The National tribune., 1886-03-25
CORPORAL 81 KLEGG.
Company Q Helps the Wagon Train
Over a Bad Road.
BY W. :. HINMAN, 65TH OHIO.
lCoFYRIGBT, 1856.
No. XIII.

tailed to march with the wagons n help 'em
| along. l reclln the mules II have more n they
kin manage, n we've got to give 'em lift
| when they need it.
There seemed to be no limit to the physical
! possibilities of the soldiers. Leaving bullet
and shell and bayonet out Of the account, the
| successful manner in which men withSto0d the
tests of endurance to which they were sub
| iectcd was simply marvellous. Excessive and
! long protraCted eXertion, exposure and hunger
! destroyed the lives of many thousands, but
| other thousands are to-day illustrations Of
| what man may pass through and yet live
! 1t is often said that those were the times that
! tried mems souls but cloud of witnesses will
/ sustain the additional statement that they
tried mems bodies as we'll Indeed. to those
who marched so many weary miles, the familiar
| quotation would seem more applicable if the
! last word were spelled soles"
1t was often demonstrated that men could
| endure more than horses, or even mules On
/ those long and arduous marches, day and night,
! through cold and storm. with but sCant rations,
/ the soldiers plodded along, patiently and even
cbeerfully, while the animals lay down by the
/ roadside with their heels in the air and forever
! ceased from their labors. So il was that when
! supplies ran short the horses and mules were
/ first provided for. 4 cavalryman was always
expected to have his horse fed and cared for,
! whether he got anything himself or not. When
/ there was job Of hauling that was too heavy
] for the mules the men were called to their
! assistance, and the result never failed to prove
satisfactory.
THAT II be Jest fun, to march with the
wagns," said Corporal Klegg 10 Shorty, as they
were getting their breakfast. Wen pile our
/ knap7acks n things on m make the mules
/ haul 'enl, m we'll have picnic"
Don't be too sure o that" replied Shorty
| Better wait til night n see how We feel by
! that time. | guess ye wont be quite so frsky
HqcN Np - 0Ct a how
it III be to-day, n my advice is 10 fill yerself
! up with grub, cause ye'll need it fore ye git
! through"
| 1t was not necessary to tell 81 to do this,
because he always did it. His appetite was
wonder even to himself. He ate all of his own
! ratiOns, and whenever man got sick 81 would
Immediately enter into negotiations for his
! hardtack and bacon. As long as the rations
held ont there was little danger that he would
! waste away.
The morning meal was soon over, and after
! the usual amount Of scrambling and yelling the
wagons were loaded and the men in line ready
/ for the road. These were the days when each
company had its wagon, and tents and baggage
| enough TO run circus. The pup" tent had
not yet been invented.
The 20Oth Indiana stepped off at a lively gait,
! in the fresh morning air. the band playing
John Browns Body Red, White aud Blue"
and other airs calculated to stimulate the flag
| and weak in the knees
| But few of the new regiments of 62 were
! permitted to have braSs-bands. The 2O0th had,
! however, been made an exception In view of
| the glorious career that was anticipated for it,
! this congregation of patriots started on its
! travels with large and well-equipped band of
! blowers. The veteran regiments had found that
bands were a luxurious supcrfuity. Every
| company soon developed men who were SO
! gifted in the art of - blowing" that there was
/ little need for brass horns.
! II is true that music had charms for the
| soldier. In the early days of the war, when
/ the head Of a rega}cnt egtered q struggling
/ town and the band struck up lively air. the
effect was magical. Bent backs invclun-
| tarily Strengthened up, arms were brought
/ to a right shoulder Shift straggiers fell
/ into their places, every soldier caught the
step. aches and hlistcrs were for the moment
forgotten, and the column went swinging
along under the inspiration OF the martial
/ strains. Every old inantrymln will remember
/ how II glatdoIed his heart and seemed TO
| tighten bis load when he heard the band play.
! Nor can he ever forget how at night. when
/ quiet had settled down up0n the biyouac, his
/ very fingers and toes tingled. as the strains Of
The Low.d Soggr Boy" or The Girl Left
! Behind Me- fell upon his ear; nor how the
/ tears lowcl uHbJIon down his tanned and
ToIgTrned checks, as the tender melody OF
"Annc Laurie" or Home, Sweet Home"
/ iiostcG through lie evening air, and came 10
/ him like q blessed teucGiation.
Eut the bands did not last long. The musi-
/ clans, a. a class were not "stayers." They
appeared L. Use UP all their wind in blowing,
'aud didn't have any left FOR marching. Like
/ most Of the non -c0mbatauts, they got all their
/ traps carried on the wagons, had no guard,
( picket, fatigue or other duty to perform. and
! were popularity believed ia have soft thing"
! but they always made more fuss than anybody
/ else. They thought they ought TO have car
| r!aseS 80 ride ~, aud restaurants on wheels TO
| supply them with food. They pctered out
| rapidly.
| Up TO the time Of which we are writing the
/ band OF the 200th had held its own pretty well.
! An occasional collie or other ailment had Gre
ated a temporary vacancy, but those who were
/ left blew all the louder and the vacuum caused
/ by the absence of 4 horn or two was not missed
! IL the general racket. But it was not long till
the band that was the pride of those rowing
| Hocsie.s shared the fate Of all the rest. The
/ B-llat bass took an overdose Of green corn went
! TO the hospital, and his horn was heard no
more. The E-fiat cornet proved to be
/ tonderioOt," and after hobbing along on
! his bli5ters for few days he gave it up and
| quit. Tie clarionet player gradually weakened
and finally wen. To the rear, without anything
| the matter. on the face of the returns, except
/ that his sand had run ont. The piccooist
} knew when he had got enough and deserted.
| 4 wagon wheel ran over the trombone and
/ duced it to a chaotic wreck. The man who
| ratified the snare drum was taken in out Of the
! wet y by some rebel troopers while nc was eating
! pie at a house mile away from camp. Other
similar casualties followed, and soon there were
not enough Of them to play an ineligible tune
In fact there wasn't much left Of the band
but the Drum Major. lie continued TO strut
| in the full cliugence OF his glory. But he
/ looked like a hen wandering about the barn
yard with two or three foFlorn little chicks
O
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II 0a-Al g. 0gA