Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1863-12-03
self.Reliance of Western Soldiers,


If there are men in the world gifted with
the most thorough self-reliance western sol
diers are the men. To fight in the grand
anger Of battle seems to me to require less
manly forttude, after all, than to bear with
out murmuring, the swarm oflittle troubles
that vex camp and march. No matter
where or when you halt, there they are at
once at home. They know precisely what
to do first, and they do it. have seen
them march into a strang region at dark,
and as soon as fires would show well, they
were twinklins all over the field, the Sbley
comes rising like the work Of cnchantment
everywhere, and the little dogtents lying
snug to the ground, as Il, Ike the mush-
rooms, they had grown there, and the aroma
of coffee and tortured bacon, suggesting
creature comforts, and the whole economy
of a life in canvass cities, moving as steady
on as if it had never intermitted. The
movement Of regiments, you know, are as
blind as fate. Nobody can tell tonight
where he viii be tomorrow, and vet with
The first glimmer Of morning the camp is
astir, and preparations being for staying
there forever cozy little cabins ofred cedar,
neatly fitted are going up here boy is
making fireplace, and quite artistically
q plastering it with The inevitable red earth
he has found crane somewhere and swung
thereon a two-legged dinner pot; there
fellow is finishing out a chimney with
brick from an old kiln Of secession proclivi
ties; yonder bower-house, closely woven
of evergreens is almost ready for the occu.
pants; tables, stools, bedsteads are tumbled
together by the toughest of carpenters the
avenues between the lines oftents are clear
ed and smoothed- "policed," in camp
phrase-little seats with cedar awnings in
front of the tents give a cottage look; while
the interior, in a rude way, has a genuine
nome like air. The bit of looking-elass
hangs against the cotton WALL banker
chief OF carpet just before the ''bunks"
marks the stepping off place to the land Of
dreams; violin-case is strung up to con-
venient hook, danked by gorgeous picture
OF some hero of somewhere, mounted upon
horse rampant and salant 'and with
length of tail behind %
The business of living has fairly begun
again.
But at five o'clock some dingy morning,
obedient to sudden orders, the regiments
march away in good cheer; the army wag
ons go streaming and swearing after them
the beat of the drum grows fainter the last
straggler is out of sight; the canvass city
has vanished like vision. On such morn
ing and amid such scene I have loitered
till 1t seemed as if a busy city had passed
outof sight, leaving nothing behind for all
that life and light but empty desolation.-
WI you wonder much if I tell you that
nave watched such vanishing with pang
OF regret; that the trampled field looked
dim to me, worn smooth and beautiful bv
the touch of those brave feet whose owners
have trod upon thorns with song-feet, alas.
how many, that shall never again in all this
coming and going world make music upon
the old thresholds And how many such
sites of persisted cities this war has made.
how many bonds Of good fellowship have
been rent to be united no more B f.
Try1Or, Var Correspondent CAicaqo Jour-
nal