The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-04-22

JuUclOuS In MS c0lectl0n ana examination OF
facts, and We have nowhere discovered signs
of haste or super6ciality unworthy the his
torian. He is combative, but does not blindly
strike without provocation he is decided, but
not illiberal, partizan without narrowness,
and while his presentation of some facts
might be more mildly done, their truth can
not be disclaimed. The history is not
skeleton, not . mere dull aggregation of
names and dates and events, but live work,
with vital, earnest, active soul within it,
that causes men and battles and campaigns to
pace before you with an easily apprehended
actuality, and invested with the fascination
Of the "pomp and circumstance of glorious
war;
We make extracts which will show i'm.
perfectly Mr.. ISGERsoLLL merit as a writer,
and will be interesting to our readers.
The following is his description of that
famous institution, the stShe- bang.'' He
gives it in his history Of the Seventh Infantry
(See pages 141-2):
"Almost any modern map Of Tennessee
will show that Pulaski is on the Southern
Central Railroad, but - the time our regi-
ment reached the place, the road had for q
considerable distance, both north and south
of Pulaski, been entirely destroyed. In the
march thither but little transportation accom-
panied the column, and the men were without
tents. So they proceeded to build for them
selves rude huts, which III the army, perhaps
for the reason that they are exclusively an
army institution. and therefore deserve an
army name, are universally called 'she-
bangs" These shebangs, though exceed
ingly comfortable, are built somewhat in the
style Of aboriginal architecture. 1t is re-
markable how quickly an army or a detsch.
ment, on entering city, will build for itself
little cities of shebangs. In every Southern
town there would be found unoccupied houses
buildings which had never been finished,
perhaps for the reason that the cost had not
been counted in the first place; others which,
built long ago, had been abandoned, whose
bare walls were now only tshaunted - and
others still, partially destroyed by fire, re-
NAMED as melancholy monuments Of South
ern shiftlessness. Moreover, it was often
the case that the residences of notorious
rebels were left entirely withou. occupants.
1t will readily be believed that from all these
rich materials, to which might be added all
the fences without any discrimination, our
Son4oeii"S, oeeNpyihks ieeions, whose uotlOnS
OF meum and t,utn most decidedly leaned to
the side of me,taa, found plenty wherewithal
to construct their shebangs- Besides being
most useful, many of them, though externally
rude, were richly ofnamented within. Inn
ages IN gold aud ivory, statuetes of all the
gods and goddesses, and some Of the muses.,
arranged on temporary brackets, exhibited
the classic taste of many of our troops, while
paintings in oil executed by distinguished
limners made further inquiry useless as to
their love ofart. Carpets from Turkey, from
Brussels, from the famous looms of Scotland.
softly sank beneath the tread Of many bare
footed heroes. Nor was it the least remarkar
Bile thing connected with these gorgeous
riches of the shebang, that upon inquiry as to
where they come from, it wooA invariably be
discovered that they had been found buried
in the middle of field by parties foraging
for potatoes and bacon
His cahstic severity where he finds an object
provoking it, may he illustrated by the follow
ing philippe against General SruRGls, which
the boys of the Third Cavalry will fully en-
dorse. (See P 408):
ut is saying great deal, and may be put
ting it ooarsely, but Gen. S. d. Sturgis was
the stnpidest general officer in all the armies
OF the United States. He does not appear,
either, to have been animated BY any spirit Of
earnest patriotism, to redeem his character
from universal Peproach, or to cover as with a
veil of charity his military record of unmixed
imbecility. His curls were admirable, the
ringlets falling gracefully adown his head. so
that even the golden haired Menelaus or am
broslal Jove himself, storming through the
clouds, might have coveted the possession.
1t was, perhaps, the Generals devotion to
this magnificent head of hair which prevented
him from paying any attention to military
duties AT any rate, from this cause or some
other, he was forever committing the grossest
plumbers; and he capped the climax Of them
all by his conducs Of the expedition now to be
mentioned, and merely mentioned, for | do
not purpose to give detailed account of it. y
In his sketch Of the Thirty ninth Infantry,
he speaks Aus of the Grand Review at Wash
ington
There were no troops from Iowa in the
hrst day OF the review, but on the second day.
the regiments which have already been noted
in this chapter MS present At Savannah at the
commencement of the year, marched in the
column. Breyet Maj. Gen. John NJ. Corse
must have been gratifed with the fine recep-
ton given him, as his Division wheeled bv
the grand colonnade of the Treasury. That Of
Brig Gen. Elliott ". Rice, commanding a
brigade in the same division, was no less en-
thusiastic. Not far apart in this portion Of
the line were Me Second, Sixth. Seventh.
Tenth, and IAirty-ninth regiments. Their
torn banners gave evidence Of long service.
and many hoody battle. Belmont, Donel-
son, Champion Hills, jackson, Missionary
Ridge, and Allatoona shone brightly from the
honored folds, and Corse' Division passed by
the White House through grand storm Of
cneers. stones Iowa Brigade of the Fiji.
ieen1n corps soon marched up. Here were the
T TeSa..A, Ninth, Iwenty-ffth, Twenty sixth,
banners blazing with the names Of great hat.
Ties from Pea Ridge to Bentonsville. Twas
about the largest brigade in the whole colum..
ana ITS appearance on this great day WAS nm.
surpassed by that of any brigade that naased
by the Executive Mansion. Next came the
thinned and honored Seventeenth reo;mant
and not Tar behind, ~ lows Brisade com,
msnded BY the Distinguished General ". ".
Belknap, who inherited fine soldieriy talents
from his father, and most admirably improved
them throughoak The war. Here WAS the
Eleventh !e reginest, then the Thirteenth, TIE
ccH.eenth, and the Sixteenth-men Who had
1aM met the enemy in the forest by Shiloh
s SeruIcn, ana bod gone through four years
80 =. ksaia1s warfare q any troops Who ever
OsxnI zen. belknap and his Command
1eIs cnseh.d TIL the echoes rane asa;n Nh
nn.zaa or the Iowa Brigade. In sll the al; ~.
az s.ss ". nc.s cnK eqsalsd By Stones Iowa
asrs. se Of me Flftsee8 Corps. Gen. Van.
o.l;ns,. no 40. nas oeen ubelled By some penny
pest officers, commanded : Ar;..I. :. y. ~,
Lourseenth Corps. He, No. ~ h.s.. +:I
cneered b tho Iowaas "a a. crnna. s.r.!
ally. There were M man = W--L:-. 6Ouet