The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1868-03-20
Sl(tsrellantouS.
SERGEANT BATES'S TOUR.
His March Through the South With
the Flag,
LarncIAL con. OF TINE WORLD |

MpNlbO hLRN, / cbluuIN -.
You may have seen Geographic men,
lion, that TN cN-suldicr named Bates
was carrying the flag on foot through
out the South, and desired some fuller
account of the undertaking. TO begin,
therefore, Gilbuct II. Bates, lives at Ed
gerton, Rock County, Wisconsin,, and
during the war served as sergeant in
the First Wisconsin Heavy Artillery.
At thcclOse OF hos.ilit.cs he went home.
and after meeting somercvcrscs in bust
ness, which deprived him of nearly all
his little store, purchased about five
acres Of good, deep, rich soil and went
into the grape culture. While thus en-
gagged aud having rs little idea Of COM
| ing South rs he had Of Aying, the cN-
sergeant dropped into tie village onv
/ evening TO get his mail. Some accident
/ delaying Tn. train, he waited fora while
NJ the Office and finally started home, on
Is to remember after going few steps
that lac wanted Il pipC--a common clay
pipe, price one pcnuy-and from the
/ purchusou of this pipe came the trip from
/ Nick-bur4 to Washington City, as here
/ inaftCr 10 bcdC.cribcd. Stepping in for
/ his pipe, our graphs, found the usual
knot ofNillagc politicians holding high
debate, the great theme being, of course,
/ Reconstruction. This was ON the lilh
4 Of december last, and now let me give
the story for while a1 related TO me hy
sergeant B. himself.
Most of 'cm was rampant RAIDS; had
never been in the war and didn't know
anything about the feelings of the
Southern people, or anything of the
sort. | directed most Of my convcrsa-
. tion with one man, and he says, "Tho
. people in the South are Just as bad rcb-
Il. now rs they ever were, That's 50,
sergeant Bates, isn't it" No, says |.
some may he that way, but | believe
the greater part OF Of them gave up in
good lai h and are well disposed now tc
the Union. "Whoo!" says he, "why
don't you believe II the troops WAS to be
withdrawn that the flag would be torn
down and tNnplCd under foot almost
before the blue coats could get out o
sight? Why, says he, why d-n 'cm
they're just like the injuns on the plains
| They're just like the CamanchCs by na
lW2. They possess no generosity"
Now, continued the Sergeant, | was
ina bad humor that day, not that / OF
ten ann; generally I'm ina good humor
but ! got a li,tle angry, a little excl
ted, in fact, and can't know what pui
II in my head, but says |, are you il
earnest? "Ncs, says hc, "thcy'd tea
the nag down and tramplc it unde
foot" Wen, says |, I'm poor MAJ
and can't afford to leave my family
hut, II you'll give me, dollar day fo
them, III go TO Nick,burg,-I dom
q know what made me think of NiCks
burg, p'rhaps, because IT was the back
bone of the rcbcllion-without money
and through the South with the flag ,un
armed. So after some more talk, the.
drew up the writings there in regula
lawyer form and We agreed on It, Prett.
soon he insisted on my rccpding, "Fo
God' sake givcitup," said he, "you won
get ten miles from Nicksburg; :" and h
honestly believed and SO did the other,
and tried to persuade me not to &C
The man that made the propositio
tried aguiu, saying, ia never get (
Washington, that I'd be wiped ouI
aud then All the ncighbors would hlam
him for it," But it wa. no use. Wa
determined to go Hca, and Just here tn
!. pluclsy grapist looked as firm us If h
was nj his gun ready for action, The
r. herc-umcd
/, Thi- is the agreement 70 cntt
Nick-bwg without money andcarry tn
United States flag from there to Wasl
ington on foot, through all cities an
town, and by al collcction, Of people
!, and carry the flag unfurled. Ofnigh
4 and during storms 20 furl the flag, pre-
vidcd passed through no such citit
!; or towns and by no such collections {
N people. And not to travel by nigl
40 and at all times he unnrmed. To en-
poy, il wished, one person as guild
but To have no person or persons to pr
tcct me day or night, though any migl
accompany me whodesircd voluntaril,
one dollar day to be paid my lami
in case got to Washington, but If Il
ilug was insulted or |, while bearing
the one dollar day to be forfeited.
N That's the agreement, and the way