The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-10-25
A SOLDIERS RECOLLECTION
What We Had to Learn Before We Became Yeter.

1900 ~~N'-N@ ~NN1N -DNN"aA'S
ans.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Do you re-
member when the summons came to you to
volunteer? ] will tell you some things that
remember They were raising companies for
the lst, I'd and Sd regiments and the County
seats and little towns were all astir. The old
flag had been fired on. And well do | remem-
Der the fife aud drum and the tunes that were
played Yankee Doodle" 1.-The Girl / Left
Behind Me" and Jay Bird" After while
we all got into some regiment and there were
q thousand of us in camp; lank lean, fat and
ungraceful we were, and the officers no better
than the men. We had everything to learn.
1T is the romance Of history how those gaWky
country boys shortly learned to drill, to form
call of the bugle spread out like fan in skir-
mish-drill; lay themselves down, get up. ad-
vance, rally by fOurs, guard against cavalry.
Then / remember before this result was OBJ
tanned a Regular Army officer came around and
inspected US, and reported US as second rate
soldiers and only herd of wild animals. And
/ think the enemy found that same thing out
shortly after he did
And / remember what fine fellow we first
thought the Sntler, and how we planned to get
credit and buy canned goods and bologna sau-
sage at fabulous prices But after the first pay
day and the daiuties had to be paid for, my
memory fails me if / heard one of the boys
say he was sorry that Forrest had captured the
Suffers mules and wagons,
At first there was q singular fascination for
carrying things. Knapsaeks protruded with
pictures, letters little keepsakes, albums and
books. On the first march these things grew
heavy. Now, | will tell you of my lsnapsaci5
ON the march. When we started it was full of
all kinds Of stuff, and oh, how heavy Second
day at noon we halted on little creek, the
boys making coffee and broiling some bacon,
I,,E I .y-alf Oft fIo Il -
little creek with my shoes off and my feet in
the water. 0, how good it felt! And then
all at once felt that my shoulders, where my
knapsaek- straps worked, We're very sore. Off
came the knapsack and | soon had it opened
aud the contents all out to see just what could
do without. Well it is safe to say that KNAPP
sack then and there got the sweaney," and it
never got over it during the war.
And / remember the many devices of the
boys to get out Of camp-a hundred different
schemes One fellow made or bought ffe,
and would march out as if he was to play for
the General, and another boy went TO the Colo
mel and told him that his mother in-law had
come all the way from Ohio to visit him. The
Colonel said No, that history had no such rec
ord of fondneSs on the part OF a mother in law
And then | remember when we went into
camp the rapidity with which the boys made
themselves comfortable, and how things disap-
peared from the citizens that happened to live
in that neghborhood. And how the boys
would take advantage Of darkness when we
were on the march, to throw things up to the
Colonel or some other officer that they had a
little grudge against; or when we were march
ing after night and were a little mad at some
body for it, and did not know who to blame,
we would sing 10 Bowers" or shoot gun in
front and one way back in Co. c. and the Colo
mel would have the Adjutant looking all around
for the bad boy, but seldom found him.
Remembering all those things and many
more that include hardsbips that none but a
soldier knows anything about, how we slept
on the ground for months with nothing over
us but the canopy of heaven, and how we stood
picket every other night OH how it all comes
back to mel And / have not forgotten Lin
coin. Grant, Sherman, Logan, Sheridan, and
on the 9th of November | will not forget Gen.
Harrson.-W. B. JOHNSON, Fourth Division,
Fifteenth Corps, lit Boston street, Los Ange-
les Cal.
Ayers Hair Vigor invigorates the scalp; cures
dan n, II pn If aud ifchit,g An aIaoant d~oe.:,o.