Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1865-06-01


might pass. in semi-starvation, the COM
mand must await in silence the recovery
/ of the Patriot from his debauch to
sign acquisitions, or the pleasure OF the
/! city officials to spare teams enough to
haul up the food, they might be actually
! suffering for.
! The last day of February was made
memorable by the issue Of General Or
der No. g. from Division Headquarters,
am sorry that | cannot procure copy
of it now, for it is worth preserving as
curiosity It's import was, that here
after no officer or soldier belonging to
the Division should be allowed to pass
beyond the guard lines without pass
approved at Division Headquarters, ex-
cept brigade @, Ms and their sergeants
that if any officer had urgent business
in town, absolutely demanding his per-
Sonal attention, he should make applica
tion in writing through the regular
channels, when pass might be issued
that if any officer Or soldier was found
outside of the camp without such pass,
he should be court-martialed, &c. &c
1t was regarded as insulting and tyranni-
cal in the extreme, and begot more car
ses than compliments for it's author, I
assure you.
During all this time, details of men
had been fitting up the Division Head
Quarters, cleaning up the ground. buildss
ing fence, setting Young pine tress out
SO as to make shaded walks of graceful
curve, building and furnishing frame
houses for the General and his staff, get
ting oat and erecting beautiful flag
pole 50 feet high, and many other things,
until they had really made beautiful
place The General decided to finish
the job in a creditable manner by hoist
ing his flag, and having good time
generally on the first day of March.
Being invited as one Of Col. Malloy' S
staff, I with them, repaired to the Gen
erals Headquarters at l o'clock 2. NJ
on that day Our party met the Gener-
al, in his chest bib and tucker" in
front Of his door, where he invited US
into bis parlor,-wbich was draped and
festooned very beautiful y-proposed to
us to drink little punch, to which our
party generally assented, and then turn
ed to receive other company Gen Is
Caster, and Palmer with several ladies,
gnnboat officers, many officers from the
eastern regiments, about town, our brig
ade commanders and their staff officers
soon were gathered together, represent
ing the ''wit and beauty" of the city
and country pretty thoroughly, I sup
pose.
The Band Of the 18th n. Y. Cavalry
had been engaged to discourse sweet
music for the occasion gun-boat men
in full naval uniform were there to roll
the aag up into ball, hoist it to the
top Of the pole, and then shake it loose
to the breeze battery Of the Sd N.
Y. Artillery was on hand to salute the
flag; the Generals chaplain, drafted
man of the 18th Ilionis Inf'y was to
open the ceremony with a prayer, and the
Sutler-Gen. Meagher's relative, had a
bountiful supply of strong drink on hand
for all who chose to pay for it, and the
editor Of the New Berne paper on hand
to give glowing account thereof and it
really seemed that everything had been
provided to make this fag-raising de-
cided success.
According to programme, the flag
beauty. 43 by q feet-was hoisted, and
shook out to the breeze, the cannon were
fred, the Band played, and, so far, all
went ''merry as marriage bell. ; Sud
denly it was discovered that the con
script chaplain was missing, but as a
substitute was found, prayer was Of
tered and then the Patriot" his
whistle well wetted'' with something
stronger than water, amid the cheers Of
his guests, and loud cries of Hard tack
and sow-belly." Get down and grab a
root" &c. &c. from his assembled sol
diers, mounted rostrum provided for
the occasion, near the flag pole, and be-
gan his speech. AS to what he said, the
aforesaid editor deemed it best not to
make any report. I remember his say
ii'S ohoo HO "oo piOuu VI DcInS all
Irishman' because he accompanied it
with terrible blow on bis breast with
his fist, and he also remarked that he
had proved his devotion to the cause OF
liberty and democratic principles on 13
battle fields which he emphasized by a
!. heavy pound with his sabre scabbard on
; his platform. These were the only prom
inent points in ne boasted orators ora
tion, and they stuck out like toad Is
ey es in mud-hole, bright, because all
else was dark and dismal. His speech
was fzzle, his friends tried to explain
it on the grounds of having received bad
news, during the opening prayer. 1t
may have been so. but | incline to the
opinion that his whistle was too wet
drowned out in fact, and sounded as the
voice OF an ancient shanghaie, choking
with corn-cob in his greedy throat.
j Moving the rostrum nearer the soldi.