Rations Supplemented.—Anything in sight was devoured with avidity to supplement rations issued. Parched corn on a march when the supply was scarce was not a poor substitute for bread. If a soldier found a persimmon tree loaded with fruit it was gathered with as much eagerness as a miner would pick up a gold nugget. Such a find was regarded as a bonanza. Walnuts, hickory nuts or even acorns were carefully saved to supplement rations issued.
Extra Rations Found.—A squad of men was detailed to tear down an old building and removing the rubbish captured and killed several big fat rats which were skinned, dressed, cooked and ate with a relish. Around the old building was a luxurious growth of cresses and wild onions, which were carefully gathered by the soldiers and cooked and considered very palatable.
Coons and Foxes.—One evening after the army stopped to go in camp a tree was cut down for fire wood and the soldiers were surprised and pleased to find and catch two nice coons which were cooked for supper and made a very savory dish. At another time while going into camp a rush was made for a tree top and a red fox was jumped. The chase was very much enjoyed by the boys. The fox in its frantic efforts to escape sometimes jumped as high as the heads of the soldiers who surrounded it and was knocked back by them. Finally the fox was captured and the boys said it tasted much better than beef or pork they were accustomed to.
Unripe Persimmons.—On a march a soldier dropped out of line, climbed a tree and was helping himself to unripe persimmons. An officer coming along, reprimanded him, ordered him back in line and asked him why he was so greedily devouring such unwholesome food? The soldier innocently replied that he had discovered that green persimmons had a drawing effect and thought perhaps by using them he could shrink his stomach to the capacity of amount of rations issued. The officer seemed to comprehend the logic of his reasoning and left him to test the practical value of his theory.
The Army Not Starving.—It is not the intention to try to make the impression that the Southern army was in a starving condition. Such an intimation would be misleading. The only wonder is that the soldiers were provided for as well as they really were. Perhaps all armies sometimes suffer the inconvenience of short rations. The kind reader must charitably in imagination take the place of the soldier to be fully competent to sympathize with him.
The overscrupulous reader with pious thought
May condemn the soldier for using thing’s not bought,
And may in his honest heart feel
That under no circumstances should anyone steal.
Better get down on repentance stool