The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-08-02
From The Seat of War.
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

the chaos brought about by the rise of
the laboring classes. Company H,
Ridgway Rifles was ordered on
Thursday to report at Franklin, via.
Brookville the Low Grade Allegeny
Valley Rail Road. On Saturday the
company took up the line of march as
ordered. Starting from Ridgway
about eleven o'clock Friday night,
with thirty .dne muskets twenty
rounds of ammunition besides large
box for further supply. and three Com
misioned officers. Nothing, of inn
portance trafispired on the journey,
although the flying clouds gave token
Of q storm. Brockwayville was
reached at -four o'clock, and the ma
jority of the boys camped in the hay
NOW getting up two or three hours af-
ter with hair filled with hay seed and
caps and clothing all dust, looking
more like striking grangers than
fierce and blood thirsty (?) warriors.
Brookviile, was reached I'm due season
through II drenching rain which gave
the boys a thorough ducking. The
idea of a forty-mile march across tho
country in these days of steam and
rapid transit was often commented on
by the members of the command, and
the mode of Transportation condemned,
and grumbled at, but being soldiers,
Obeyed orders without asking u,les-
tiOns.
The citizens OF Brookville seemed
surprised to see an armed body Of men
invading their territory but instead
of devouring us, we caused q famine
ut the American House. Mr.. Kretz
only charging the boys two bits and a
nickle for one of the sguarest meals
you wish to see, and very kindly
transported our baggage to the depot
and i'm many other ways added to the
comfort of the boys, for all which the
nnbane proprietor has the thanks of
the command. On arriving at Red
Bank Junction, orders were received
directing the company to report at
Pittsburgh where the Seventh Division
had preceded us only u few hours,
and: Mt this place the pieces were
loaded and here we found: also
another big box Of ammunition and an
aid of Major Gen. Huidekooper to
port which we received at Brooville
that 300 strikers awaited us at New
Bethlehem and were going to disarm
| the command created slight feeling
of uncasincss bat on receiving n Pitts
burg paper the Bethlehem Junction
on the LehIgh Valley road was found
to lr the place.
At Redbank the danger of peing in
terccpted by rioters made us just un-
easy enough to be cautious, but all
seemed determined to do the duty re-
quired of them at any cost.
At INittanning the citizens es-
pccially the ladies, and more cs-
pecially the young ladies waved their
handierchiciS, and by actions
stronger than words welcomed us as
eXponents and champions of law and
order the sight of blue uniforms seem
ing to guarantee to all the protection
of law. anI possessing all with conf
dence in the ability of the State to sus.
tain itself even il it he by the calling
out of armed bodies of citizens.
Pittsburgh was reached without
any disturbance and we were landed,
at Lawrcnccvillc one to two miles
above the Union depot. II drizzling
rain giving us n disagreeab!e welcome.
The guide appointed to take us to our
camping ground being evidently
slightly confused. We were first
marched into barn yard and into
some body's back fence, and out again
only to stumble over boilers which
lined the streets, and each member
silently cursing the fate that conf
PEELED us to march under the direction
of a confused guide in a rain storm.
After marching about hundred
thousand miles, at least 80 it seemed
when burdened with musket, forty
round of ammunition, Il soaked blanket,
boiled shirt, clean stockings, and ra-
tiOns for several days, besides cold
in the head and the fear that each
separate cubble stone harbOred a
rioter clamoring for our old muskets,
together with the comforting assur-
ance that the green sward was to be
our "downy couch, minus the down,
and the blue canopy our covering.
To say that we were sick is no cir.
cunlstance, and as we climbed a
steep and ragged bluff on the way to
our camping.place, the thought that
we We're enjoying a soldiers privilege
to sleep in the grass or in mud hole
seemed not in the least TO enliven ol
delight us. The darkest clouds have
their silvery lining, and the silver lin
ing to this cloud came in the shape o
a patriotic citizen who kindly Offered
to allow us the privilege of making hi
barn our lodging place. All nigh
long the camp fires on the hillside
burned brightly. and the rain fell il
sufficient quantities to damp the
ardor of a thousand soldiers who lay
on the ground watching for coming
dawn.