A Squirrel in Combat
In researching the Battle of Cloyds Mountain (May 9, 1864), I am reading Howard Rollins McManus' excellent volume on the subject. Page 9 includes an excerpt taken from the papers of James M. Comley in the Ohio State Historical Society in Columbus. It refers to breaking up winter camp and the liquidation of accumulated items before the May 1864 raid on the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad that culminated in the action on Cloyds Mountain:
"Extra clothing and bedding, cooking stoves, banjos, tamborines, stove pipe hats, fishing tackle, sidesaddles, rowboats and sailboats, pet raccoon, game cocks,...and one solemn looking blinking old owl, comprise a few of the extras disposed of to the highest bidder...One of the men carried a pet squirrel all through the raid."
The fate of this Southern squirrel in federal captivity was not revealed. Nor was his allegiance.
"Extra clothing and bedding, cooking stoves, banjos, tamborines, stove pipe hats, fishing tackle, sidesaddles, rowboats and sailboats, pet raccoon, game cocks,...and one solemn looking blinking old owl, comprise a few of the extras disposed of to the highest bidder...One of the men carried a pet squirrel all through the raid."
The fate of this Southern squirrel in federal captivity was not revealed. Nor was his allegiance.
Labels: 1864, battle, civil war, cloyds mountain, confederate, howard, mcmanus, rollins, squirrel, union, virginia and tennessee railroad
posted by Ron Coddington at 7:49 AM
1 Comments:
Ron,
Got a good chuckle from the story of the squirrel. Love the part about the "solemn looking blinking old owl" too!
Hope things are going well.
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