Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1863-11-12
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stools and tahlcs ste glowing cC9k, Nod IL
they donf-fddle, asl Nero did, Wren their
Rome lsbnrniDg- as much Of q Rome,
too, AZ that was in che time or the Lnpiau
broibers-at least they edf A soldier can
starve patiently, but. when he has aphsncs,
he eats poteutly. Huddled aroundttheir
little fire', N the thick and turbid morning,
the chink OF the bayonet betokens the coffee
10 come the smutty kettles bubble with the
Arabic decoction, as black as the tents Of the
Sheik who threw dust on the beard of his
father; unhappy pork sigzles from ramrods,
aud the bovstake breakfast.
Some wise man proposed in Congress.
you remember, the snbstitu'ioe Of te, for
coffee 10 the army, and told the people that
the soldiers would welcome the changei A
toleraby fair specimen Of theoretical, stay
stthonie wisdom. but nat worth 4 Sabbath-
days journey Of the Queen Of Sheba TO
look a.. Why. coffee Is their true aqua
yi,tei their solace and tnainstay. When
boy caonet drink his eofee yod fity ~ surss
he has done drinking altogether. On .
march. no s0onerfisa halt ordered than lit
tlo fires begin to twinkle along the line; thsy
make coffee 10 FIVE I'D inutes, drink it in three,
take drill at hard cracker, and are re-.
fresbed. Our comrades from der Rhine"
will sqnat phlegnatically anywhere, even in
line OF battle. No sooner hs1the STORM
swept to some other part of the field. thsu
the kettles begin to boil, and amid stray
bullets aud shattered shell. they take great
swallows OF heart and coffee together. It
| is Rhine wine, the soul of Gambrinus,
"Switzer and Limberg" in one, rY
Bat it is FIVE O'Clock, and diugy morn
ing; the regiments march away in good
cheer; the army wagons 20 streaming and
swearing after them; the beat of Itbe drum
grows fainter the last t.straeeler j. out of
sight; the canvas city has vanished like .
vision. On such mo, ming and amid suOh
a scene / have loitered till il seemed as if .
busy city had passed out OF sight, leaving
nothing behind for sllthst life and light
but empty desolation. VIII you wonder
much If 4 tell you that have Watched such
a vanishing with pang of regret; that tho
trampled lid looked dim to me, worn
smooth and besutifui by the touch Of those
brave feet whose owners have trod UPON
! thorue with song-feet, alas, how many,
/ tina; shall never again in all this coming and
going world make music upon the old thfesh-
! hold! Aud how many such sites of per
ished cities this war has made, hsw many
bonds of g6odaelloWship have been rent tu
be united no mere b. Ira rs Z. ,slfs -
AT home anywhere. / wrote, and might
well have added, and used to anything. tbs
boys are. You would wonder, I think, tc
see men lie right down in the dusty road
under the full noon sun Of Tennessee aud
Alabama, aud fall asleep in d minuts.
have passed hundreds Of such eleepers.
n dry spot is as good as a mattress; the fap @
4 blanket quite downy pillow. You woul'
e wonder. think, TO see whole army corps
4 as have, without shred of q tent to bles
!. themselves with. lying anywhers and every
! where in all night rain aud not growl no
), a grumble. ! was curious to see whethe
! the pluck and good nature were washed ou
/ Of them, and 50 made my way out Of til,
snug, dry quarters / am ashsmed to say
occupied, at FIVE iu the morning, to see wha
water had done with them. Nothing J.
Each sorked blanket Matched out as jolly
, fellow as you would wish to see-muddy
dripping. half-houudered, forth they came
I wripging themselves ont as they went, with
the look Of q troop of wet down" rsosterl
in full rain storm, plumage at half mast
but hearts trumPs every time, II they
swore-and some did-it was with laugh
the--coffee, and they were as good as new.