The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-09-07

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wear. But water was at length reached
serving the regiment plentifully while WI
remained there leaving for Boliver, Tenn.
Sept O. 1862 -,
Sufficient and proper supplies Tor al
armies, are 80 plainly Indispensable Una
II is superiluous IN say, they are no'hint
wthou. them, Men must first breathe
eat and drink, or Immediately die. IL II
stated that the Duke of Wellington, once
being asked the most important considera
In managing large army, and preserving
It's integrity and efficiency, Significant.
replied: "'Victualing it, II Is fully
plain that the best appointed army VIII be
dlsintegrated very shortly II subsistence
fail No less important is water. Win
the line of supply intact, or with ample
rations for the estimated period OF marcI
on board an accompanying wagon train, OF
| II moving through country anordlne
abundant forage, the vituallng OF an army
ls not 80 serious question as Is sometimes
that of water Men can maintain HE many
days on meagre allowance OF food; very
few without any. But water they must
have, In fair quantity, or speedily ana W
terly fail. They must drink or ole.
Therefore most important consideration
whether stationed or marching. An in-
habited country presumably supplied. But
the sudden demands for very largely In
creased amount not always readily met
And armies sometimes required TO traverse
| wide areas where extremely difficult to OBJ
tain, or where even wholly destitute.
Ia the first year Of the war, when the
ex limitations of candidates for the surgeon
cy were extremely thorough ana search
Ing, In Illinois, they embraced not only the
purely scientific subjects appertainlng, but
also those of special prdcttcm Importance
The board OF examiners sprung outside
questions on the candidates, with direct
purpose 10 test the readiness of his judg'
ment and aptitude for the numerous emer'
gencies In which he would be placed
Prof Hormer A. johnson, Pres. OF the
board remarked in = private conversation,
that man with a comparatively limited
education, but with first rate practical
common sense, was far better for the pros
pective service than one lacking In practi-
cal judgment, though Of the highest pro-
fessional attachments Of the schools.
DIR. Henry Wing, at that time one OF the
Illinois board, abruptly asked candidate,
how much w.ter would be required Tor
regiment Of thousand men, marching
over a country destitute OF II, and II had to
be carriad? A hurried mental calculation
resulted In the answer:
Ten barrels would carry them over,
simply for allaylng thirst, making no al
lowance for the animals. Thirty barrels
would afford a sufficient supply for all in
GLIDING them. If to the amount first nam
ed each man started with full, quart can
teen, 1t would thus materially extend II,
even admitting of a trille to the animals,
to keep them from perishing"
You have hit IL sir: that Is about the
standard estimate according to rate of ar
my supplies The climate, the nature of
the country traversed, and the season al
ways elements In the calculation"
Another test question asked:
"If there proved, on the march, TO be
water enough TO allow each man quart a
day for washing, would you direct that he
wash his face and hands, or feet"
Replied: /" If superior orders that only
one part be washed, would emphatically
say tie feet. Mere matter of personal taste
not affecting health, and efficiency, as to
the hands and face-sO that the eyes be
bathed-of the last importance that the
feet be kept clean and in healthy condi'
ton"
Prof Wing said " Yes, true saying
no foot, no horse II a soldiers feet give
ont, he Is done for as to active field ser
vice.
IL was added: But the quart OF water
for solely ablutionary purposes, might
we'll aerve all three In suCcession-the
eyes, face and hands, and with care not to
waste, II would then answer very we'll for
the feet"
While some portions of the South we
traversed were abundantly watered in
others there was scarcity of water.
In Middle and West Tennessee, In sum-
mer especially, practically the great depth
of the wells increased The figures before
given look Incredible, but In addition to
having been assured Of II repeatedly, often
observed how very long and tedious was
the process of drawing water From the
large mass Of rope let down and wound up,
In the course of II tne statement did not
look excessive. Unless the halts were very
long, which were seldom, where men were
men could get access to the wells, those
able to fill their Canteens or even get a
drink, were simply lucky. A bucketfull
will scarcely serve dozen men with can
teens If economical, and at such place
the crowd and hurry ana the inevitable
scramble forever hinder and make waste.
Calculating the time required for the pay
Ing and winding up so much rope, even
where chances to be two buckets, which
were seldom found, and serving out three
gallons of water 1t will readily appear how
long a time 1t would take to distribute so
all should get some, even 20 a small battll-
lion of five hundred men, Though as
slowly AZ the water was drawn the wells
would often give out when but compare
lively few were partially supplied.
Where too brief halts would not permit
all to be served 1t early became the prac-
tice for several whose Canteens were
empty TO give to one all he could carry
who would fall out at the first accessible
we'll, fill them at his convenience and pick
his way back to his place, his nearest COM
rades meantime carrying his gun and
ACCOMPLISHMENTS, In addition TO their own
In this manner, during the day, an army
often contrived TO keep up fair water
supply, where halts were so few or short
as to prevent general opportunity. Always
u large crowd at those places, unavoidable
interference and cross purposes obtaining
II ever seemed remarkable that amidst the
hurry, jostle and impotence, this under my
observation never reached the quarreling