Show r THREE DAYS ON PICKET LINE Captain Relates Some Interesting In Incidents Ins In While In Front of Petersburg Some time about the middle of February Feb Fet 1865 I was detailed as officer of the picket for tor duty on the line In our front extending from the Weldon Veldon railroad railroad rail rail- road not far from the Yellow tavern on our right to where we Joined tho the First brigades brigade's pickets of our division on the left My Iy detail as I now remember remember remember re re- re- re member was about 65 men some from perhaps every overy regiment of our brigade brigade brig brig- ade writes G G. G M. M Eichelberg captain Company G Sixth Maryland In National National Na Na- Tribune When we arrived at atthe atthe atthe the reserve resene picket post I was met by bya a captain of the One Hundred and Tenth Ohio who had his reserve In Inline inline line Une to receive us when he gave me methe methe methe the number of men on duty My Iy first relief was soon detailed and in charge of a sergeant accompanied by a sergeant sergeant sergeant ser ser- geant who was to direct the new pickets pick ets to their posts and take charge of the old picket The captain proceeded to give mo me the orders to the officer of the picket He told me of the placing of at night and the persistent custom of the Johnny pickets of tradIng trading trad- trad Ing with the boys and you boys who whoever whoever whoever ever did picket duty along the front of our corps will remember ho how very close our picket lines IInes were about that time The captain insisted the practice practice practice tice of trading should be broken up but In my mind I right there secretly decided I would have some rebel news that night If Johnny asked a certain videt whom I had in mind for fora a trade I therefore selected from my Old ola company D lJ SIxth Maryland one John Travers whom I knew was squal to any emergency that might arise and had him detailed on first relief on videt with Instructions to trade anything the Johnnies proposed Sergt Joe Eyler also of Company D Sixth Mar Maryland was sergeant of the first relief picket and I posted him to answer promptly any call from any of 01 the but to positively disallow my trading or any communication from any of th the Travers of course ourse excepted There were several calls to the first relief from the rebel pickets but all efforts to communicate for trade except from Travers's post was sternly refused John answered hl his man man and allowed him to approach His proposition was wast t to trade tobacco for coffee salt or sowbelly sow sow- belly John agreed provided he brought him a Richmond paper of t that at days day's date Sergt Eyler took coffee coffee and salt and returned later with a afine afine afine fine lot of chewing and smoking tobacco to too bacco and a copy of the Richmond Whig We had some Interesting readIng read read- Ing the next day I should also state that in the instructions instructions in In- given me I was told that ever every evening before night the rebels rebels reb ret els would call to us saying Yanks are ro yogi ready to chop wood That no arrangement had been entered into for Cor a detail from each picket to m meet et i i J Il Ill l Rt- l II S T. T 1 It His lis Proposition Was to Trade Tobacco In a grove immediately in front of ot our reserve post and chop trees for forwood forwood wood for the r reserves serves for the next 24 hours At the usual time the call came to our picket and the word scon came to me for orders I told thorn them th m to answer Yes and nd about my i entire In- In n- n tiro tire reserve wanted to go This of course I did not allow but permit ter about ten men without arms ox- ox ept jept one ax ax to go arid and ordered the rest est of the reserve In line Une with arms We soon Eoon saw the rebel detail coming i a half dozen or more unarmed and four guards equipped in charge of a lieutenant He directed the wood shopping chopping and a pine tree perhaps tight ight inches In diameter was selected md and soon cut down Then he stepped perhaps ten feet and set a man to shopping hopping then another and when the tree was cut up he set two other meno men fo cut down another o and ordered a from Crom each army to carry the divided divided di dl vided portions to the reserve post and return for the next tree tree |