Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-04-28
RECOLLEcTIONS OF A PRIVATE.
A "Bummer's' Account of
sherman's March from
Atlanta to the Sea.
Shifting from the Interior to the
CoasG-Scenes ard Incidents
in the Heart OF tho
Confederacy.

THE accompanying sketch is the fourth
OF q series we have undertaken to publish
coincident with oral historical instruction
given in the city schools by resident ex-soldiers
OF the war of the rebellion. The superintsn-
dent OF the city schools has adopted this
method of conveying to his pupils Information
connected with the war history of tho United
States, and our series of articles, prepared by
an ex-soldier, is designed as a part of such In
struction. .-EDs.l
Fourth Paper.
[Oontinued from last week
MY experience among that peculiar
creation of the peculiar exigencies of
the campaign known as Shermap's
march to the seattle bummers-
enables me to testify that as class they
We're conscientious, law abiding soldiers,
out on something Of lark, With unsim.
tied powers of discretion and action lss-
fore them. and that generally they did
not abuse the privileges of irresponsible
parties literally "monarohs of all they
surveyed" There were some black
sheep in the flock some whose cupidity
or depravity led them into unauthorized
plumber and into the commission Of
crimes against defenseless households.
But the low instincts of this class were
ssss:vely developed and when they were ex-
hibited their hummer brethren took re-
tribution into their own hands and en-
forced severity of guardianship equal
to anything in the military code. The
commander of the army was not more
Jealous of Its good name then were the
men who composed it, whether they
were in the ranks along the dusty roads
or enjoying the free life OF roaming fora
gers among the plantations Of. their ene-
mics.
It often happened that the over
anxiety of the inhabitants of the exposed
district to save their household valua-
bles from the hands of Sherman's men
resulted in it's discovery and appropria-
tion, when had they permitted articles
CT value to remain in their houses, ex-
posed to view, the hummer would have
passed them by and touched them not.
Whatever was found hidden in the
swamps, the fields or the woods be.
came by common consent subject to con-
fiscation and speedily passed from the
uncertain possession of the reb. to the
certain possession of the Yank. After
q while our boys became experts at
tracing lost goods. They prodded the
sandy soil OF Georgia plantations wlth
their ramrods or their sabres and where
ever the steel came IN contact with any
thing harder than earth, the shovel and
spade quickly uncovered the substance
and the treasures were reveaiea. The.
Africans who peopled those plantations
were also useful in their way. They
could not persist in lie when Yank
was looking them squarely in the eye.
The grey haired uncle who was taken
aside by an enterprising hummer for o
little confidential conversation, at
first protested, "dar's nothin'
hid nowher dat 1 knows on;"
but under the magnetic inspiration of
the blue coats refusal to yield the point
uncle would weaken, then perspire, and
then confess. Many treasure was,
through such means, traced to cypress
pool or forest glen or a far away plan
tation corner, and the rollicking crowd
would stampede to the spot and their
vandal hands would gather in the house,
hold goods and gods. There were youth
ful negroes who had made up their minds
to dime the army" who gave away the
secret Of the family cache with an
eagerness which was generally rewarded
with Is share of the spoils So, between
his own instincts and the aid of his
friends in black, the hummer succeeded
in making tolerably clean sweep as he
marched through Georgia.
But these men had q mission beyond
an indulgence in Che exciting pleasures
of their calling. It was through the
tolls of this subsistence department
that Sherman's army was enabled to
make its famous march. In their
hazardous calling our foragers were
frequently caught Out in small squads
and captured and taken away
to the prison pens of the south. dc
not remember that any OF them were
murdered after capture during this trip
though, later in our experience, IL
making the march through the Carolinas
! such atrocities were not uncommon.
have frequently used the term "bun
mer" in this account of She operations
lofSthe subsistence department. of ths
army, Itwas Fret applied BY the north
ern newspapers and come to MS from GU
friends at home alter We had completed
| the CAMPAIGN and vere rssting in Savan
fnah. It fitted into the popular appre
citation OF our temporary predatory call
ling and go II happens that we have gon
4 into literstnfo t,s sSShernan's bnnmera.
land agssuch will probably remaiato th
| end Of history. Yss onT nYocatign VIC
j