ARMY TRICKS.
THERE were many tricks played on the officers, just for the fun of the thing, during the war, especially if the troops remained long at any one camping-place.
In one of the many camps of the Union soldiers, an odd trick was played off on the surgeon and chaplain of a regiment noted for its merry-making.
The troops were camped by a small stream, over which was a narrow, rickety bridge.
Just across from the camp was a log cabin, in which lived an old woman alone.
The woman paid no attention to the soldiers, but went about her daily duties as though unconscious of their presence.
One day some of the boys passed the cabin, and hurrying over the rickety bridge, came running into the camp with the message, “The old woman in the cabin is dying!” The chaplain and surgeon were notified.
“Chaplain, hurry over quick! The old woman is dying!”
The chaplain hurried over the rickety bridge as rapidly as possible; the surgeon soon followed. As the chaplain came round to the open door he saw at a glance that it was a trick, and he passed on around the house, so as to allow the surgeon to come on and bear a full share of the joke.
The woman was dyeing. She was over a kettle of butternut juice dyeing a lot of yarn.
When the two came back over the bridge the whole camp was in a roar of laughter over the joke.
But what could be done? The men had reported a truth—the woman was dyeing; so there was no redress.