bottom and side of the wagon body, and filled with as much as two horses could pull.  I never knew until then how far a man’s prejudice could overcome him.  Our mess had concluded to treat itself to a turkey dinner on Christmas.  Our boss of the mess was instructed to purchase a turkey of the next wagon that came in.  Sure enough, the day came and a fine fat turkey bought, already dressed, and boiling away in the camp kettle, while all hands stood around and drank in the delightful aroma from turkey and condiments that so temptingly escaped from under the kettle lid.  When all was ready, the feast spread, and the cook was in the act of sinking his fork into the breast of the rich brown turkey, some one said in the greatest astonishment:  “Well, George Stuck, I’ll be d——­d if you haven’t bought a goose instead of a turkey, look at its short legs.”  There was a go, our money gone, appetites whetted, and for a goose!  Well up to that time and even now I cannot eat goose.  A dispute arose, some said it was a goose, others held out with equal persistency that it was a turkey, and I not having discretion enough to judge by the color of the flesh, and so overcome by my prejudice, did not taste it, and a madder man was not often found.  To this day I have never been convinced whether it was a turkey or a goose, but am rather inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to the goose.

We did not get into our regular winter quarters until after the first of January, 1862.  These were established on the south Banks of Bull Run, near Blackburn’s Ford, the place of the first battle of the name, where Longstreet fought on the 18th of July.  Large details were sent out from camp every day to build foundations for these quarters.  This was done by cutting pine poles or logs the right length of our tents, build up three or four feet, and over this pen the tent to be stretched.  They were generally about ten feet square, but a man could only stand erect in the middle.  The cracks between the logs were clinked with mud, a chimney built out of poles split in half and notched up in the ends of the log parts of the tent.  An inside wall was made of plank or small round poles, with space between the two walls of five or six inches.  This was filled with soft earth or mud, packed tightly, then a blazing fire started, the inner wall burned out, and the dirt baked hard and solid as a brick.  In this way we had very good chimneys and comfortable quarters.  From six to eight occupied one tent, and generally all the inmates messed together.  Forks were driven into the ground, on which were placed strong and substantial cross-pieces, then round pipe poles, about the size of a man’s arm, laid over all and thickly strewn with pine needles, on which the blankets are laid.  There you have the winter quarters for the Southern soldiers the first year of the war.