Army Tricks by Annie Wittenmyer
Union soldiers lure their chaplain and surgeon across a rickety bridge by reporting an old woman is “dying.” They discover she is dyeing yarn in butternut juice, and the camp laughs because the report was literally true.
By Annie Wittenmyer · First published 1895 · Genre: Civil War Literature, Historical Anecdote, Humor · 305 words
First lines
There were many tricks played on the officers, just for the fun of the thing, during the war, especially if the troops remained long at any one camping-place.
In one of the many camps of the Union soldiers, an odd trick was played off on the surgeon and chaplain of a regiment noted for its merry-making.
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Genres
- Civil War Literature — The episode is set in a Union Army camp during the American Civil War and centers on the everyday behavior of soldiers, officers, and camp personnel.
- Historical Anecdote — The work recounts a brief, self-contained incident presented as a remembered example of soldiers' camp life during the war.
- Humor — Its central purpose is comic: soldiers exploit the double meaning of 'dying' and 'dyeing' to prank the chaplain and surgeon.
- Military Humor — The joke arises specifically from military camp culture, including soldiers' boredom, camaraderie, mischief, and teasing of officers.
Tags
American Civil War · Union Army · military camp · soldier pranks · camp humor · officers · army chaplain · regimental surgeon · rickety bridge · log cabin · old woman · rural life
What this Textopian page supports
Army Tricks is listed on Textopian as a short story by Annie Wittenmyer, dated 1895 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Annie Wittenmyer
- Date: 1895 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Civil War Literature, Historical Anecdote, Humor, Military Humor, War Nonfiction
- Length: 305 words
- Structure: 1 section, 11 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Army Tricks by Annie Wittenmyer
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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