New-York tribune., 1886-03-21
FOUR FRIENDS.
THE STORY OF OUR MESS.

;+,vas before our tired feet turned into quiet
nee. volIev in Western Maryland, through which
.bo vonococv Creek rau sparkling in the setting
snn. A lovely place for a camping ground. AZ the
foot of giant sycamore a spring gushed forth ana
soon found Its way into the M0nOcacy. Beside u
we halted and built our first campfire with dry
rails from an old fence near by. One OF our mess
superintended the fire. another brought water from
,be spIIpQ and made coffee, while the Others pro
duced from hayersaOk a noble rooster which had
been procured on the route Chanticleer was speed
ilvdecapitated. drawn, and soused into the clear
water unit! entirely clcansed, and then stuffed with
salt pork aid pounded hard tack.
Leaving the gaudy plumage untouched we ten
derlv wrapped him in a thick winding sheet of clay.
A hole was dug where the fire had been burning
hottest. and with due ceremony and much anxiety
the fowl was placed in it. Hot ashes were drawn
over the victim and the fire was replaced.
Then IN eloquent silence we sat down TO await inc
result Fifteen minutes. and the escaping steam
told that matters were progressing. More hre was
added ami still longer sat IN silence ana thsu
vote was takon and IL was decided to re'urrect our
simmer The FIRE was rlked away. and the huge
Civ hall was taken up. The burning clay was
1rol,ar away oud-..Io triumphe' Every featherand
partlcle of skin came away with the clay leaving
cbanticleer roasted to nicety. tender aDd Juicy,
Coffee wa, ready, and that supper was beautlful
memory often TO be recalled il the darker days that
followed
Onr snpper was finished and again we sat
silently by the blazing fire. 1t was an Octooer
night. clear and frosty. with the full moon gleam-
ING through the leaves of the sycamore above US
The stream sang beside us. tie faint tattoo OF
distant camp was heard, and the solemn hootIng
of an owl across the valley; all else was still
There were four OF rs Side by side we sat on
our kuap.acks ana gazed into the ire and no one
snoLp Tbourhi was very busy in those four silent
heads Our FIRST campfire! Where would be our
last and saouid we all be thare' In response 10
Lincoln, call for six hundred thousand more
we had come from the pineres and the pralHeS
of the far Northwest. There were ten thousand
other camptgcs burning that night and a million
other yonnr men like my comrades were Sittns
around them so the story Of our mess would De-
in many respects the history of all Bnt let others
sneak for their own; | will tell the unto d story OF
my comrade, who Went down to be forgotten pY
the world but who still - with me through all the
days o. my life.
Four. dld Isar9 An when look again at that
little group, aided by the eye of memory, can see
behind each one another iIurc-a shadow 40 ap-
pa,liug that II was wei the future was hidden
from or eyes In the shadow of one stood disease
and mental aud physical torture demanding almost
suoerLumaU endurance. Behind the next was the
trlr. o. mangled. bleeding form. cncrced by
curling danes; and behind the other two stood the
pale horse and his rider IN their most terrlDI" 1orn
But we could not zee that ghas',y re3g guard tuat
night $50 we were brave and hopeful.
First ON the left Is boy bIt little over seven
teen slim and slightly built. Looking At his face
vor would say it.wa. girls. Just such one as
you would ,ee IN thousands of Northern homes OF
in the schools al over the land II was not syui-
1la+ric9IIy handsome fac-. hut bright and lnteI!-
gent Clear blue eyes brlWtui OF mischief ihouI a
epoakiIL of WaYwaTdu">S and impulse; OTlSht
rosy flush over the whole com ttninct, IN" ,-hl
hair rut close and neat. and the Saucy independent
expression peculiar 70 Young AueIIcd ~. J lug
whole story of his chara ter. nat was Sdlhnel
Dyer. a farmers boy from Northern W lSc9uslh
but that hoy AJd done the work OF a mau before a
Next 70 Inn -at Frank B. Morris. SIX feet two
inches wa Frank, with slight stoop IN hla broao
shoujd,r-au an uJlIniy way IN all hrs move
lpentS slow ro q dcgre" that was VtXal'uS. never
excited rU.iiad by jests about his personal ap-
praTaucr; never I'D hurry To give an OPINION OF 10
accept one. t.utlpu~ but not ~ueaklug, "lIlIE 10
90 the right thing. aud expecting Won 10 90
the same. That was our Erauk and pr"ud we Were
of hm. Rough nm 'uituTeh EfeaT- T-ht'i Ieo I1IiA'
don't push hun aside until you hear hIs story.
The t.ITl va, one among thou'dud-tpod I'VE
feet six Incl"3 high. s;outly built quick IN every
movement head OF the old Roman type, with tulI,
lig1 forehead over which the Iet-black curS cluN-
tered freely. complexion clear and untanted by
dissipation; sharp, black eyes and mouth whether
al rest OF m motion. always wearing NNlc tHd'
gave the face an air of ehrmnacy winch was re-
leyed bY dainty black muStache'
This wa, Thomas NJ. Robinson, the hand
soonest Young soldier IN our brigade.
Not so hgat-hearied sam or 50 seil-s2cricing as
Frank. hr was still one OF 'he hravest heroes VINO
dled tha; the Mon might live.
On a beautiful sabbath morning in May, 1868,
our little squad stood IN the ranks Of the Llght
Division below The historic mI known a. Marye
Heights which lay above, and commanded TIE
town Of Fredericksburg. Far away TO the front we
could hear DEE roar OF battle, where Hooker and
Ice yerr cout4ndlur AT Chaucellor-vie. We
knew that men were killing each other ont there,
but all around Us was an atmosphere OF peace ana
OUietucSs. II was a scene OF wonderful beauty.
Behind rs the historical old town was as stll as
though h0dlug its breath 10 await the coming
storm. The grass on the slope above us was brghf
and green. ne cherry trees on the hlllsldes were
covered with clouds Of white blossoms, ana II
seemed like "A Sabbath OF peace on earth and good
will among men. But the Rebel flag was floating
dehanty on the hilltop. and the bodies OF nearly
400 men of the Irish Brigade lay on the grassy
slope lust above US where they had been killed IN
a desperate attempt 70 storm the heights at day
break Ana nov we were 70 repeat that attack.
Our little squad had been under hTe BEFORE Dut thlS
was 20 b. our first bayOnet charge. Owing 10 his
unusual height Frank was IN the front rank,
and the rest OF us were lust behind MIN There
was no thOugh of inchiug from going up that hill
and pulling down that flag and putting our own
there, The distance was so short! But had we
known what lay between Us aud the hilltop we
ght have felt different. In half an hour we un;
derstOod why those brave H.shmen never reached
their goal.
On the crest of the hill was line Of earthworks
extending all around the top TO our left, where II
was protected by a precIplce and stream OF water
winch had been backed ND by a dam into lde,
oeeppOnd. these eaUthwOrks were manned by q
splendid rebel battery of brass field guns, command
iug the whole field below. Just below the guns
the hillside was covered with heavy growth OF
shubbery. among which telegraph wire was
stretched like a wire fence, While trees had been
fastened with their branches pointing downward
aud the ends of these branches had been trimmed
and ,harpened TO needle points The upper ends
OF butts of these trees nailed down 10 tmDers
bv arge spikes and heavy stones were piled on the
timbers 50 that II was impossible TO remove them
Everywhere in our front these obstacles stood IN
our way Directly al the foot OF the hill was a
suuken roadway. invisible from where we stood
tins road wound all around the foot Of the hill e.
the mill pond on the right. The lower SIDE toward
us was strong stone wall Of rough masonry
about breast high. This suuken road wa,
filed with 1ihemen crowded closely along the wal
but concealed from by this strong breastwork