"SNAP" IN A PIG-PEN
the march toward Washington, after the Second Bull-Run, 'Snap' Rouzer got tired out, and concluded to take a rest. Finding a convenient pig-pen by the road-side, he crawled in, and soon was asleep. When he awoke from his slumbers, the troops were still going by, but he resolved, first, to take a look at outside surroundings. When he did so, he discovered that our troops had disappeared, and the Johnnies were going by with long and hurried steps, so he laid low for two mortal hours watching and counting the rebels passing.
When the way was clear, he lit out, by a flank movement and rejoined the company, first reporting to Division Head-quarters, the numbers of the enemy he had seen in pursuit of our forces. He said that a commission was promised him for the valuable information, but the commission never came to hand.
Rouzer frequently was absent from the command, a day or two at a time, and when interrogated as to the matter, would merely say that he had been on a scout.
We must here relate, one of Rouzer's pranks. An order had been issued, from Head-quarters, requiring all soldiers to remain with the Camps of the various regiment, as many were accustomed to pitch their tents in a convenient woods, away from the camp. Jim was one of those affected by the order, but as usual, paid no attention to it, and with several comrades remained out, "where wood and water was plenty." When told of the order, on coming to the main camp for rations, he simply uttered a single bad word, gave his long black mustache a push to one side, (you remember that mustache, one side up in the air and the other trying to look respectable?) and then he went back to his "dog-tent" in the woods.
Presently an officer was sent from Head-quarters, to drive all stragglers into camp, and riding up to Snap's tent, with the usual big fire in front of it, inquired of Jim sitting composedly by the fire, why he was not in camp according to orders. "Well, Captain! I'd like to be there, but I'm taking care of them fellers in there, just now," said Jim, pointing to the tent, where two men were sleeping on a pallet of straw. "This is a hos-pit-tal, and them poor sojers is awful bad with the Small-pox." It is said that the officer concluded that he had business some where else just then, and rode off at full speed, and left Rouzer master of the situation.
"You can't spit in my ear."