Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 January 1914 — STOIES of CAMP AND WAR [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

STOIES of CAMP AND WAR

HOW TRADERS GOT TO FRONT SoM Northern Papers Containing First News cf Battle of Shiloh to Soldiers 'of Grant's Army. In 1862, the year before I enlisted In Company H, Fourteenth Illinois cavalry, I was at Cairo, 111., just after the battle of Sbiloh, with my unde, James Proud of Clinton, 111., who took the first newspaper containing accounts of the engagement to General Grant’s army. They were Chicago, St. Louis and Cincinnati papers. 1 shipped as cabin help on a transport which was taking the Eighth Missouri from Cairo to Pittsburgh landing a few days after the battle. They had recently been paid off and had had no chance to spend their money. I got sls wages for the trip. We landed the Eighth Missouri at Shiloh and took on about 800 of tbe Seventh Kansas cavalry, destined to a point below Cairo. ' _ When we got back to Cairo I met my uncle and he engaged me to go with him up the river with his outfit consisting of papers, a hogshead of Ice, lemons, cigars,, tobacco, etc, also two casks of pints gnd half-pints of whisky, writes Albert K. Minton of Denver, Colo., in the National Tribune. Whisky was contraband, but I did not know it at the time. It was impossible for any one to get a pass up the river, so our only way was to get aboard, hide and take chances. I made the boat, all right. I told the guard I was employed in the cabin and he passed me in. The boat was loading army wagons as part of Its cargo, and my uncle got into one of these and came on in that way. When daylight came next morning, before we arrived at Paducah, the guard got busy and began to check up the passengers and others. I bluffed my way through. They soon located my uncle and brought him out and put him under arrest, with guard over him, to be turned over the provost guard at Paducah. They put him off at Paducah. I kept out of sight until the boat pulled out for up the river, and when we arrived at Shiloh I found the Eighth Missouri still there in camp. I found an old log stable and got some of the Missouri boys to help me get my papers and goods up to this stable, which they did. It was hot. I told them to bring water and we would make a tub of lemonade. So we soon had a fine business going. Papers were sold for 25 cents each, containing tbe first account of the great battle of Shiloh, afrd they went fast. We had altogether 5,000. My two unopened casks of whisky had attracted the attention of the Missouri boys, and they wanted to know what was in them. Before I thought.l said whisky. Then I was in for it. They begged me to open them and said price was no object to them. I tried to hold them off until arrived, bat it was no go. I supplied their demands, so off they went to their camp. It was not king until it’looked like the regiment was all coming to see me, and I was not long in disposing of all of the whisky, except a few bottles that I had put under the sawdust on ice. My lemonade trade was rushing, too, as it was a very hot day. About five o’clock in the afternoon a provost guard drew up in my front and demanded an Immediate surrender. The sergeant* had orders to search my place for whisky and confiscate tbe same and arrest the seller. The officer in charge made the investigation, but, strange to say, found no whisky. They filled lemonade and left for camp. In a short time the officer came back alone and called me out to one side and said: y*My boy, I found your whisky, but keep it quiet and I win come tonight for It: Do not sell any more, and as soon as I am relieved I will come and get a few bottles.” Which he did and paid for them. The next day my uncle arrived, having been released and furnished passes to the front, and we left for Grant's army, which was about ten miles out towards Corinth. There we disposed of all our papers in a very short time. The next day we left for home, well pleased with our trip and the way we got out of our troubles.