The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-10-11
ARMY MUSIC.
HOW AN ARMY COOK WAS CtlARMEe
BY REGlMENTAL BAND.
A Monster Band at Grand Review~
Fitzpatrick in Charge of a Regular
Virginia BIeakdown-The
First Shell.
(St. Louis Rep ublican. |

lSt. LOUIS Rep uDHcanl
Mr.. Lloyd Harris, of st. Louis, contributes
the following from rather extensive bud.
get of war papers already published: Many
of the veterans of tho Army of the Potomac
remember the splendid band of the Fourth
zenith Brooklyn zouaves. Wherever they APP
peared in their gay uniform ana started one
of their inspiring tunes the effect on all the
colored servants electrical One day
while we were encamped back Of the Airing
ton our house sable cook had started with
our coffee pot in his hand from an
open fire toward the tent were Hooe
and the Plummers and | waiting
his arrival Just at the moment the
Fourteenth band struck up "Dixie' they
were passing by, and away started the cook,
still holding the coffeepo completely en-
trance1 by the music, and never stopped
until the tune had endeI and he half a
mile from the tent On his return he looked
worry foolish and venture1: Captain, we
never heerd such music dat in ole Vir-
ginny."
The same band united with several others
AMI made n monster band at McClellan's
grand review; 100 silver instruments, thirty
tenor and tan bass drums, all under one
leader, formed the brightost feature of the
grandest review over witnessed in this
country.
On our way to Fredericksburg, i'll 1863
we had encampel for a day, and lat, in the
afternoon our attention was attracted by
the &c of n band in grove only half q
mile away, who kept playing one lively air
for so long n time that some few of pro-
posed to go over and what the fun was
about AT this time fitzpatrick was lieu
tenant colonel OF tho Ilnrri- light cavalry,
nfterwar,l callel by rfein lict Infantry
"KiIpatrick's thieves" Wrrh ue reached
the grove a very funny IGN .ra,t,i us.
The band was still playing, bat ae.trIy ex-
hausted. Fitzpatrick, elevated =, : 'tn,ing
OH II barrel head, was shoutin .'f lions to
at least fifty darby men, wo'n,ai mi chill
dren, old and young, who wr,,. i icing O
breakdown in the true Virginia t.r the
sweat pouring off from ia h1nd
leader appealed to kilpatrick "a AFT OF
his wind broken band but in v..I KIP
shouted back play ill y"u the
darkies out then yelled /, ia ..1raiss
Keep it up. boys and girls, y,u will boat
the band sure"
Aye, there stood the vino after
ward cee bratcd in history, Con. Fitzpatrick,
the raider, prompting the m amusing
dance over witnessed. No III 'iorn minstrel
troupe has ever equalel it. His officers
were just busy hs was. aud of
them passed around the hat, to which the
spectators responded literally then, just as
the band blew a last AMI dismal blast.
Fitzpatrick threw the contents of the hat
among the contrabands. Such a scene;
down all fours, scrambling, pushing,
and screaming, until tho last silver piece
had been secured. Fitzpatrick came down
from the barrel, AMI in his ever genial
manner shook hands with us, saying, "Gen-
tIemen of the Sixth l am glad to see you.
You will excuse this little party, for 1t Ia
not often that we have such fun, and at the
same time give active employment to the
contrabands."
Tho Iron brigade in crossing tho Kappa
hammock river to participate in the battle Of
Fredericksburg were hidden by dense fog
from the enemy and one of tho regiments,
the Twenty-fourth Michigan, who We're to
receive their first baptism under fire. were
marching in front of the old Sixth veterans,
colors flying, the band playing Hail Co
lumbia, Happy Land" when. alasi the sun
appeared, the fog liftei and the train guns
of half dozsn rebel batteries opened their
work of destruction. Almost the first shell
landed In the midst of the band and scat
tered them right aud left. Those who sur
vived beat n hasty retreat to the sheitering
bank of tho river, and brave Col Morrow
kapt his gallant regiment "well IN hand"
shouting, STEADY, men, those Wisconsin
mon are watching you" l do not remem-
Der of ever seeing that band in any of the
harl-fought battles their regiment after
ward participated in.