The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1855-01-17
Communication.
For the Spirit of Democracy.
A Remin miniScence.

L
thing for the paper, tha, send you this
communication; but to pay a slight trib
ute to the memory of one, who was once
friend and messmate, bu. now sleeps in
an unmarked grave in a foreign land.
In the spring Of l846, after the battles
Of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, the
military and patriotic feelings of the peo-
pie Of this. end other States OF the Union,
were excited 10 the very highest pitch Of
enthusiasm. The whole country was fill.
ed with companies Of volunteer soldiers;
on every hand was heard the cry, ",o
arms" and thousands Of the young and
middle aged, and even those Of ripper
years, rushed to the standard of their
country. Among the companies Of this
Stste that were fortunate enough to obtain
place in the three regiments that were
called for by the Secretary Of War, as
the quota to be furnished by Ohio, was
the Steubenv;lle Greys, afterwards known
as Company @. 3rd Regiment, Ohio
Volunteers, This company, as its name
indicates, was raised at Steubenville, and
officered at the time we left that place,
by Messrs. Capt. McCook. Lieut.. Grey,
and Marion. Every one knows that SOL
diers lodge generally in tents, and those
who occupy the same tent are called mess.
mates. How this matter is managed a.
mong tho regulars cannot say, but a.
mong the volun,eers,and especially in our
own company, the association was one
more Of accident than choice. 1t was un.
der these circumstances, | first became
acquainted with Thompson. Who we're
the other members ofihe mess, what were
their names, and where they are, il is not
necessary for our present purpose 10 men,
tion.
Being all young. and engaged in an
honorable and exciting pursuit, we soon
came to regard the chance that had thrown
US together as one OF the favors of fortune;
and no one OF that number, as he looks
back over the scenes through which he
.pessed while we were thus ass sociated, has,
| am sure, any cause Of complaint against
his companions. In every thing that con.
duced to the comfort or happiness Of the
moss, no one was more ready to lend his
hand or bear his part than Thompson
Few if any, had counted the cost when
they first determined to "go a soldering"
Carried away by the universal enthusiasm
ofths day. they dreamed, perhaps of lau
rels, OF promotion, and Of everything else,
than that which they were really to en-
counter. Star spangled banners, martial
music. gliuering bayone,,s, flashing
swords, and waving plumes, are the gor
geous coverings of coarse and often scan
ty fare. wearied limbs and aching heads;
Of exposure to heat and cold, and of nun.
berloss other and even greater evils. Con-
sequently. nothing was more natural. and
in fact nothing was more common, than
after the first month or so, many became
disguised, and desponding. Even at
Camp Washington near Cincinnati, some
began to think with Doolit,le that they
had brought .'their pigs to a poor mar
ket )" and this feeling was not lessened
by trip across the Gulf, and stay Of
some two or three weeks upon that sand.
lest of all sand banks, Brazos de Santa
60. The intolerable heat, the quality Of
the fare. and inexperionce in preparing it.
made the condition of common soldier
anything but enviable. Cheerfulness, un-
der such circumstances must have arisen
from an exuberance Of health, bouyancy
OF spirits and happy temperament. And
this was indeed the case with Thompson.
Nothing seemed too hard for him to un-
dertake. and no Inconvenience so great
but that he had some plan to overcome
or ameliora,s it; and by the influence Of
his example, and his determin alton to put
the best face on our circumstances they
would bear, he often succeeded in chasing
away our dependency, and restoring US
to something like good humor with our.
selves and our situation.
The 3rd Regiment was stationed for a
long time at Matamoras; and during the
greater portion Of that time it was encamp.
cd on the bank Of the Rio Grande, on the
northern side Of the city, and within few
hundred yards OF suburbs. After we had
been there some time, and had become
settled in our quarters, the difficulties we
had at first experienced gradually disap-
peared. We became accustomed 10 our
fare, and more skilful in cooking it. and
our duties were not onerous. Up to this
time, Qater part Of September or lst Of
October) tho health Of the mess, and es.
pecially that Of Thompson. had been good.
Several of us however, were soon after at.
tached with intermittent feyer, and as we
slept upon the ground, teach one having
blanket in which he wrapt himself and
our fare anything but suitable in such ca