National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-05-30

the Huts Extsmporlzed In Place OF Tents.
According to promise I shall attempt to
recall, as far as l can without diary,
some of tho incidents of the domestic life
the soldier as occurring in winter quar-
tors, for instance. Both of tho armies in
Virginia had long spells Of insction
during tho winters of tho war, owing,
perhaps, in some degree to West
Point tradition and precedent that
winter quarters were q necessity, for
although tho Virginia roads In the
winter season were not favorable TO the
movement Of wagons and artillery they
were not absolutely impractieable, and
there were spells Of dry and cold weather
whom maneuvers could have been exc
outed rs we'll as in the spring or autumn.
But didn't set out 20 criticiso command
ers or the conduct OF campaigns, but 10
tell something about the daily life Of the
"Johnnios' OF our brigade when opera
tions in tho field wore suspended.
WINTER QUARTERS NEAR GUINEA STA
TIoN.
Shortly after Burnsido's battle at
Fredericksburg, Gen. Corse's brigade, Of
Picketts division, to which my regiment
belonged, went into winter quarters near
Guinea station, on the Richmond and
Fredericksburg railroad. There were
three requisites for tho site Of winter
uuarters-shelter as far as possible from
the north winds, with plenty Of wood
and water convenient to tho camp.
This camp was in tho midst
of thick woods on rolling ground, and as
o consequence no attempt was made for q
regimental camp-the companies only be-
ing required to keep as nearly together as
the nature of the ground would admit.
Now, in our regiment at least, tho men of
the companies were notdivided by author
ity into regular mosses Each man had his
blanket partner, according to mutual
selection and congeniality. and in the
tents or huts those only dubbed together
in q mess who wero agreeable to each
other, and, this being tacitly understood
and recognized as q sort of camp etiquette,
there was seldom any friction. By the
way, 10 is wonderful how tho restraints
and discipline and common dangers of
army life tend TO make the toughest
characters gentlemanly, in the best sense
of the term, in their association with
their comrades. A bully. q sneak
or baekbiter, is soon brought to terms
by the ill-concealed disgust and aversion
tha nscaasitv n eoncoalina his near
.nralitiea oyen tbough b;s neturaI disno-
sttion rema;na nnchonged loonard
can't obsnsa his snots bnt ba can bida
them in the grass.
ava "a n;Iod IN Lsans..Lo 10 o. 80
psny on tho ground IL was to occupy
the various messes, some six. some four,
some two, set to work to provide them
.noya ard tba rains ~ n,;ntor al AZ
hrts Iwa Ala not ,noLa r.a az an,r to,,sT
were az varied in ARCHITECTURE. and com.
Portable appliapcea ns the abilities. tastes
or lazipess of the several oroups who
built them. l and.my side partner pre.
TERED 10 work harder in order 10 have n
nut 10 ourselves.
non, no nr,, ,,,
We pesan opora'lonsvy oiRglnB an eN-
caVAsioh sono .en ioet ny eignt anu TOUR
ieet ueeP IN oho SLUG Oh bhi. linen we
CUT Ourselves astrong ridge pole and FORK
70 hoiu Nup' ahu sna,ier pores TO reach
from tne Yep Q, inc sioes OF the excava-
uons 70 sne ,iuKe. NeAt we eut guam,
IVY OF piue poughs anu grass ana packed
tnsn On tno poies' cioseiy pisoeu siue by
fsiuo; "nu upou .nis We piieI ioot Oh
ohinney semp1'ee ". sHoAe piastereu WIN
cay, ~ inc emu Oh 'ne eheayation next TO
tne nh, ahe az o,i-oio'h o,anke. at the
osner on M 10 uoot we hau as warm
at uony &C., Ios no .yu'u 20 agsiIeu,
anu an, I h'' III " ~, oa Ino .on',ation
80" Se oi uoolta-
w Ill, 49, enS' "as
h;s ,,oso a.. "no
'uins ~ "'s 800, ~ 49, i aoi 'ins ohe
campais" "ue' W eurious sorS Oh
amman
ihh pAiLf nooliNh'
Tho routine OF duty In winter quarters
was more HOMOGENEOUS IMAM that OF tho
summer camp, the drills, fatigue, guard,
ana piehes uuIS oeiuB very much Ilghter.
rave;lle and the order,v sorno,nt s.ondo
inc in the center of the comnony c"nnn
wonId call the roll MT Tho ton NJ bis vo;cp'
villa tho men as thar names were c.lIoJ
wo,Id non ont of THAR bmts I;ra roLh;t.
from burrows and HAVING onswnroJ
ahore y dart bach as suddeni5 for anothor
snoo1c or az we used to stvIo n tha
hao,tv sIeen Tben IL Tho Sronn5 ,.ao
not wet a short oomnanv dyill of an bonr
~ 10 n, Concluded no d,'tjas c. ti,a
Sav until roll call nj n O'clock n m The
;ntervenino time was snent In mendino
clothes reading what books and news'
narers conid he gotten hold of IT recoI.
fect that deyilish few hooks ware On
bandI carrying briar.wood ni,ea loIIina
In the hunks smoking or yhot vas re-
aeneral nIaving nok ar and ala sIedga for
eli sorts Of wa0ers from a nine Of tohscco
mn to a dollar ante. II ali denandeJ an
the state of the finances and Tho date Of
the ronnds of the navmnstar az conrsa
ZACH man had co take his tnrn In b,;no'
;no water and fuel draw;ng rations anS
coel;ng them INIT tbis dnty rvas no. d,s-,
testefni. for I've noticed that tha cool
vas ant tn consider bimseIf ont;,joS 20
raronfs;tss in Che sbane of tho cho;oo.,
$1,000 - a. go 'Se''