1862 April 6 Great Bethel, Va.

[From the diary of Jonathan B. Hager of the 14thU. S. Regulars, as copied by him at a later date]

April 6 I proposed to my young friend McElhorn
that we should make a reconnaisance,[sic] armed
or otherwise, for a breakfast. He agreed to join
forces with me & we struck for a house a mile
or so away. By dint of immense labor through
deep miry clay we reached it, but alas! there
was no breakfast to be had there--Too many
Generals had been before us. What were we to do?
I never knew an old negro woman or house Serv-
vant about a farm house, but had always
something to eat--I found such an one here. I
asked her if she had something to eat that she
would sell me. She said she had nothing but some
biscuit--I told her that would do. She at once
brought out a lot in a basket of perhaps three or
four dozen of splendid Maryland biscuit all
nicely wrapped in a clean napkin. They were
real beauties. What was the price? She supposed
a cent apiece would not be too much--Oh no! Ill
take the whole. Would have taken five time as
many at five times the price--Poor innocent
Contraband, she didn't know the value of the
biscuit. It was well for us that we made our
bargain so soon & pocketed the biscuit, for not far
off was a string of officers & soldiers on a like
errand. We got a glass of good sweet milk,
bought a hunk of old rusty bacon from a negro
man & trudged back to camp, considering that
we had capital luck. Subsequent reports
showed that all that followed us came back
with empty hands & stomachs ditto. This Sunday
however that dawned so inauspiciously for our
comfort, proved before the sun
sent
had long risen
a most beautiful day. The reports of musketry
were heard in every direction around the canton-
ments, Suspicions were aroused that "something was up"
Enquiries were set on foot. The truth soon developed
itself. Soldiers were seen sitting around their fires
cooking fresh meat, which upon inspection proved
to be fresh. A few luckless hogs, supposed to
belong to some secesh had had violent hands
laid upon them--Here an honest soldier would
offer to sell us a pair of fat chickens & without
questioning his right to sell, would try at a fab-
ulous price--There another quite as honest had a
saddle of mutton--this too went into the Mess Chest
under equal protest. The thing became alarming.
The Commanding Officer issued stringent orders that
not another animal should be shot & threat-
ning with severest punishment any soldier caught
in the act of shooting private property. This
put an end to the musketry, but the flow of meat
continued to which was added fresh beef, fat
& juicy--Instead of shooting the bayonet was
resorted to & many a fat bullock fell under
the thrust of that deadly weapon. The
slaughtering & dressing was not f the most
approved kind, but as a substitute for hard
tack was extremely good. Our baggage arriving
during the morning, I invited Major Floyd Jones
of 11th Intfy to dine with us. He accepted with
pleasure as a hungry man would--I told my
cook I should have company to dinner and
to do his best. He had but one Camp Kettle,
and one frying pan. He gave us beef soup,
roast mutton, roast chicken, beef-steak &
with the biscuit I bought in the morning made a
glorious meal, particularly as the Major added
to it a bottle of good whiskey which he happened
to have in his valise--We enjoyed that dinner
as only hungry men could--the beauty of it was
that the Major Commanding the 11th Infty, under
the orders of the General, had to be very active
in stopping the wholesale slaughter of animals
& of course had to wear a heavy frown upon
his face all day at the marauding that
was done & the want of discipline shown,
but I presume that the way he enjoyed his
dinner these frowns were only official. He
didn't ask many questions as to where the
variety came from & of course I didn't vol-
unteer the information. Like a good Christian
he ate & drank what was set before him
asking no questions for conscience sake
We remained in these cantonments for one week
& with the exception of two or three cold rainy
days had rather a pleasant time.

MSS 9044


will continue on the 12th

MSS 9044