News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-12-13
A STORY OF THE WAR.
HOW A THREATENED NTrTINY WAS
MET AND OVERCOME.
Why the VirRinin Soldiers Refused 10
Wear the knapsHck on Guard.

Early in 1862 there was camp of in
struction at BardstOwn, Ky, General
Wood in charge. During the winter
several old regiments which had been
campaigning with considerable success
in Virginia were ordered to Kentucky.
Two or three of these regiments were
marched to BardstOwn and ordered INTO
the camp of construction with the new
troops concentrated there These troops
from Virginia were not veterans in the
true sense of the word but they were
the veterans of the war. They were not
scientifically drilled, because in their
mountain campaigns they had never
found enough level ground for the pur-
pose. but they had caught up i'll that
rough-and-tUmble campaign the soldier
promptness and daring and shrewdness
in mancuver that answered quite as
well. They had been III many Skin
mishes and one or two battles, and knew
what war meant. Therefore tits scarcely
necessary to remark that they had the
greatest contempt for the new soldiers
and patrOnized them. They were the
heroes of the hour, and the Virginia
campaigns will never shine III history
as they were pictured III the narratives
of these cold soldiers. Contempt
raneous with the appearance OF the vet
Grams in camp there was an order to the
effect that all men on guard should carry
knapsacks. This was to educate the
men and inure them to the fatigues Of
march III an actual campaign. Imagine
the establishment OF the men who had
carried their knapsacks over Virginia
hills and mountains when they were
ordered to carry knapsac!ls on guard.
They appeared at brigade guard mount
without them and carried their point.
The next morning, however, special
order was issued and the boys were Or
dered to take their knapsacks. There was
much swearing and grunbiing, but they
did as ordered. After they were turned
over to the Oflicerin charge ut guard point,
a young man who belonged to one of the
new regiments, their Indignation got the
better of their Judgment, and when
ordered to sling knapsacks, at the close
of the inspection they refused to obey.
The officer clustered and threatened,
but the men stood like stones. The
officer fourishcd his revolver and the
men laughed at him. The situation was
growing serious, and an order had Just
been given by a superior officer to place
the men under arrest, when lieutenant
OF the regiment standing near, as Il spec
tator, ran to the coloneI's tent, and
rushing in without ceremony, shouted to
the Colonel, still in bed:
''HallOa, | say, the old HarTy's to pay
here. The boys rebelled and they won't
carry knapsacks, and they have ordered
up a regiment to shoot them down"
The old Colonel jumped out of bed
with jumping jack emphasis, put on his
slippers and dressing gown in a whirl,
and, darling out of the tent, walked in
this plight over to where the guard
was formed and where now great crowd
was gathered. He soon saw that the
thirty or forty men OF his regiment We're
aroused and wholly unconscious Of the
enormity Of their offence, and that the
taunts Of the new troops were making it
worse. He turned to the precise officer
i'll charge and said politely:
''Allow me to speak to these mon, Cap
tain"
He then ordered the rabble to fall
back, and not needing the encouraging
remarks to the boys that came from the
crowd on the one hand or the taunts of
the other, he walked down the line He
walked up the line and down several
times, finally very close, looking every
man i'll the face. He then stood for a
moment III the front. and all expected
TRADE of abuse or an order in thunder
tones. Instead the Colonel said DO
you remember Cotton Mountain, BOYS b.?
Do you remember the men that fell at
White House? Can't you see yet the
graves Of Gauley? In all the many en-
Gagcmeuts / was very proud OF you, and
every other, that [ may lie spared, and
at the close of the war, when our flags
are torn and tattered, when we have
fought the good fight, to ride at your
head through the city that sent You out,
and say to all, These men are soldiers;
their career is without stain; they
were not merely brawlers when petty an
noyance came, but for the cause they
bore everything. >" Then, after Il pause,
he said, stretching out his arms, Take
up your knapsacks, boys-boys, take up
your knapsacks." And the hundred
spectators saw the thirty men stoop as
one man and sling their knapsacks on
their shoulders, and, as they marched
away, saw the Colonel turn i'll a towering
passion on the officer who had issued
the orders and heard him thunder out ::
Don't treat my men, sir, like dogs.
[ won't stand it. sir.