CHAPTER V.
BILL OF FARE IN THE SOUTHERN ARMY.
Soldiers’ Rations.—Soldiers in the Southern army did not live on the fat of the land fareing sumptuously every day. They often had to live on a stinted allowance, and articles of food placed before them that would not have been accepted with thanks at home. A day’s allowance to a soldier consisted of a small cake of wheat or corn bread, or six hard tacks, a small piece of beef or pickled pork, sometimes a little rice or small amount of beans or peas. A hearty man that gave way to his appetite often ate an entire day’s rations at one meal and then was hungry the balance of the day. The judicious soldier though divided his allowance into three parts and fared better by adhering strictly to the custom of eating three times a day.
Rations Supplemented.—Anything in sight was devoured with avidity to supplement rations issued. Parched corn on a march when the supply was scarce was not a poor substitute for bread. If a soldier found a persimmon tree loaded with fruit it was gathered with as much eagerness as a miner would pick up a gold nugget. Such a find was regarded as a bonanza. Walnuts, hickory nuts or even acorns were carefully saved to supplement rations issued.
Extra Rations Found.—A squad of men was detailed to tear down an old building and removing the rubbish captured and killed several big fat rats which were skinned, dressed, cooked and ate with a relish. Around the old building was a luxurious growth of cresses and wild onions, which were carefully gathered by the soldiers and cooked and considered very palatable.
Coons and Foxes.—One evening after the army stopped to go in camp a tree was cut down for fire wood and the soldiers were surprised and pleased to find and catch two nice coons which were cooked for supper and made a very savory dish. At another time while going into camp a rush was made for a tree top and a red fox was jumped. The chase was very much enjoyed by the boys. The fox in its frantic efforts to escape sometimes jumped as high as the heads of the soldiers who surrounded it and was knocked back by them. Finally the fox was captured and the boys said it tasted much better than beef or pork they were accustomed to.
Unripe Persimmons.—On a march a soldier dropped out of line, climbed a tree and was helping himself to unripe persimmons. An officer coming along, reprimanded him, ordered him back in line and asked him why he was so greedily devouring such unwholesome food? The soldier innocently replied that he had discovered that green persimmons had a drawing effect and thought perhaps by using them he could shrink his stomach to the capacity of amount of rations issued. The officer seemed to comprehend the logic of his reasoning and left him to test the practical value of his theory.
The Army Not Starving.—It is not the intention to try to make the impression that the Southern army was in a starving condition. Such an intimation would be misleading. The only wonder is that the soldiers were provided for as well as they really were. Perhaps all armies sometimes suffer the inconvenience of short rations. The kind reader must charitably in imagination take the place of the soldier to be fully competent to sympathize with him.
Rations of Whiskey.—Rations of whiskey were occasionally issued and the effects of the stimulant were very soon apparent, for soldiers had nothing to put the liquid in to save, and were obliged to use it to keep it from wasting and then for awhile there was plenty of fun in which officers and soldiers joined. If an officer happened to get enough to make him too hilarious he was placed in arrest until he sobered up. If a soldier in the ranks imbibed to freely and in consequence wanted to monopolize control of things and indulged in conversation boisterous or unbecoming he was quietly assigned to quarters in the guard house until he had time to cool off.
Short Rations.—Sometimes rations were short and hungry soldiers are not apt to be in the best of humor. At such times grumbling was in order or at least freely indulged in, but grumbling did not bring the beef and corn bread. If adjacent to orchards, potato patches, corn fields or hen roosts, some of the boys would manage to supplement their rations, put on an innocent look and apparently become indignant if accused of crossing the guard line of the camps.
Soldiers Forage.—Soldiers would forage for something to eat. They would visit farm houses and put in a plausible plea, with money, cheek or chin music, get on the good side of the good women and prevail on them to furnish them with fruit, potatoes, butter, apple butter, bread, pies or anything that could be used and a soldier could use anything that anybody could eat. A shrewd forager failing to get anything at farm houses would take a mental survey of the different places and at night would by bribing the sentinel or slipping across the guard line go straight to potato patches, orchards or corn fields and borrow fruit, potatoes, roasting ears and sometimes induce a fat hen to go to camp. This process of borrowing was so skillfuly manipulated that the owner of the premises was kept in blissful ignorance of the way the articles were appropriated. There were company officers who would deal very gentle with a soldier that stole out of camp to forage, provided the officer shared in the find whatever it might be.
Questionable Methods.—A big burly soldier went a short distance from camp and deliberately shot down a good sized fat pig, being caught in the act by some soldiers, he said he killed it in self defense and that no hog should bite him. He skinned the hog, carried it to camp, late in the night borrowed a camp kettle and cooked the pork. Some officers passing along reproved the soldier and threatened to put him in the guard house, but were persuaded to be lenient by promising them a good slice of the pork which tasted as good to an officer as a private. The good old citizen had a drove of fat hogs, missed one and reported to the colonel of the regiment. An order was at once issued to the captain of each company to search the tents. An officer passed round, peeped into the tents, saw no pork or even smelled any and reported nothing found in the company. The most of the boys of the company though had a good breakfast and pork was part of the bill of fare.
Detail to Cook.—On a march one evening the army halted to take up camp for the night; rations were issued and a detail made to do the cooking. Among the soldiers detailed was one who though very much fatigued worked faithfully until the two days rations were cooked and issued to the men. His partner immediately after going in camp had gone to a farm house not far distant and had succeeded in getting two canteens full of good fresh milk. After the cooking was done the soldier who had been detailed being very hungry, took the canteen of milk, two day’s rations and ate it all for supper, not leaving a crumb for the next two days. He then took in the situation, jumped at a conclusion, struck a bee line across a piece of woods and accidentally met a comrade whose breath betrayed the fact that he had been drinking brandy. It suddenly occurred to the soldier that he needed a little for his stomach’s sake, although it was loaded with two day’s rations, and they together went a short distance across the country and was face to face with the maker and vender of the liquid. Making their wants known he took their canteens and a pitcher supposed to be full of water and started for the liquor house. The boys followed him going through a dining room. The quick eye of the soldier noticed a clean table cloth on the table covering something. Without stopping as he passed along he quietly raised the cloth and made a discovery. One of the boys canteens was filled and handed back to him. Upon sampling it they found it had been well watered. The citizen was politely informed that it was brandy not water the boys wanted. Without arguing the case he poured the grog out of the canteen and filled them up with the pure unadulterated article. After filling the vessels he lead the way starting out and the boys followed, the boy who had been detailed to cook in the rear. Passing through the dining room by some unaccountable manipulation the rations moved from the table and bread, meat, pickles, pies and cakes found a resting place in the capacious haversack of the soldier and there was no more solicitude about rations for the next two days.
Reproof of Conscience.—Late one evening the army marched by a luxurious field of corn. A soldier who was hungry and whose haversack was empty thought it would be real nice to have roasting ears for supper. As soon as the army halted to go into camp, he with two comrades though quite a distance started for the field of corn. When they got to the field it seemed to be full of soldiers on the same mission as they were. The soldier though hungry and very much fatigued proposed to his companions to return to camp and trust to providence, declaring that his conscience would not allow him to join the crowd and take the corn. They returned to camp and were agreeably surprised to find in their tent a box from home full of good things to eat. The soldier was fully convinced by the circumstance that “Conscience is in all cases a correct moral guide.”
Mince Pie.—Two boys came into camp one day selling mince pies. Two soldiers bought one, ate, smacked their lips, pronouncing it good and wished for more. Before the boys got out of hearing they got into a dispute about the division of the money. The smaller boy cried and said it was his puppy that was killed to furnish material for the pie and he was entitled to his part of the proceeds. The soldier boys would have been glad to have parted with the puppy dog, but it had come to stay.
Chaplain’s Lecture.—On one occasion on a march rations were scarce and the soldiers were hungry. Some of the boys invaded a corn field and were plucking ears of corn expecting at night to feast on roasting ears for supper. The chaplain of a regiment rode along and began to give the boys a moral lecture, telling them it was wrong to steal and that the corn did not belong to them. The soldiers paid no attention to his talk and quietly filled their sacks. The chaplain seeing that they were determined to take the corn said to them, if they were going to take the corn anyway to throw him over a few ears for his pony.