New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-22
NEW ORLEANS REPUBLICAN,, SATURDAY, JANUARY 1876.

NEW ORLEANS RE-
entirely dispense with tho taller, the shoe
maker, ''the butcher, the baker, the candle
stick maker"-with Ill those whose services
We find Indispensable Ut home3 The answer
10 quite easy; he does not dispense with
them 1t ell. Our volunteer armies, it must
be remembered, were drawn from the peo-
pie, and embraced about all the 0ccupar
lions that the people find it necessary
to pursue. Before experience had Aocus-
toned me to the thing, it seemed very odd
that in . regiment Of soldiers whose uni
form apparently destroyed all individuality,
there was always to be found . man or
score of men ready and capable when any
special or skilled service was called for; but
tho ease with which such demands were
answered soon made it quite commonplace.
Thus, every regiment, often every com,
pany, had it's tailors and sh0emakers; and
on long campaigns, where issues of clothing
and shoes were impossible. their services
we're in continual demand. Most of the
companies had barber, often . profess
sional one, who found steady and sometimes
profitable employment. Company cooks"
two to each company-were re-
cognized and allowed by the army reguia'
tiOns. There was never any difficulty IN
finding the right men for this most useful
duty; but in my own experience have no
hesitation in saying that some Of them were
quite competent to serve on the cuisine OF
first class clearinghouse. once found a
private soldier repairing watch for COM
rade. "Tbis was nay business ut home" he
said, land have the tools with me to make
apy ordinary repair" 1t generally hap
pened that these hardy fellows bad their
toole with them; they had brought them
from home with the idea that they might
be in demand. Farriers and veterinary
surgeons were found in the ranks and
put in their proper places, as were carpen-
tere, clerks, snd all the many special ser.
wants that the vast business OF the chief
ouartermaster and the chief c0mmissary
required. l must speak moro in detail
of the services of the carpenters. At New
Iberia, and Franklin, Louisiana. and in the
vicinity of Winchester, Virginia, in the
winters of 1864 and of 1917 the winter
quarters of the Nineteenth Corps were . lot
Of villages of log huts, each with brick
chimney, and az comfortable and pic
turesOue as could be desired. This was en-
tirelv the work of the soldiers themselves.
done under the direction OF the many car
penters and masOns who were among them.
These huts were not merely comfortable;
MANY of them were fitted up with con
veniences that would have done no dis
credit to q modest house in town, and they
were the surprise and wonder of the many
civilian visitors who saw the environments.
In Western Louisiana, in the campaign OF
1868 beef cattle were abundant, and were
fraelv slaughtered for the use of the army.
The carcasses were as neatly and cleverly
dressed and prepared for the cooks as
though the work had been done in city
slaughtering establishment.
In December. 1862, the steam transport
Thames, carrying detachment OF the One
Hundred and Fourteenth New York volun.
transports for New Orleans. They were
caught in Q terrific storm off Cape Hstterss,
which swept the deck OF the Thames clean
of every thing on it, and tossed that ill-cOn-
ditioned craft about like an eggshell. In
the greatest fury OF a gale that lasted forty
eight hours the engine became disabled,
and the Thames literally rolled about at
the mercy of winds and waves. The cap
| tain was disabled and the crew short hand
ed. In this emergency two hrst Glass sea
men came forward from among the soldiers
and volunteered their services. which were
most thankfully accepted With their aid
the vessel was kept afloat till the tempest
moderated, and she was taken in tow by
one of the large steamers, and great share
| of the credit Of saving her and her frelgh,
| of 400 souls was cheerfully given to these
| two opportune volunteers. But VIVA,
| civilian would have thought 10 possible thai
such help could come from the soldiers Oh
board!
The minor annals of the war abound II
the incidents of soldiers stepping from thu
ranks on call to act as telegraph operator
engine driver and type setter. Ihere wa
no end to the capacity Of one of our vo!un
teer armies with such constituents. TIT
fame of Colonel Bailey, a volunteer fron
Wisconsin, who devised the novel Red rive
dam in 1864, by means Of which the shallow
waters of the river we're compressed into
narrow channel, and our fleet, imprisoned
on the shadows. was released, is justly pre-
served by the historians OF the war; but
ia curious to read in the report of the con
oressional Committee on the Conduct OF tn
War lvol. ILL.,, p. 223l, the testimony o
Major General Emory, in part IS follows:
Question-Who conceived the plan Q
building dams there!
Answer-Lieutenant Colonel Bailey 9
nv command.
Questionable credit of originating tina
idea is with him!
Answer-I 80 understood il; l gave MI
credit for it, 1t may have originated wit
somebody else. There was aeoldler, nav
forootten his name, of the One Hundre
and Fourteenth New York Regiment, on
of the best regiments l had, who came
| me about it after l heard 1t from COion'
Bailey. He told me that on one 0ccaslo
. he had assisted in getting steamboat OF
of the Susquehsnna, which is more DIN
cult river than the Red river.
These are, of course. but few OF tn
thousand and one examples that might
cited of what l have called "the manlfol
talent of the volunteers" 1t was som
thing incidental to the war, and the n,
torians thus far have not deemed it worth
Of any comment or notice. think the
mistake, because believe that never o
fore was there such manifestation OF q
| verse skill and capacity IN any army, al
because it did have powerful bearing {
the success of our arms.-COrrespondcsat
| Ner York Times.