The new South. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1862-1867, 1862-10-25
a Corporal's Story.

Regiments, has written letter to Harpers Weekly,
which gives as fair an idea of soldiers persona
experience as anything we remember to have read.
His regiment enlisted for two years, but at frst
the Government would only accept it for three
months service. Afterwards it was unexpectedly
mustered in for the original term Having advert
ed to the hardships which resulted through incom-
potency of officers, and lack Of means on the part
of the Government to provide for the men,
Hnman says $: - ~ ..a
-. But it was pretty tough when our three months
were nearly upLand We had never had fight, and
il seemed as if we never should-to be Claimed for
the the rest of two Years and taken for it without
our consent. Wewere volunteers before; now we
were pressed. We offered two years at first the
Government would only take three months. Ii
new bargain was to be mad. we thought we had a
right the same as at the first, to volunteer instead
of being forced. This made us good deal OF
trouble; but thought that the Government wouh
not take us if they did not need us; and made up
my mind if this great nation needed poor man
like me it could have me in its own way. And,
besides, we had learned just what we ought to
know to be good for something, and had got tough
ened to it. For one, felt rather proud that we
was considered good enough to be kept And If 1t
had not been for Sally and Johnny, who got noth-
ing from the neighbors and had hard loosAfor
the winter coming on, / should not have careS to
be anywhere else. Some of our young fef0ws
asked me how liked being pressed away from my
wife and bow. Well, said, should be glad to
20 home and see them but if it was to sneak out
and have somebody else fight for my wife and boy
while I staid at home, should be ashamed to have
my John call me father at that.
After while we all got over grumbing, and be-
gan to take pride in standing hardshps and keeping
ourselves as comfortable and clean as possible, no
matter how bad the weather and how hard the
service.
One day last December, after long march in
the snow, which slipped, and slushed and melted
on our Shoes and then froze the sh es stiff, we got
in late at night and slept in big barn in the hay
without supper, or breakfast next morning. for the
roads were so bad the wagons could not get up.
Well, that morning our Brigadier-General rode
down to see u.s. We heard he was coming, and
every man had his musket bright and his clothes
brushed up the snow had cleaned our shoes, and
our Gotten ssdirtcovers, as the boys called their
gloves, were very comfortable in holding musket
on frosty morning. So we were paraded IN line
as for dress parade AMI when we presented arms to
the General it went like the tick of clock, for we
were vexed, and we would have done it fine that
morning if we had died. s.Ah, hah, my fine fel-
lows,'' the General said, sssomebody has been ly-
ing about you They said you had no supper or
breakfast, and that your feet were frozen OF you
and that you slept in barn last night" We
heard how he Dragged about us afterward, and said
that there was not hay seed on our coats or ra-
tion in the bellies of the whole regiment. The
next day we went into Clear Sping, in Maryland,
and that is a place for Union soldiers must say.
The people gave US the whole town, aad all they
had was welcome. 1t is only village town, but,
as one of the girls said Pat Mahoney that though
there was not big heap, there was right smart of
folks there Here we had good rest, plenty to
eat and "a hearty welcome.
The first time we had scrimmage with the
secesh was not a long while after this. We forded
the Potomac and marched towards Martinsburg.
Cold and wet was nothing now, and hunger was
not to be talked Of, We were at last going to
fight Jackson and Co. We thought our first fight
was beautiful The secesh all ran away as soon
as we began firing. They, we're Virginia Militia.
Some of our officers wrote home flaming accounts
about it, but our Colonel became all at once very
severe on us, and said such nonsense wouldspoi u.s.