,” he ordered, and we gladly started, free men once more.
There were one hundred thousand men in the camp, and to find one
small company in the middle of the night was no easy task, but about
daylight we found the teams and our haversacks, got something to eat,
and started off on the march again. So ended the only time in my life
that I was a prisoner, or under arrest.
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