The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1886-07-15
JACKSON. THURSDAY. JULY 15 1886
BLOODY PAPERS!
NUMBER XXXV.

| lnOSe VINO passed through JnaC WlnUer
of 1868 at Chattanooga, will scarcely for
get it on this side of the great river, and
one cannot look back now, and contem-
plate the scene from this far-away stand
point, without many heart-pang. Look
out had been cleared of the enemy, Mis-
sion Ridge had been fought and won, and
the troops settled down for few weeks
to await the return of weather which
would permit the renewal of active hos
| tiitieS. Old soldiers will remember the
bitter cold of that winter, and the intense
suffering consequent thereon. And those
who have seen the average Army Ration
will understand the situation when we
say that we were placed upon one-fourth
rations during a part of that winter.
Provisions had to be hauled several miles
by mule teams and this in winter, over
roads badly cut up, was a slow and un-
certain way of supplying an Army.
Many were the pictures presented of the
ingenuity of the boys in obtaining pro-
visions outside of the regular rations. and
drivers had excessively great difficulty in
keeping supply of corn for their mules.
For the boys would steal portion of it,
just as sure as it was fed.
1t was at such time as this that an
| incident occurred which went to show
the extent of the hardship of the Army
life, and the wonderful effect of the home
influence upon the soldier. We remem-
ber distinctly warm-hearted, merry Sci
OTTO County boy in our mess. He had
| +lo Of fh0 Vo4+ hot
dread disease so common among soldiers
along the Tennessee River seized him,
and it was but short time until he was
mere skeleton. Death was not a
strange visitor in that section of country,
and men came to regard it with some
thing of indifference; yet the sickness of
this boy was calamity to the entire
camp. With no appetite, with scarcely
strength enough to move himself about,
and amid the foreboding surroundings of
that camp, it seemed time for despair
ing. With train of gloomy thoughts,
we retired one cold night to dream of the
probable lonely experiences of the NOR
row. Far into the night we were awak-
ened by the loud whistling of a locomo-
tive. The road had been torn up for
long time, and train of cars was curl
osity. The engineer of this train opened
the whistle far down the Lookout Valley,
and came in with a welcoming shrek
which found a ready response from thou
sands of throats. Shortly after trains be-
gan arriving, stores of Express goods
came in by carloads. One cold night, in
obedience to letter received, we in COM
pany with comrade, went to the EX-
press office, after package said to be
there. After long search among the
hundreds of boxes, we found good-sized
box bearing our name. This we were
not long in transferring to camp, and
taking an inventory of the contents,
which consisted of canned fruits, bread,
butter, sc. All this is only valuable as
showing the influence of home upon the
soldier amid the hardship of the camp.
The very first prescription" from that
box gave promise of great improve
ment in the sick boy, and it was not
many days before he was on the road to
perfect health. The delicacies prepared
by loving hands had more potent in
fiuence as healing agency, than all the
quack doctors in that command.
This dread disease left many stalwart
man partial wreck during the remain
der of his days on earth. The number
who never entirely recovered from the
effects of it is somewhat alarming. Ev
en- after years of comparatively little eff
fects OF the disease, the victim will re-
ceive an alarming notice that the seeds
of the dread scourage still remain in the
system. Don't you believer" asked an
old soldier, "that the health of all men
who served in the army was injured, to
some extent ?" We can scarcely express
so sweeping belief as that, yet there are
hundreds, and perhaps thousands who |
pass as stout men to-day, who have new
er recovered from the effects of the hard |
ships endured during that period The
boy we have spoken of above has long
been laid away, and many of the surviv
ors of those scenes are still suffering |
from the disease which shattered his |
health. The story of the war is a far
reaching one, and no man who has not |
had some experience in that line can ap-
preciate the character of the history of
that time. 1t was not a mere holiday
parade, filled with great deal of glory
and very little exertion. 1t was time
of hardship, privation, suffering. The
history of that time will reach far into
the future, with it's scenes of joy and |
sorrow, merriment and danger. Along
the lines of memory, like telephone mes
sages, come the voices of those days, COM
mingling with the old familiar sounds,
and pointing out still the story of the
perfdy of a great political party. The
common enemy of that day, now stand
in exaulted places in the Nation, and the
Boy in Blue has only to go to the Ma
tiOn's capital to see his old enemy in
Gray clothed with honors. Times chan
ges bring up the sacrifices of the past, in
all their old time sadness, but they bring
also many evidences that those sacrifices
were made in vain. There is much in
the present to cause sadness in the heart
of the old soldier, and lead him to ask if
all his work was fruitless. Yet the old
fraternity and comradeship should be
perpetuated and kept warm. The Right
must triumph. We cannot but believe
that the work of the Union Soldier was
the grandest service that could be rem
dered to ones country, even as the work
of the Democracy was the most outrage
Gus, treacherous, murderous conspiracy
that ever shocked and disgraced great
Nation.
This would be Il good year in which to
T,+ fba dow
School Celebrations A year of bountiful
crops, and great material blessings, and
grand day of celebrating this part of
the work of the Church would be quite
apprOpriate.