National Republican., 1885-06-06


In my last tried TO give, from recol-
lection, some Of the experiences of the
confederate soldier In winter quarters. /
think 1 may say that in spite of the in
activity Of camp life and its comparative
freedom from danger, tho soldiers pro-
ferred the stir and bustlo Of cam
paigu to the monotony Of stationary
camp. As have said before, men grow
nervous and irritable when long cooped
up together, and think nearly all the
punishments saw inflicted during three
years of service with tho 18th Virginia
regiment, were the result Of the "cusssd-
ness" engenderod in winter quarters.
Why, como Of the men would run any
risk in an escapade simply for the excite.
mont thereby occasioned. We read
of trsmps riding miles and miles
hanging from the trucks of
railroad car. They do 50 to save weary
walking, but IL was common thing for
some of our mon to take this method of
running tho blockade into Richmond
when IL was almost a certainty that they
would be arrested before they got out of
F.. tho depot on arrival. The provost guards
at Richmond were rs thick as bees about
this time, aud man could hardly walk
. square, II in uniform, without having
his passport demanded Of him. And yet,
with all this precaution, Richmond was
literally swarming with federal spies.
HOW THE MEN GOT EVEN.
A favorite method OF taking revenge
upon field officer who, by severity or
mesnness, had encountered the ill-will Of
the men was to enter tho stables and
shave every hair from the mane and tail
of his horo. Now horses were dear and
scarce, and such proceeding would put
an officer to much inconvenience and ex-
pense, for ho could not appear on parade
or drill with his carefully cherished
charger looking like rat. This trick
had both excitement and danger to
recommend it, for the only way to enter
the stables was to pass a guard in the night
time, who had strict orders to fire on any
night providers caught in tho act. am
happy to say that no such case ever hap
pened in our regiment, for the field ott-
cers were all popular with the men, but
II did happen TO one Of the colonels Of the
Goth Virginia of our brigade, and the
incident enforced his retirement from his
command for some months and the substi-
tuition of our colonel to lick the regiment
into discipline aud good humor. 1t
might be thought that the nervous irri-
liability referred to after long stay in
camp would have engendered many broils,
but 1t did not as we'll as remember. When
two men got to abusing each other, as a
rule, the non-commissioned officers would
tell them to
STEP OUTSIDE THE CAMP AND SETTLE IT.
Tho entire company went along to SEQ
fair play. 1t must not be thought tho
combat was according to the London
prize ring, or Marquis of bloomsbury
rules-it was n regular knock-dow and
drag-out, rough and tumble affair. only
biting and gouging being barred. When
one of the combGtants became exhausted
or yelled "enoughW the fighters were
separated, and required to shake hands
in token of absence Of malice. All private
fighting with weapons was strictly
frowned upon by the eoiiicers--they were to
be reserved for better purpose--but they
never interfered with these little isti-
cuff arrangements. In fact j never saw
weapon drawn on ono comrade by
another during my service in the
regiment. except on one occasion.
The regiment was at Petersburg being
! packed in box cars like sardines prepara-
tory to being sent to east Tennessee
between an Alexandrian and Prince
William man, aud before they could be
separated one struck the other over the
head with his rifle. while the other re-
4 taliated with a plunge OF his knife into
tho abdomen OF his assailant, literally
disemboweling him. 1t was q shocking
sight and i WAS the more deeply i'm
pressed because the quarrel resulted from
SO trivial matter.
The majority Of tho companies of oui
u regiment felt tho period Of suspension oi
hostilities for another reason. These
companies were raised in Alexandria
Fairfax, and Prince William, and al
q their places were in the enemy's lines after
the first yoar of the war.
WE GOT NO BOXES OF PROVISIONS
to exc out our scanty rations, and wo got
II no furloughs, for the officers knew thai
We would attempt to run the blockade t
81 get to our homes, and in that case it wa,
likely that one-half at least would bC
% captured in tho undertaking. During
the first three years OF tho war never
had u furlough until / was commissioned
in another organization by Gov. Smith
and l. don't believe / would have got il
then had not promised not TO attempt
to run the blockade. The truth was thai
we fellows from the tide-water countie:
very seldom ever heard from home
except when Mosby made one of his pc
riodical raids down into that section.
l would like to say something of my
hospital experience, for even though i
was limited it was sufficient to sickon on,
with the systom. During Longstreet'l
siege Of Suffolk tho writer was detailed
In charge of q squad of six men to guart
a position on Washington's canal in th,
nj aUa
from the extreme right of the army. r,
reach our destination we had to proceed
along narrow towpnth cut every nov
and then by slashes, so that one-half thj
time we were wading
= IN MUD AND WATER UP TO THE WAIST
Here we were on duty continuously fo
six days and nights, 1t being too muci
trouble to make daily reliefs on post 81
far away from headquarters. We coulC
easily defend the narrow pass bounded
on each side as II was by tho dens
swamp, but for all that it was q some
~ what anxious time, as We were warned
= that the Yanks were in some force OF
Lake Drummond, which was not many
Imiles away. We had nothing but bacor
and hard tack TO eat. aud had had nothing
( else for weeks--no coffee, nor sugar, mo-
|I vinegar, nor any sort Of vegetable. Sucl
4 diet became nauseatinG, and what Will
hat and the worry Of tho picketing,
a began for the first time during the wa
Eo feel really sick. didn't give in, how
v over. until the squad was relieved and tn
! army was on the retreat. While walkinj
n the ranks / suddenly tainted aud fell
nd when recovered my senses fouu,
'inyself in an ambulance, with the surgeo,
itti,0 beside me. He gave mo lump o
NJ rum OPIUM, telling mo to nibble a pieo
occasionally TO keep up my strength
NJ ntil got TO the hospital at Petersburg
'|/ 3lhe Poplar Lawn Hospital, \ series O
E Iarge one.story wooden barracks, wal
N aid to be the best conducted hos
pital either in Richmond or Petersburg
H.. nd so it may have been and then n