Who were the boys, that took a Piano from the mansion near Camp Pierpont, and hid it in the barn among the fodder, previous to its shipment north, at the close of the war? As the war unexpectedly continued for four years afterward it must have been considerably out of tune.
"THAT'S THE VERY FELLOW!"
he Army of the Potomac, in one of the advances southward, crossed the Potomac at the Berlin ferry, and pushed down through Loudoun valley. The Captain was sick during part of this advance, and we give a strange coincidence which then had its origin, in his own words.
After crossing on the Pontoon bridge I was put into an ambulance, and after proceeding a mile or two, I gave my place in the ambulance to a poor fellow who had sun-stroke, and who seemed more dead than alive. I plodded on as best I could, being some distance in the rear of my command, when Gen'l——followed by his staff came riding along. He addressed me sharply, inquiring why I was away from my command. I told him of my illness and how I had given my place in the ambulance to the soldier, then, with a contemptible toss of the head he muttered, "A likely story," and rode on. In the evening I caught up, at the camping ground, sick, tired and hungry; but soldiers fare was entirely unpalatable, and I could not eat it, so I went to the village close by, (Lovettsville,) determined to secure something tasteful. I approached a house at the outskirts of the town, for the flavor of newly baked pies had been wafted toward me by the evening breeze and I decided that a pie, a fresh blackberry-pie, was just what would suit my case. Knocking at a side entrance I was admitted by a young lady, who moved a convenient rocker and bade me be seated. Presently a middle-aged lady entered the room, bearing two pies, which were added to a number already on the large dining table opened to its full capacity. Taking courage I told the woman of my illness and my craving for home-fare, and that in her motherly goodness would she sell me two of those pies? She replied, that she would like to do so, but that General—— (the same officer I had met on the march that day,) had ordered the pies, for himself and his staff officers.
With this she left the room, and then I appealed to the young lady who seemed to be on my side, but she stated her inability to reverse the decision made by her aunt, but added these words as she pointed to the table, "If I want a pie I take it." That settled the matter, and I went to the table, put two pies together, and with an ordinary stride started for camp, convinced that the two pies were not baked for Gen'l——.
I got to camp all right, and enjoyed the pies exceedingly, and the whole circumstance was soon forgotten, and perhaps never would have been recalled had not the following incident occurred.
When Company K, had been mustered out at the expiration of the full three years term of service, we returned home, and having closed up all the company affairs, I finally turned toward the residence of my father on the corner of Middle and Washington streets, and entered the door as the bell called to supper, I was ushered into the dining-room, and introduced by my mother as the returned soldier boy, and was shown to a seat at the board, where a number of persons, of both sexes were already seated. Suddenly a young lady, a perfect stranger to me, after staring me full in the face for a moment, with a hearty laugh and a gleeful clapping of her hands, addressing my mother exclaimed, "Oh, Mrs. M., do you remember I told you about a sick officer taking two pies from aunties dining table, down at Lovettsville, Va?" and without waiting for a reply, pointing her finger in my direction she added "That's the very fellow!" This proved to be the same young lady teaching in Gettysburg, and boarding at my mother's table. We enjoyed that supper, after rehearsing the story of the stolen pies, and when supper was about finished, I got an extra piece of pie.