The National tribune., 1888-07-26

100000 uniforms, or as they are sometimes
called. " "Night-drawers Cadets, the dirty-loOk-
ing old blue-bloused veterans chaffed them most
numerically. It was wet weather, and the
roads were muddy, as is always the case after
q battle. Wherever these Commute men were
stationed on guard duty, they were to be found
perched as sentries on top of pile of cracker
boxes or fence rails to keep their feet out of the
mud, the boxes giving them an appearance of
a statue on pedestal.
CHATTING THE MILITIA
"Pretty boys" Nice little sogers, DON t
get your feet wet, sonny; you might take cold, "
Let me kiss him for his sister, are mild speci-
mems of the expressions hurled at them from
the marching columns of old vets.
My recollection is that these were Philadel-
phia troops When we reached Hagerstown we
ran into lot more OF them th&t had come
down the Cumberland Valley from Harrisburg
aud Chambersburg to head Lee of One of
these organizations was think, called the
4 Corn Exchange Regiment, recruited, or at least
fathered, and sent into the field by the wealthy
gentlemen of the Philadelphia Exchange.
They were composed of what may be termed the
better class Of men, at least that was their own
estimate of themselves At their Philadelp phia
home they probably ranked as rather an exclu-
sive set of boys. Their officers were decidedly
q fresh" to use a slang term; at least we
around headquarters who had become accus-
I8AeQ 70 pay some alteuLlOU 10 military ebI-
guet were disguised TO see these line officers
crowd around our Generals to stare at and talk
as Familiarity as If they were all corps COM
manders.
Custer and Fitzpatrick, with whom ] was
then serving were at first immensely amused
at the efforts Of the militia officers to make
themselves agreeable. The officers and men,
toO felt no doubt that it was their only oppor-
tunity to see live General like Fitzpatrick and
! Custer, and were bound to crafty their curios-
/ ity while they had a chance.
In addition to their curiosity these chaps
/ were continually imploring Gen. Fitzpatrick to
let them have just one chance at the rebels. .
| They begged that they might be permitted tc
have an opportunity to distinguish themselves
before they returned to Philadelphia.
One evening Fitzpatrick told Cutser in my
hearing to put some of these men out on the
picket-line, which was really most dangerous
! place, for they were in close proximity to the
rear guard ef Lees army. The rear of an army
! cOrHered, as was Lees at that time, is an ugly
place to put a recruit, and Gen. Fitzpatrick
I knew very well that in yielding to their fool.
( ish requests be was suhjecting them TO great
I danger. But Gen. Fitzpatrick concluded ht
would have little fun out of the recruits, sc
4 he placed some Of them on the advance line
and watched to see what they would do if at
tackled. We all dismounted and were watch
ing the lines of rebels The officer Of the
guard protested against having these new mel
on his line, saying they would be likely to raisG
8 hornets nest about our ears but Kilpatrick
told him to let them try their hands little
while. These men went up the Hill a short dis
tance, when their brilliant uniforms attracted
the attention Of the Johnnies and as they
acted as though they were going TO drive
/ Lees army across the Potomac they let tbess
recruits have few shots by way Of warning
which was answered by the Philadelphians
who became excited, with broadside. This
rebel fire had injured about a dozen of the re
cruits, one big fellow keeling over and yellin!
/ like boy stumping sore toe. Instead Of con
tinuing up the hill or even falling back, they
all crowded toward where the wounded lay
aud began TO condole with them. They wer
finally brought away with the loss Of a few NOR
men, and they did not bother Gen. Kilpatricl
again to be placed in the front rank of the army
But there was one thing about Fitzpatrick
He never ordered man to 90 where he wa
not willing TO lead. l stood beside him on
day near Williamsport when q rife ball whiz
zed close by his ear. Jerking up his ham
nervously, as if stung by bee or TO brush oi
musketO, he turned to me and said Hol,
Moses That ball came near hitting me-" Blu
he didn't move out of range of that sharp
shOoter-but 1 did.
To bs coufiuatsd1