While at Nashville many incidents happened in camp and we will relate one of them here. Our sutler, Charley Pratt, had found a very neat sutler's store, built of plank, and fitted up in a very substantial manner, probably by the sutler of the 16th Ill., and he was not slow to appropriate the building to his own use. In this he opened out his goods for our inspection and benefit, and we were pretty good customers. Charley had bought some fresh fish of which he sold a good many to the officers. These fish lay on a shelf in the rear end of his shebang, but in such a way as to present an inviting appearance to all. On the day to which we refer, Charley had received a fresh supply, and among the number was one uncommonly nice large fellow. Directly over this fish was a large knot-hole looking to the rear of the store. Now there had been the usual crowd all the morning around the sutler's store, and in the crowd was Jake E——. Jake was a good soldier, but had very crude notions of the rights of "mine and thine." Such thoughts never bothered Jake when anything particularly tempted his vision, especially if it was anything good to eat. Charley was aware of this fact, and when during the morning he happened to glance over towards his fish rack, behold the big fish was gone. He reflected a moment; he had not sold it, he knew; his eye rested on the knot-hole; a closer inspection showed scales adhering to the edge of the plank; he put this and that together and finally it beamed upon his mind that his big fish, his pride and joy, had been appropriated by some one who had not left him an equivalent. Jake had disappeared too. A happy thought struck Charley, and off he posted to our captain. The result of the interview was apparent when Cap. was seen to come out of his quarters and going into the tent of the first man who was nearest to him, commenced a search, as if looking for lost property. This he kept up until Jake's tent was reached; in went the captain. Jacob was reclining on his bunk in innocent ease, and when the captain entered, he greeted him with a cordial good morning. The captain returned the salutation and went on with his search.

"Get up Jacob," he said, as he approached the recumbent warrior.

"Why, cap., what are you hunting for?"

"I'm looking for a big fish that Pratt says was stolen from him this morning."

"A fish," says Jake, "well now, cap., there's no fish here, I've been laying here all the morning, as I didn't feel very well, and if any one had brought a fish in here I would surely have seen it."

"Well, well, get up," says the captain, "I have examined all the other boys' quarters and I must examine your's too, get up, Jacob."

Unwillingly Jake arose. The captain gathered up a blanket which he had under his head for a pillow. Holding it up and giving it a gentle shake, out dropped the lost fish, or a twin brother to it. Jake had nothing to say, the captain looked amazed, quietly picked up the fish and carried him off in triumph to the sutler. At roll call that evening the captain stated the facts of the case as far as he knew them to the company.

"And now, boys," said he, "I want you to convene a court martial, organize it in accordance with army regulations, bring before it Pratt as the plaintiff, and Jacob as the defendant. If upon evidence you find that Jacob has been guilty of stealing the fish, sentence him to such punishment as you think the case demands; we don't want any stealing here; if on the contrary you find the evidence faulty, why then of course you will acquit him."

The captain's suggestions were carried out the next morning. A regular court martial was convened, and Pratt and the prisoner brought before it. The testimony was taken pro and con, and the result was that the theft of the fish was laid without any doubt on Jacob's shoulders, and the sentence of the court was that Jacob should be thrown in the river. As might be expected, Jake remonstrated strongly against such severe treatment, as he could not swim. But it was no use, the sentence had been pronounced and must be carried out, so he soon found himself being hurried vigorously toward the river. Arriving there he was gathered up by two stout fellows, and in he was sent head over heels. He sank and came to the surface again. The Cumberland is a very swift stream, and Jacob was soon going with the current, when some fellow stuck out a long pole to him and pulled him ashore. He climbed up the bank very wet, as might be supposed, and awful mad, and amid the laughter of all present, for the scene had drawn a large crowd to the river side, he started for camp, swearing vengeance on the members of that court martial. Rushing to his quarters, he grabbed his gun with the expressed intention of blowing the whole outfit to kingdom come, but his gun was soon taken away from him. Jake was awful mad, and all he wanted was an opportunity to retaliate, and it came in due order. Not many days after we received orders to prepare for inspection, and when we went to our beds that night we laid down with an inward feeling that we would pass a good inspection on the morrow. Our guns and accoutrements were in splendid condition, and each fellow had blacked his shoes until they fairly glistened. These we placed carefully in front of our tents, for there was a nice cane arbor there which kept off the dew, and turned in for the night. It so happened that Dave W——, of our company, had been, as Jake thought, rather prominent in his trial and punishment, and to Dave's tent he made his way. Everything was quiet, all were asleep in the tent. There stood Dave's boots as bright as leather could be made. It did not take Jake long to accomplish his errand, and when David went to pull on his boots to attend roll call at daylight the next morning, he found them filled with a very unpleasant composition. There was a row; Dave got late to roll call and came near being placed on extra duty for it, but nothing more was said about it that ever we heard of, and it was not until long afterwards that it leaked out who had put Dave's boots to a use for which they never were intended. Regular details as we have before stated, were made every day for provost duty in the city, and each company furnished the detail as its turn came around. It was not very severe work, but on the contrary was often mixed up with a good deal of fun. One morning the provost detail from Co. "B" reported at regimental headquarters for duty, and were sent under command of corporal James Duncan over to the city to relieve the guard then on duty there. The guard's headquarters in town were in the building used for the custom house. The front part of the building was used by the guard, and a room in the rear by a captain who had charge of the custom house business. This captain was a very pompous, dignified, little creature, and if we mistake not, was an officer of the regular army. At any rate he acted as if this world was not quite good enough for him, and as if a private soldier was a being so much beneath his dignity, that the only place suitable for him was in the field; there he would serve to keep the naughty enemy away and our little captain's precious body would not be endangered. Well, corporal Duncan marched his squad over to town, arrived in due time at the custom house, and reported to the non-commissioned officer in charge that he would relieve him. The change was soon made, and away went the relieved guard to their regimental quarters, leaving corporal Duncan and his squad in possession. For a few moments the corporal was busy attending to his duties and getting his men ready for the duty to be performed by them, when suddenly, "Corporal of the guard," came the summons, in a very imperious tone, from the room occupied by the captain just mentioned. Dropping everything, the corporal started to see what was wanted. The door of the room was open, and he marched into the august presence of the little captain, who looking up cast on him for a moment a disdainful glance.

"Go back, sir, and come in again," was the command. Jim obeyed, and again made his appearance.

"Go back again, sir," shouted the captain. Again he made his exit, wondering to himself what in the world that fellow meant. Again he returned, and again the same command for him to "go back." Jim was getting mad; he did not like to be made a fool of by this little pop-in-jay in shoulder straps, and the sequel might have proved unpleasant if it had gone on much longer. But at last the little captain, very red in the face, shouted at him:

"Go back and come in again, sir, and when you come in, salute me in a proper manner."

Poor Jim obeyed this time and the irate little captain was satisfied, as Jim, with not a very good grace, raised his hand to his cap in regular military salute. Pop-in-jay then gave him some orders, and Jim came back to us shutting the room door in a manner more forcible than pleasant to the nerves of the conceited fop inside. Was Jim mad do you ask? well slightly we remark. Did you ever see a hornet's nest stirred up? how mad each individual hornet will get! well, Jim was as mad as a whole nest of hornets, and he vowed the deepest vengeance on that captain. But that was all that ever came of it. Corporal Duncan was one of our best men, and was liked by all, and was always ready for duty; but ever after this affair, if any one wanted to be particularly aggravating and tantalizing, they would ask Jim "if he didn't think he could give 'em a salute, this fine morning." Poor fellow, he contracted the small-pox while at Nashville, and came very near dying; but he recovered at last, badly disfigured, and with the loss of an eye. He was discharged and sent home.