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These Soldiers may not hail from Alabama and Kansas but the story is a good one for what we are looking to portray.
“Hardtack and Tobacker”
Matthew H. Peters
THE armies were camped on opposite hills, The river flowed on in the valley between, The sound of the bugle and fife sent their thrills Through the veins of the vet' rans who viewed the scene. A picket line guarded each river bank, And at night all along those lines we could hear (On one side the Johnny, on t'other the Yank,) The challenging picket, " Halt! Who goes there? " The answer came back at the rifle's click, Which in the dead silence rang down the line, "Grand Rounds ;" the picket responding quick, " Advance, Grand Rounds, and give the countersign." All the night through, from the beat of tattoo' Til the reveille sounded at dawn of day, Could be heard the voice of the picket who Would challenge each object that came his way. Those were nights of suspense, for neither knew What the other side intended to do, Though both sides felt that a fight must ensue In the valley that lay between the two. But when the sun in his lustre arose, And the pickets could look upon each other, They exchanged their greetings like friends, not foes, And spoke as a man should speak to a brother. "Howdy, this morning," says the Yankee lad." Oh, bully ; come closer, I'm no bushwhacker," Was Johnny's response, who, advancing, would add, "Got any coffee to swap for tobacker ? "" No, Johnny, I'm sorry that I have not, And but very little pork or cracker ; But I will trade with you what I have got—Hardtack and hog for a bit of tobacker."" All right, Mister Yank, we'll call it ago ;You lay down your gun and I will leave mine, We'll meet half way in the river below, And we'll swap tobacker for hardtack and swine." They meet in the midst of the stream as agreed, No matter how swiftly the river runs, Exchanging their greetings and rations, then speed Back to their stations and take up their guns.
" Say, Johnny," the blue-coat calls over the river, " Who are you, and where do you live when at home? I'd much like to know, for if you should ever Fall into our hands I might help you some." " Much obliged to you, Yank, that's kind of you ;My name in full is Coligni De Vina ;
I belong to Wade Hampton's Legion true, My home's at Sumter in South Carolina. " I glory in Huguenot blood and name,
To the Palmetto flag I point with pride, With the Sumters and Marions I share the fame Of the fields on which my ancestors died. " Now, since I've given my name and address, Please give me yours, for it may be that I Might do you a favor sometime in distress ; It looks very much like a fight were nigh." " Thanks to you, Johnny, it's right that we should Do what we can to help a sufTring one ;For even in war we can do some good, And feel better for it when the war is done. "So I'll cheerfully tell you who I am, For I'm proud of my name and place of birth ; I hail from the land of the cod and clam, The spot to be born in of all the earth. " Though I'm but a private, I'm proud of my name-' John Alden Standish, of Mayflower note ;From old Massachusetts my birthright came,
And I live in Salem, where Hawthorne wrote." " Well said, brave Yankee, yon may well feel pride In your native State and the name you bear ;Your grandsires and mine battled side by side In days of old, and their glory we share. " Then let us pledge in the name of our sires, Who valiantly fought under Washington, To still be friends—'tis their spirit which fires And stirs the heart of each patriot son. " Let the issue of battle be what it may, We'll bide the result when the war shall cease: We'll honor the blue, you'll honor the gray— Honor shall bind us forever in peace. " We have learned to respect each other the more Since in battle we met as Greek met Greek ; We have tested each other in peace and war, And each of the other's valor shall speak. " But here comes the sergeant with the relief,
So farewell, Yank, may good luck attend you ; If we meet on the field and you come to grief, I hope to be there to help and befriend you." " Good-bye, God bless you," from a heart elate, The answer went back from blue to the gray, " Your generous words I reciprocate, Yet I hope we may both survive the fray, "And after the war is done, 'twould be sweet," Says the Bay State lad, '' and my greatest joy In the bonds of honorable peace, to meet Coligni De Vina, the Palmetto boy, "To recall this hour and self-same scene Where I gave my last bit of pork and cracker, In the midst of the river that flows between,
And you gave your last bit of leaf tobacker." And thus they parted. Three decades are o'er.They meet in Union and Fraternity Beneath the loved flag which their forefathers bore, Each proud of his land and paternity. They meet, heart and hand, to tell the story Of generous deeds and valor revealed On deadly fields where the Nation's glory In the mingled blood of her sons was sealed. And thus may they meet—may their campfires burn Bright with memories of duty well done To the last tattoo, when their children in turn Shall raise the proud banner of " Many in One."
“Hardtack and Tobacker”
Matthew H. Peters
THE armies were camped on opposite hills, The river flowed on in the valley between, The sound of the bugle and fife sent their thrills Through the veins of the vet' rans who viewed the scene. A picket line guarded each river bank, And at night all along those lines we could hear (On one side the Johnny, on t'other the Yank,) The challenging picket, " Halt! Who goes there? " The answer came back at the rifle's click, Which in the dead silence rang down the line, "Grand Rounds ;" the picket responding quick, " Advance, Grand Rounds, and give the countersign." All the night through, from the beat of tattoo' Til the reveille sounded at dawn of day, Could be heard the voice of the picket who Would challenge each object that came his way. Those were nights of suspense, for neither knew What the other side intended to do, Though both sides felt that a fight must ensue In the valley that lay between the two. But when the sun in his lustre arose, And the pickets could look upon each other, They exchanged their greetings like friends, not foes, And spoke as a man should speak to a brother. "Howdy, this morning," says the Yankee lad." Oh, bully ; come closer, I'm no bushwhacker," Was Johnny's response, who, advancing, would add, "Got any coffee to swap for tobacker ? "" No, Johnny, I'm sorry that I have not, And but very little pork or cracker ; But I will trade with you what I have got—Hardtack and hog for a bit of tobacker."" All right, Mister Yank, we'll call it ago ;You lay down your gun and I will leave mine, We'll meet half way in the river below, And we'll swap tobacker for hardtack and swine." They meet in the midst of the stream as agreed, No matter how swiftly the river runs, Exchanging their greetings and rations, then speed Back to their stations and take up their guns.
" Say, Johnny," the blue-coat calls over the river, " Who are you, and where do you live when at home? I'd much like to know, for if you should ever Fall into our hands I might help you some." " Much obliged to you, Yank, that's kind of you ;My name in full is Coligni De Vina ;
I belong to Wade Hampton's Legion true, My home's at Sumter in South Carolina. " I glory in Huguenot blood and name,
To the Palmetto flag I point with pride, With the Sumters and Marions I share the fame Of the fields on which my ancestors died. " Now, since I've given my name and address, Please give me yours, for it may be that I Might do you a favor sometime in distress ; It looks very much like a fight were nigh." " Thanks to you, Johnny, it's right that we should Do what we can to help a sufTring one ;For even in war we can do some good, And feel better for it when the war is done. "So I'll cheerfully tell you who I am, For I'm proud of my name and place of birth ; I hail from the land of the cod and clam, The spot to be born in of all the earth. " Though I'm but a private, I'm proud of my name-' John Alden Standish, of Mayflower note ;From old Massachusetts my birthright came,
And I live in Salem, where Hawthorne wrote." " Well said, brave Yankee, yon may well feel pride In your native State and the name you bear ;Your grandsires and mine battled side by side In days of old, and their glory we share. " Then let us pledge in the name of our sires, Who valiantly fought under Washington, To still be friends—'tis their spirit which fires And stirs the heart of each patriot son. " Let the issue of battle be what it may, We'll bide the result when the war shall cease: We'll honor the blue, you'll honor the gray— Honor shall bind us forever in peace. " We have learned to respect each other the more Since in battle we met as Greek met Greek ; We have tested each other in peace and war, And each of the other's valor shall speak. " But here comes the sergeant with the relief,
So farewell, Yank, may good luck attend you ; If we meet on the field and you come to grief, I hope to be there to help and befriend you." " Good-bye, God bless you," from a heart elate, The answer went back from blue to the gray, " Your generous words I reciprocate, Yet I hope we may both survive the fray, "And after the war is done, 'twould be sweet," Says the Bay State lad, '' and my greatest joy In the bonds of honorable peace, to meet Coligni De Vina, the Palmetto boy, "To recall this hour and self-same scene Where I gave my last bit of pork and cracker, In the midst of the river that flows between,
And you gave your last bit of leaf tobacker." And thus they parted. Three decades are o'er.They meet in Union and Fraternity Beneath the loved flag which their forefathers bore, Each proud of his land and paternity. They meet, heart and hand, to tell the story Of generous deeds and valor revealed On deadly fields where the Nation's glory In the mingled blood of her sons was sealed. And thus may they meet—may their campfires burn Bright with memories of duty well done To the last tattoo, when their children in turn Shall raise the proud banner of " Many in One."