The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-05-12
SHERMAN'S "BUMMERS."i ~.
Their Services, Exploits and Pc
f,.# euliarities. 10 nsni Laa1 I.
Goldsboro Cores Cincinnati Commercial.


gi ---- 81 .ssGIuI atr'
Goldsboro Corres Cincinnati Comnercial oaa
Shermans "bummers" :" have not received
full justice at the hands of the historians of the
late campaign through the Csrolinas. They
have generally been spoken of as having rem
dered more service to themselves than to the
asmy-as having been actuated solely BY de-
sire to plumber, in all their operations. What
ever may have been their object on starting ont
in the morning, they frequently proved them.
selves of great value to the cause before they
went into camp at night. and the confessions
Of many an officer Of rank 20 70 prove that the
army would have gone to bed hungry great
many times but for these Identical men, to
whom rather eontemptuous name has been
applied. .aa. -Igoo vi hsi2'TlO3
The title of "bummers was given at very
early stage Of the late campaign to such men
as were In the habit of foraging on their own
account, independent of the regular details
made for foraging on every days march. They
generally Jagged behind in camps until COM
mands got started on the road, when they
would 20 off to the right and left, taking by
to the main army. They generally managed to
concentrate before going very far, and by
the time all the " "detachments" were up, there
was frequently very respectable regiment of
them. Their first object was to get 'stranspor-
tation for their plunder, and the first half
dozen farm houses they came to were laid un-
der contribution for rolling stock ana motive
power. F'.' 'rs-.j q" %
Not disposed to stand on ceremony in such
matters, they would illinglYc0mpromise on a
buggy or four horse carriage If there was no
draft wagon at hand and would accept of oxen
If more fleet footed quadrupeds were not attain
able. They generally managed to load their
vehicles In short time, with a miscellaneous
cargo of looking glasses, silver spoons. china
Iva y,fcr 1ohio hr,f
ter and eggs. 1t must be admitted that they
seldom stopped at legitimate 'forage" for
man and beast, and too often appropriated what
they could not use, and did not want.
On several occasions the 'bummers" found
grist mills in their march, and ran them for q
whole day, making corn meal and flour, for
want of which the army would otherwise have
brigade or division commander to receive an
''oficial dispatch" from hummer" to the
effect that If he would send Wagons to such
and such mill. he would receive SO many
hundred weight of corn meal or flour and this
too, at time when prospects of dearth 30
generously proffered were looming up.
The bummers utterly refuted, by their
who steal won't fight. Very often after wan
dering fifteen or twenty miles from the main
column, they found themselves confronted by
o rebel force more than their equal in strength.
Instead of beating hasty retreat, as it Is COM
| monty supposed such men would do under
| such circumstances, they would Immediately
choose one of their number as their Gem.
| mander, and "go for the Johnnies" to the
best of their abilities. II, unable to defeat
them, they would erect rude Notifications of
rails and logs, and behind these hold the en-.
emy In check until they were reinforced" by
Gen. Sherman. Not few of the towns along
the march were captured by the bummers, and
| formally surrendered to them. On one occa-
sion Gen. Howard actually received dispatch
| tured town (the name of which have for
| gotten) and requesting that division be sent
| to occupy it. that they (he bummers) might
press on! Rather cool to be sure for the
buInmers to call for "a division to take the
place of few hundred scalawags like them.
selves, in order to allow them to 60 on con-
quering and to conquer.
The "bummers" proved themselves more
valuable in finding out the position and strength
of the enemy than any SCOUTS or cavalry ever
| used for that purpose. They covered both
| tanks of the army, sometimes for distance of
| twenty-five miles, and between what they
found out from actual observation and what
they learned from citizens, very few facts con.
nected with the strength or position of the en-
emy escaped their knowledge.
The results OF bummipg are apparent IN every
| regiment, brigade, division, and corps of the
army. was first impressed with this fact
| yesterday, In visit to some of the boys in
their improvised dwellings behind the fortifi-
cations. At one comfortable little "shanty,"
occupied BY ten or twelve privates, asked
| for drink of water, and the aqueous fluid was
| poured from silver pitcher into as fine q wine
goblet as ever We need wish to use, and which,
| few weeks since, was considered good
enough to grace the lips of South Carolina
aristocrats. In another tent found q corporal
scanning the pages of ''Shakspeare's Heroines, :"
| . costly volume, full of beautiful portraits Of
the eminent female characters of English dra-
ma. He didn't exactly like the appearance of
Cleopatra, and was, as he thought, improving
1t by the addition of mustache from lead
pencil. Anna Bolleyn, Titania, Mistress Page.
| and Ophelia, also received artistic emenenda-
tions from his Faber, which he felt assured
would add greatly to their value as historic
personages. A third tent found richly adorn.
ed with oil paintings, somewhat damaged by
having been carried on the points of bayonets
for long distance.
There Is scarcely regiment in the whole
army that has not got horses and buggies
enough to accommodate goodly portion of its
members. and most of the division and corps
headquarters support barouches and carriages
fine enough toielicit admiration in front of A.
7. Stewards on Broadway. As for fine saddle
horses, the colenel or general who rides an
auimol wisuouS uistoflcu peulgree and name
intimately connected with southern Srace.
courses, must be regarded as unpopular. and
under the ban of bummers, who would scorn
to see one of their fayorites on common gov
eminent steed. Gen. Logan rides a mare that
has won her weight in gold on the Charleston
| track. Gen. Blair rides horse that has car
ried off the first premium at half a dozen trot-
ting matches, and so Of nearby every command
ing officer here. a people less disloyal than
the citizens OF Goldsboro would have prepared
race track for the accommodation of this army
before its arrival here.
| HoN. lGNATIus DoNNELLY has arrived at his
home in Nininger.