The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-02-16
DAILY PRESS.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1G, 1871.
The FirsI, Tenth nnd Twenp-Nin
Maine Eseyiu.eufs
PORTLAND.

Ahe FIrsi. Tenth and TWenp-Niuth
Maine ssegiFaenis.
we nave been favored with an advance proof
oi the hfst oi pages of Maj John NJ. Gould's
forthcoming book with The above title. now
running through the press of Mr.. Slepben Ber-
ry OF this city. These pages embrace the histo-
ry Of the First Maine, from the consolidation
OF its chaotic elements into an organized body.
to its arrival home at the expiration of its
three months term of service. There is a fla
vOr about our experiences and recolIections of
this regiment that will be preserved while
many of the more startling incidents connect
ed with succeeding organizations have some
what faced from the mind. rha strange 20
stion in which the nation found itsefin those
early days of 1861, the gathering and equip
ment OF regiment OF Our friends and rela-
tives Tor real war, the rush and hustle of their
presence in the city, the imperfect AMI crude
system OF providing for them, and the emo
tions created by their departure for what we
then feared would be scenes of conflict, were
never again, iully felt. But there was hu-
morous side to this chapter in the record,
enjoyed afterwards.
Major Gould has set about the work of
writing the history of this regiment and those
which grew out of it and Were indeed the
second and third parts OF the First, with due
deliberation, and though he has written care
fully there is no indication in his poges of
study for effect. He has adopted familiar,
half colloquial style, and the humor of the
scenes and incidents be narrates bubbles up
SO naturally and unreservedly that we have
laughed heartily as ne recalls incidents which
were more or less familiar to us, or graphical
ly sketches portraits and peculiarities OF some
well-remembered people who were identified
with the organization. If he continues his
work in the graver phases to which he is hast
ening with the same truthfulness and vigor
that he has treated the matter so far he will
have put his private journal to valuable
public use. We make few extracts from the
advance sheets referred to.
APRIL 2Sth, Sunday. The Captain, (Fes.
sender of Co. C), told us to "fall in," and we
were marched to the new City Hail. where we
each received pair OF woolen shirts, two
pairs of wooen drawers, two pairs wooden
stockings, and one pair OF shoes with leather
strings, the shoes being the great, wide kind
you see in shops on the wharves, where fish
ermen IL ade. We received our blankets some
time ago. 1t is understood that revolvers
have arrived TO arm the regiment This IS a
piece of news which Delights every one, es-
epcially those who have been trying week
TO buv one ~
Muskets enough were taken from the State
Arsenal to- day to give every man one with
out borrowing.
notice also under this date that Eve are to
march Tuesday," Cartridge boxes and other
accoutremeDts came at a date not recorded,
and on April 30th we received our overcoals,
pantaloons, haversacks and knapsacks,-the
last miserable thing Of painted cloth which
daubs everything it touches. The overcoat is
gray with the Massachusetts brass button on
it, and is not bad coat; the pantaloors are
OF poorer stuff and made III hurry; color
mixture Of gray, red and brown.
The great word SHoDDY could not be;found
at that time in the latest editions OF Wsbster's
dictionary, and was unknown among the
masses; and hence you will observe that it
was not used here, nor does it ever occur in
my diary of the first Maine. Had l known
the word it would have gone in hers ut this
time most certainly.
A note added a month later than this re-
minds me that The expected pistols came and
wete very partially distributed 10 the Colonel
and all officers and non on-commissoned officers
but not private had one,-another evidence
of the contempt in which private was held
by his superiors!
ACCEPTED BY THE STATE
The diary of April 25, 1861, has-"Busi-
ness extremely dull" showing that was still
at work for myself, as were some others, per-
ha do,
of the State of Maine.
The company did nothing to-day, and IN
the evening, when we al met for drill and
news, the Captain told us that we might be
ordered on duty tomorrow afternoon.
APRIL 9th, Friday At one O'Clock TIE
company was mustered into Accepted the
State service, as they said, though / don't.
vouch for it. But soon after, Hi vouch Tor
this, they took us down to John B. Browns
unfinished theatre building, in Union street,
where we understood we were "quartered";
but we did nothing here except TO howl at the
bare walls, and sing and talk and act like
70 Dis. At p. NJ. Capt. FeSsenden let us go
home on our promising to return at 3 A. NJ,
since the accommodations for sleeping were
not sufficient The Norway company is in
the hall with us, and is made up OF as tough
a set of giants as need be. They are none Of
poor ''sallow, slenderly built boys" as the
ASOCi aiiHy dIOuuu TOlb OutiltGI ID QcsCTiOcn
as being. They are a jolly set of fellows; we
got acquainted with all OF them, and one lit
tie sergeant whom they call "Major," is the
pink OF the lot.
AT CAMP wAsnDURN.
The guard line was about half around.
with thirty sentineis upon it, every one OF
whom, with all the officers OF the guard, were
endeavoring to keep the men ftom running
Off, Not one sentinel had a fair idea OF what
guard duty was, but whenever he saw man,
going off or coming back he sang out, "Oficer
OF the Guardw or "Of1icer of the Day Post
Number --w 1--WE never stopped to call for
corporals or sergeants of the guard in those
days Of wisdom.) Then the next sentinel
would take up the cry and around it would
go. How it would go! If it started from No.
10, it generally got changed to No. something
else by the time 1T reaches the guard tent,and
as likely as not the sentry at the tent sent it
flying again, and So We had it all night. As
often as the town clock struck, some wise SEN
tinel started tie cry, say 1.-Two of-the-clock.
and-all-is-weli!' which ran around till il came
to another wiser than be, who changed the
termination to "all is Gerry WELL" But one
more practical than either would vary this
somewhat by singing out with all his voice,
and all his temper, and with much profanity
"Two oclock Tuln out that third relief or
tbere'll be = to payp Tie cries of the
guard and the uproar OF those who were
drunk or getting that way, with the novelty
of camp lie, made it a sleepless night TO most
of as.
Being recrait then, suppose l noticei
more the srumbling and profanity of the "lst"
than of the 10th" or "29tb," but l find that
most oi,those who were in The three regiments
agree with me that the "tst" excelIed the 9th
ers in these accomplishments. Our worthy
Chaplain, thinking that example was every
thing, gmust have demonstrated with our
Colonel on the matter of profanity, for one
day at drill, alter some anti-Hardee movement
the Colonel let loose all the swearing he had
kept pent up till then, and ended with the SOL
iioquy "what's the use to ask man not TO
swear il he has to drill such officers P" Know
ing full well the sin of profanity, / am never
able to look at it in our old Colonel in its NOR
al bearing. 1t was always so comical, or came
as an emphasis 10 his disgust, or pretended
disgust, that it seemed thing tolaugh over,aud
besides,as we boys always urged in apoIo2y,
he never swcre at the meu excepting when lie
was unable to tell a man from an officer.
May 25. Alarm of fire this morning in
town. The men ran of, one after another,
making continuous line. And. as
it rained afterwards, none of them came back !;
so at dress parade only 300 officers and men
~1r arA