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Re: Funny Anecdotes
I have a couple of somewhat funny anecdotes I experienced in the piney woods of Louisiana.
I was assigned to picket-duty at Post 12, the third night I believe, on the road near the river between the two camps (three actually as the teamsters were down by the river as well). It was quite the busy post what with prisoner exchanges, soldiers both Blue and Gray going for water, officers from both sides meeting for various reasons (a dour Sgt-Maj was chastising the Federals about disparaging and demeaing remarks made of Southern womenhood in some letter or such) and then the infamous Pvt. Chase Pinkham showing up to desert, fully-armed (luckily I knew him "before the war" and was not caught too off-guard).
So after all this folderol, the sun went down and the night became quite dark as there was no moon, and I was somewhat edgy due to all the previous commotions. The air was quite still and I could hear movement in my front, towards the river, from the Federal side. I could hear foot-steps in the fallen leaves and they were getting closer. I called out "HALT, WHO GOES THERE?" for the twentieth time that night, but there was no reply. The sounds of movement grew closer and I dropped my musket slightly lower and called out again in a loud voice "HALT, WHO GOES THERE?", again no reply but suddenly from the bushes darts that nosiy dog the teamsters ha:) . To check my vigilance, I guess, but I was relieved I hadn't called for the Corporal-of-the-Guard yet - I wouldn't ever had heard the end of it!
The other story happened on the third day was well, I think (it was all kind of a blur sometimes). I had already captured three Union boys, mainly wounded and the slow. But on this occasion I happened on a Yank who was so wound with vines that he could not move at all:D. I could understand his plight since when being a flanker and on a few charges I had been there myself, and had there been any counter-charges at those times I probably would have been captured too! He was fairly astute, this Federal was, and told me he was going to discharge his weapon for safety reasons, which he did. After a few minutes we unrolled him and off to the rear he went. Seemed like a nice bloke, I wondered why we had been shootin' at each other just a few moments before.
I have a couple of somewhat funny anecdotes I experienced in the piney woods of Louisiana.
I was assigned to picket-duty at Post 12, the third night I believe, on the road near the river between the two camps (three actually as the teamsters were down by the river as well). It was quite the busy post what with prisoner exchanges, soldiers both Blue and Gray going for water, officers from both sides meeting for various reasons (a dour Sgt-Maj was chastising the Federals about disparaging and demeaing remarks made of Southern womenhood in some letter or such) and then the infamous Pvt. Chase Pinkham showing up to desert, fully-armed (luckily I knew him "before the war" and was not caught too off-guard).
So after all this folderol, the sun went down and the night became quite dark as there was no moon, and I was somewhat edgy due to all the previous commotions. The air was quite still and I could hear movement in my front, towards the river, from the Federal side. I could hear foot-steps in the fallen leaves and they were getting closer. I called out "HALT, WHO GOES THERE?" for the twentieth time that night, but there was no reply. The sounds of movement grew closer and I dropped my musket slightly lower and called out again in a loud voice "HALT, WHO GOES THERE?", again no reply but suddenly from the bushes darts that nosiy dog the teamsters ha:) . To check my vigilance, I guess, but I was relieved I hadn't called for the Corporal-of-the-Guard yet - I wouldn't ever had heard the end of it!
The other story happened on the third day was well, I think (it was all kind of a blur sometimes). I had already captured three Union boys, mainly wounded and the slow. But on this occasion I happened on a Yank who was so wound with vines that he could not move at all:D. I could understand his plight since when being a flanker and on a few charges I had been there myself, and had there been any counter-charges at those times I probably would have been captured too! He was fairly astute, this Federal was, and told me he was going to discharge his weapon for safety reasons, which he did. After a few minutes we unrolled him and off to the rear he went. Seemed like a nice bloke, I wondered why we had been shootin' at each other just a few moments before.
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