Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-08-08
Gblo Statesman, 3')1l al
A Graphic Account by One Of the
Generals staff ~

UtuCTubb Sbhhs
Aid-de-camp to General Sherman, Major
Nichols, has written graphic account of
Sherman's great campaign, which has just
been issued in book form by Harper & Bros.
We give the following extracts from 1t.
The humors of army life are illustrated by
some interesting anecdotes, and that pecu-
liar creature known as the Bummer" is
thus photographed:
THE "BUMMER." r
If it be asked what 'bummer" is, the re-
ply is easy. He is raider on his own ac-
count-a man who temporarily deserts his
place in the ranks while the army Is on the
march, and starts out upon an independent
foraging expedition. Sometimes he Is alb
sent for few days only, occasionally he
disappears for weeks together. An officer
whose duty requires him to pass from one
column to another, or private soldier sent
upon scout in the forest or on the flank of
the army, not unfrequently stumbles upon
an encampment of bummers in the woods,
or finds party of them at a house by tile
wayside. This party bears all the outward
aspect of an authorized and perfectly legiti-
mate foraging party; the capacious wagons
are there with caparisoned mules; blooded
horses stand tethered within reach Of their
apparent owners; the camp fires burn
brightly; sumptuous meal is ready. But
if one of these men be accosted with some
such question as this, "To what command
do you belong?" the answer comes thus:
swell, we don't answer for any body in
particular-'bout every corps in the army;
eh Bill, amt that so?" .
''Bil" says "Reckon !" and thinks It
huge joke, and then everybody except the
interlocutor laughs. a.'.r,. r'.
"How long have you been away from
your regimentP"
Atthis question the 'bummer' rises upon
his feet and replies rather more respect
fully:
"A week or ten days, Cap'n."
''Have you any authority for foraging?"
"NO, SIR" ..... .
''What use or benefit are you to the SER
vice, to say nothing of the criminality of
your absence without leave? Now, you
belong to a class which has brought dis
credit upon your comrades. You ought to
be ashamed of yourselves, all of YOU"
"See hyar, Cap'n; we amt so bad after
all. We keep ahead of the skirmish line
alters. We let's 'em know when the enc
my's a-comin'; and then we amt alters away
| from the regiment, We turns over all we
don't want ourselves, and we can lick five
times as many rebs as we are, any day. Amt
| that so, DOySW
"Lick 'em d--n 'em, yes" "Why, of
course y were the instant replies of the
"boys."
Rather shoot rebs than hogs, any day !"
roared another.
Itmay be readily imagined that high NOR
al precepts are lost upon these men, and
that conversations with them upon the gen.
eral impropriety of their conduct are de-
cidedly useless. They are the Bohemians
of the camp, and they act upon this consol-
| atory reflection.
A "bummer" " NAV once have been a foot
soldier, but | never saw one who was not
mounted on some sort of an animal. Some
times he bestrides a superb blooded horse,
which is the envy of every General in the
army; more frequently he rides broken
down nag that is able to hObble along suffi-
ciently fast for the owners purposes; but
the tavorite is the mule. There may be lit
tie or no actual poetry in mule-although
l profess an unwillingnesst to admit any slur
upon that much abused beast-yet it would
be difficult to find more hardy, lOng-wind-
| ed, strong-legged, uncomplaining, and al
| together loveable creature for the use of man
than the mule. The "bummer" appreci-
ates his good qualities, and hence the iavor-
| itism.
Sometimes we see the "bummer" ap-
preaching the camp from piece of woods
with wagon which he has overloaded
with good things. The scene is frequently
exhilarating. The "bummer," coming in
on horseback, holding the bride in his
teeth, clasps under one arm a basket of
fresh eggs, and under the other a pail full
of delicious honey, while brace of fat
sheep, hams, chickens or geese lie across
the saddle in front and rear, and the car
cass of hog, firmly tied to the mules tail,
is dragged along the road. The "bummer'
himself is probably clothed in an irregular
sackcoat of linen, with a ridiculous unmil-
itary hat perched on one side of his head,
and, as he approaches, his face beams with
smiles of recognition, tempered by half
suppressed apprehension lest his bounteOus
supplies should not be accepted as peace
offering for his delinquencies.
Aside from the freedom from control
which gives bad men opportunities to COM
nit wanton deeds of violence, these wan
derers from the ranks are often of great
benefit to the army. Better tlankers can
not be found. Spreading out from the
marching column they are the first to scent
danger and the last to leave the field, unless
actually forced back. They understand the
art of squad fighting to perfection. Par
ties of them, without officers, will join to-
geJher to resist an onset of rebel cavalry, or
to makesan attack upon the enemy, and
they are almost always the victors in a
skirmish. l..