The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-12-06

Of the Arkansas River, three days after
leaving Beutonyille, and were pretty well
used up by the time they brought us to a halt
The Colonel was sent to the military hospi-
tal, which was in some wooden barracks just
outside the town, and / was allowed TO 60
with him as his personal attendant, on the
same conditions as before. ought TO say
that on the closing day Of the journey l got
my old place on the seat by the driver for
the last five or six hours. the wounded Cap
tain having stopped in house where he had
friends who would take care Of him until
his arm was well enough TO allow Kim TO
retun to his regiment
There was plenty of room In the hospital
when sye got there, but the wounded came
in fast, and within two days it was crowded
full. ] made myself as useful as / coulds
and soon got into the good graces Of the
Surgeons. by helping them TO dress wounds
and do ANYTHING else that came I'D my
WAY was about the hospital during
the day. and cOald come and 60 as
liked, only / was under parole not To go
outside the building and the enc adjoining
It At 1aht I slept IN q sort OF guard
room at one end OF the building, but there
wasn't much Of q guard there, and might
have run away without any trouble II II had
NOT been for my parole not to do so. 1t is
lust possible, however, that l was watched
In a way ] was not aware OF, ana nay old
friend may have looked out for me- as he
promised 10 do
The army followed closely after US, and
tlsefe 5Fas no doubt Of the defeat and retreat
Of the rebels. The soldiers were very much
disappointed and disheartened, and if they
could have got away without rendering
themselves liable 10 be shot for deSeT-
ton, Iia sure that half Of them would
have gone within two days after they got
back to CAMP As it was, there was great
deal OF struggling, and heard an officer say
they had los; not less than 5000 men m one
way and another by the campaign TO Pea
Ridge and back again.
I" By the 4th the whole army, such Of il rs
held together. had come IN and was encamped
around Van Buren. Some Of the regiments
were ferTied over the river to Fort Smith,
but the most Of the troops remained on the
north bank. didn't have much chance to
see them, as was kept IN the limits Of the
hospital but so far as / could observe they
were 8 forlorn-l0Oking lot.
0uly few regimentsSRore the gray uni
Of the men being. clad IN the ordinary home
spun cloth Of the country familiarly known
as butteEHut.' During the Pea Ridge
campaign they had been very poorly fed
some Of them going for 30 OF 30 hours during
the retreat without morsel of food other
than few grains Of corn; raw turnips and
carrots had been considered a luxury, and
the men who secured them were enVied
Raw cabbages we're eagerly deveuTed, bat
unfortunately the country was not stocked
with these products Of the sell, OF the troops
might have been better fed.
As 6heY came around the hospital OF
loiteTed in front Of It, had a COED many
chances 70 talk with them about the war
and tried 10 learn exactly what they thought
OF it. There were some intelligent men
among them, bat the majority Of the soldiers
talked with didn't know exactly what they
were fighting about. They were defending
tbe rights Of the State against invasion and
their homes from destruction, ard here was
where the frightful stories Of Yankee atroei-
ties gsaeTallv came IN. But on the score
of atrocities they began to be doubtful, a
they learned from their friends who had beer
IN the hands Of the enemy that we were not
SIS bsrbarous as represented. As tothe merit:
OF demerits Of secession, State rights and
al other points Of the great question be
tween the North and South, many Of then
had no distinct idea, or L they possessed any
1t was fTightfully erroneous one.
What you-uns up North want said al
Askansls soldier one day, Is to free all th
niggsrs and make the Southern white folk
be Eigsers for ieu'
He was in dead earnest IN this belief. snt
50 WeEe many Of his comrades. Or course tbt
idea OF being niger to s niger was gtteri-
Tep1lsivU to the Southern EsiHd, and it was ne
easy 70 dislsdge il from bis head. FErthe
conversation showed that be had the mos
erroneous belief regarding the relations be
tween the white and c0l8Eed races IS the North
According 20 his instruction white and blael
were on terms Of the most perfect equality
and # either had any advantage over the otbe
il vas The negro. a Northern gentleman va
pToad 10 have his daughter m2TTy a negro; Oh
Governors and other officials were general,
negroes: and as for the white churches IN Nel
York and Boston, most Of them were under th
teachings Of eolOred pastors. He knew it va
al true for Col. johnson, who had been
Aorth. mad said so IN a speech &c = public meet
ing in his County, and the Colonel WAS
SSuibern gentleman, whose word everybod
believed"