Wanted: Chaplain

[gary]

"While our regiment was encamped at Murfreesboro a man by the name of Hester made application to Colonel Moore for appointment as chaplain. Colonel Moore told him that he would not appoint him unless a majority of the regiment expressed a preference for him. He then began to canvass for votes. M. Luna, a rollicking, jolly, good soldier of Company I, also announced for this office. He swore that he could preach as good a sermon as L. Hester, and he appointed a time and place where the boys could have a sample of his sermons. He would mount a stump or woodpile, and the service would being by lining out a song, 'Old Grimes,' 'Ryestraw,' or some other doggerel familiar at that time. He would then announce as his text, 'Whar de hen scratch, dar de bug also,' or 'Gnaw a file and flee to the wilderness, whar de lion roar and de whangdoodle moans.' After his 'sermon,' he would say, 'Now, if you don't believe I'm a better preacher than L. Hester, vote for him, darn you.' Needless to say, Mack was elected by a big majority; but when he applied to Colonel Moore for credentials, he was told to go back to his company and behave, or he would be sent to the guardhouse. That was the last we heard of a chaplain until Rev. M. B. DeWitt came to us. He was a devout Christian and was loved by all."

And this concludes this week's sermon. Amen.

[william42]

'Gnaw a file and flee to the wilderness, whar de lion roar and de whangdoodle moans.'

Hey, I would pay a months wages to sit through that sermon. What is it in a "file" that would make one want to flee to the wilderness, whar de lion roar and de 'whangdoodle' moans, I wonder?

I'd pay another months wages to see a real live 'whangdoodle.' Who says army life couldn't be interesting? Probably the pickets at night would catch a glimpse of the mysterious whangdoodle. Can't really picture him marching along with the troops in broad daylight. "Hey the doodle's outta step again. C'mon doodle pick it up! Left, left, yer left right left!"

whangdoodle
\Whang"doo`dle\, n. An imaginary creature, of undefined character. [Slang] (Dictionary.com)


TW

[ole]

You don't suppose it was a yankee whang doodle, do you? Maybe even a dandy one?
Ole