The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-10
Ess me with the awe that scotslHl,

NTH, the commandant Of cadets, as the two
men most to be envied by the Nation. was i'm
patient to get on my uniform and see how it
looked, besides probably wanting my old school
mates, and particularly the girls, to see me in it,
But the conceit was knocked out of me by two
little circumstances that happened after
the arrival of the clothes, and which gave me
distaste for military uniform that I never recoy
cred from.
''Soon after the arrival Ct the suit donned it
and put off for Cincinnati on horseback. While
was riding along a street of that city, imagin-
ing that every one was looking at me with
feeling akin to mine when l first saw General
Scott, a little urchin, bareheaded, barefooted
with dirty and ragged pants, held up by single
sgalinws--that's what suspenders We're called
then-and q shirt that had not seen washtub
for weeks, turned to me ard cried OUT Soldier,
will you work2 No. stree; I'll sell my shirt first.
The horse trade and its dire consequences were
recalled to m1nd.'
At Galena, in 1861, there was war meeting,
which was thus described:
AT Galena in 1861, posters We're stuck up call
ing for meeting of the citizens at the court
house in the evening. Business ceased entirely;
all was excitement; for time there was no party
distinction All were Union men. determined to
avenge the insult TO the national flag. In the
evening the court house was packed. Although
comparative stranger, was called upon to pre-
side. The sole reason. possibly, was that had
been in the army, and had seen service. The
two principal speeches were by b. B. Howard,
the postmaster, and Breckinridge Democrat at
the November election the fall before, and
John A. Rawlins. an elector on the Douglas
ticket. Z. E. Washburne, with whom was not
acquainted at the time, came in after the meet
ing had been organized, and expressed, under
ctr rH aft rd hat Gala
could not furnish presiding officer for such an
occasion without taking a stranger. He came
forward and was introduced, and made a speech,
appealing to the patriotism of the meeting. After
the speaking was over volunteers were called for
to form company"
THE FIRST BATTLE.
GAS soon as the enemy saw us speaking Of his
first battle in the civil war; they decamped as
fast as their horses would carry them kept
my men in the ranks, and forbade them enter
ing any of the deserted houses, or taking any
thing from them. We halted at night on the
road and proceeded the next morning at an
early hour Harris had been encampod In
creek bottom for the sake of being near water.
The hills on either side of tho creek extend to
considerable height. possibly more than one
hundred feet.
'As we approached the brow of the hill, from
which it was expected we could see Harriss
camp and possibly find his men ready formed to
meet us, my heart kept getting higher and
higher, until it felt to me as though it was in
my throat. / would have given anything to
have been back in Illinois, but had not the
moral courage to halt and consider what to do
/ kept right On. When we reached a point
from which the valley below was in full view
halted The place where Harris had been en-
camped few days before was still there, and
the marks of recent encampment we're plainly
visible. but the troops were gone. My heart re-
sumed its place. It occurred to me at once that
Harris had been as much afraid of as I had
been of him. This was view of the question
had never taken before, but it was one never
forgot afterward From that event to the close
of the war never experienced trepidation upon
confronting an enemy.
''At the battle OF Belmont, fearing that the
enemy we had seen crossing the river below
might be coming on us unawares, rode out in
the field to our front, still entirely alone, TO OBJ
serve whether the enemy was passing. The
field was grown up with corn so tall and thick
as to cut of the view Of even a person on horse
back, except directly along the rows Even in
that direction, owing to the over hdngipg blades
OF corn, the view was not extensive. had not
gone more than few hundred yards, when I
saw a. body of troops marching past me- not
fifty yards away. looked at them for mo.
ment, and then turned my horse toward the
river and started back first in walk, and, when
l thought myself concealed from the view of
the enemy, as fast as my horse could carry me.
w hen at the river bank still had to ride few
hundred yards to the point where the nearest
transport lay. The corn-fed in front
OF our transports terminated at the
edge Of dense forest Before / got
back the enemy had entered this forest and
had opened a brisk fire upon the boats. Our
men. with the exception of details that had gone
to she front after the wounded were now either
aboard the transports or very near them. Those
who were not aboard soon got there. and the
boats pushed off. was the only man of the
national army between the rebels and our