The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-08-07
"OFF FOR THE WAR"
Funny Experiences Of the First Volunteers Of tn

War.
To THE EDITOR: The first number that
have seen of THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE reached
me day or two ago. and / am SO much pleased
with it and its contents that feel quite like
having a chat with the comrades who see
are still in the land of the living land the
home of the brave"
There must be among your readers some
who
WENT OUT FROM NEW YORK IN MAY, 1861,
with the organization known at the start as
" Bartlett's Naval Brigade and / am sure
that such will recall the gay time we had
when the transport Coatzacoalcus reached
Fortress Monroe, and we found to our dismay
that Gen. Butler didn't want US because we
were not uniformed and armed. To be sure,
there was plenty of clothing and arms in the
hold of the vessel, but the owners were on
board and declined to part with their property
until the organization was formally accepted
by the General commanding the Department..
Do you remember old comrade, how we
howied at the idea of going back to New York
in the transports that brought us down, and
how we were finally permitted to land and go
into camp, out on the road leading to Hamp-
ton?
Such camp as that was! / can still see the
blank look ON the faces of the 900 men who
formed the brigade, when Nixon--then acting
Major and commandment, Bartlett having hurt
himself while mounting Sawyer gun on the
Rip Raps-informed us that we might
"BREAK RANKS AND HUNT HOLES"
in the big field until we could get camp and
garrison equipage.
No truer evidence of the determination and
deadly earnestness of those men could have
been given than to see them quietly make the
best of the situation, decline to take passage
back to their homes, and with rails and brush
on1 hits 0f I,
wanted was secesh, by the way make shelters
for themselves.
Quite luxariant building was made in the
corner Of the lot near the road, by utilizing a
cart 10 or II rails, and one side of suffers
wagon. This was our headquarters" and from
thence issued the Adjutant every morning and
mounted the guard.
More than one of your readers, dear TRIB-
UNE, will remember going on picket duty
armed with club, and exciting the wonder
and admiration of Magruder's soldiers who oc-
cupied the line of Hampton Greek and the
town.
OF course this state of things could not last
long. for our grub-rations were very irregular
and hard to get. remember the
STAPLE FOOD WAS "PIG,n
| and, like Mrs GLASS; celebrated hare, it had
first to be caught.
often wonder what became of the A. D. c.,
VIM Sthu1C up ~ OuC VI our NdpLdlnS one Jay
as he was rammlng his revolver to its sheath,
and gazing with grim satisfaction at a dying
porkeT, told him to consider himself under
arrest " until further orders from Gen. Butler.
What for?" inquired the Captain.
For shooting that hog" was the reply.
Who are you?D was the next question.
am -, Acting Aid-de-Camp to Gen.
Butler" replied the mounted officer.
Well Lieut.. -, Acting Abide Camp
to Gen. Butler / will, OF course, consider my
self under arrest until further orders. Mean
while you must excuse me. I am in hurry,
for am afraid that other pig will get away if
/ don't stop him. Ta-ta." And away the Cap
tain rushed to secure the balance of his COM
pany's rations for that day. AS far as the
further orders were concerned, the Captain
is still under arrest
Finally, the necessary orders were given
and the brigade received supply of every
| thing needful. Then they were put under the
command of Col. d. w. Wardrop, who came out
in command of a 90-day regiment from Massa-
chusetts, and then were Te-organized under the
name of the
UNION COAST GUARD"
| All hands from the Major down to the Junior
Drummer were marched to the fortress medi-
cally examined and those that passed mus-
tered into Uncle Sans military service for
| three years or the war. So there we were, all
| high priyates. A day or two after an order
was issued permitting the Union Coast
Guard " to elect, Ia companies of not less than
80 each, their own line officers Most of those
who came down as commissioned officers were
thus re-instated, aud with Wardrop as Colonel,
Hilliday Ia Swede) as Leutenant-C Colonel, and
Nixon as Major, Bartlett's Naval Brigade y
became, by special order from Washington, the
! independent organization known as the
Union Coast Guard, y the officers to take rank
| from May 81, 1861, and nav to begin at same
date.-CAPTAIN, Co. C.