Chapter 71

CHAPTER LXXI

On the evening of the 20^th, we received marching orders, with instructions to take three days rations with us, as well as 40 rounds of cartridges, and to be ready to move at daylight.  The regular details were made for camp guards and pickets, from this we concluded that the regiment was only going out on a reconnaissance.

On the following morning as soon as the sun peeped out from behind the mountain fastness, we were up and making preparations to move, and by eight o’clock a. m., the command filed out of camp and moved Northward in the direction of Jasper, a small town in Tennessee, about 12 miles distant from Bridgeport.  Here we were hospitably received by that class of People distinguished for their patriotism and fealty to the constitution and the laws, the hardy Union mountaineers of Tennessee.

The town, although small, is very pleasantly located and the members of Company G soon made themselves at home.  On the day following our arrival, a large number of the ladies of the place made arrangements to have a ball in the evening, but unfortunately for all concerned, at about 5 o’clock, p.m., the bugle sounded the “fall in,” and we were compelled to obey the unwelcome summons and in a very short time thereafter we were marching homeward.

We pushed along rapidly and reaching our old camp at 10 o’clock, p.m., greatly fatigued with the march and without having accomplished anything whatever.

On the following day Captain Byers re-joined the company, having been on detached duty in Philadelphia for over a year.  All the company boys were very glad to have him with us, and when in a few days afterwards Lieut. Parks re-joined the company, having recovered from the effects of the wound he received in the Battle of Ringgold, he was made the recipient of a hearty welcome, all of the boys were glad to see him.

The old soldiers, or a majority of them having veteraned, those of the 28^th which did not veteran, were all consolidated and attached to our regiment as Company “K,” with Lieut. Nicholas Glace of C Company as the captain.  This little bit of diplomacy secured the commission of Colonel for Our Lt. Colonel as well as Lt. Colonel for our Major and had Captain Davis been living he would most certainly have been prompted to the Majorship.

A little incident occurred while we lay in this camp here that we consider as being of a place in this sketch.

Among the places that we were called upon to guard, was the Brigade bake­ry, and as is well known to those who have been in service, that the men who had charge of those bakeries made a business of baking pies and cakes and selling the same to the men.  The writer had charge of the detail sent to the bakery one morning, and it so happened that the men baked an unusually large amount of ginger bread.  In the evening the bakers placed the same in the tent and at taps retired for the night.  Ed. Fisher, who was on post said:

“Corp., I’m going to get some of that ginger bread, or know the reason why;” and forcing the tent apart where it was tied shut he reached in with his fixed bayonet, and feeling around until he thought he felt the cakes, he gave the gun a sudden prod.  Great heavens what a yelp sounded out on the night air.  The baker had his dog in the tent and he had received the point of the bayonet instead of the ginger bread.

The baker came out to see what was the matter with his dog.  Fisher was rolling up his pants to see where the dog had bit him, but as a matter of course he could not find the bite!

“What did my dog, do?” asked the Baker.

“Do,” queried Fisher, “why he just acted as though he was mad, and came jumping out of the tent and bit me and then I bayoneted him, that’s all and if he comes out again I’ll kill him.”  “What ails the dog?’ was a by word long among those who were on the post.  The beauty of it was the baker handed a large slab of ginger bread out to us, and that cured the dog-bite.