The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-10-17

general service or from dismounted or con-
valescent camps and the like, its character
as u body inevitably though
really not as much rs might have been ex
pected under the circumstances; its morale
and the uhdyipg prestige of its past achieve
ments surviving thenobie soldiers who had
made its fame imperishahle on such fields
rs Manassas, South Mountain, Antietam,
fredericksburg, Charlottesville, Gettys-
burg, the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Jeri-
cho Ford, Bethesda Church or Cold Harbor,
the 18th of June ut Petersburg, and the less
inspiring but not less deadly work of the
great siege that followed.
Many of these men, and some Of the best
of them, had disappeared from the ranks of
the battery when | joined it. Hodgedon,
Whitaker, Sylvester Fort, Bartley Pagan,
Martin McAndrew, Hill, Smith, Young, and
three or four more, volunteers and Regulars,
had been killed OF died of wounds at Ma
nassas, Antietam or Fredericksburg; while
Jim Armstrong, Henry Colby, Jones, John
son, Malson, Harvey ChiIds Jim Thorpe and
as many more had been discharged from
hospital disabled with wounds, while n
dozen others were still absent, though con-
valescent. Altogether the losses of the
battery Mt the second Bull Run, Antietam,
EItttIlthSnhIE anu AUAnGtilUtSNhIO
been nearly 90 killed and wounded and that
had made huge gaps in a complement OF, say,
1870. But there were enough of the old
stock left to show the quality and amply
enough to assimiate to their own tone and
character the recruits that Joined them after
fredericksburg.
At this time, as nearly rs / can remember,
there were not more than 16 or II of the old
Rpunlar= Y9mnininty aud / m that
they were far above the general average of
enlisted men in the u. S. Regular Army.
They were Orderly -Sergt (afterward Lieu
tenant) John Mitchell, and Bill West (?l,
Andy Mcbride, Fred Chaplin, Jim Cahill,
Jimmy Maher, - Luckey, Bill Kelley, Bill
Green, Ned Armstrong and two or three
more; all Sergeants or Corporals, and few
privates, mostly artiicers have pleasant
recollection of these old Regular warriors,
because, though not men of liberal educa-
ton or refined manners, they were
SOLDIERS EVERY INCH"
and good, hospitable and Jolly comrades. In
the distribution of our little squad of re-
cruits, it fell to my lot to get in the gun de-
tachment commanded by the incest one OF
the Sergeants above named, and to him |
am indebted for innuuerable kind offices in
about camp life and company discipline, all
of which were rs silver and gold 10 so raw n
recruit rs | was. ! shall therefore commend
Old Chape,p as we called him for short, as
the true sample and approved type of what
n battery Sergeant onght to be. In fact, |
flatter myself that Old Chapen took fancy
to me, aud gathered me at once under his
redoubtable protection. He was n man oi
medium hight, powerfully built, hard rs iron
aud tough as a knot, but goodhearted, gem
| er0us and genial rs q man can be. / remem-
| Der him tenderly.
The Corporal of our caisson was a rollick-
| ing Irishman, and though our acquaintance
| was cut short by his severe wound Mt Get
| tysburg "a few months later, which disabled
! him 80 that he never returned To the battery
for duty, still, in the brief time he was with
us found out that he was brimful of the
milk of human Kindness and we were
| the best Of friends.
| Oar Gunner was Wisconsin boy of whom
| | shall have more To say further on. Hc
was handsome fellow. fierce rs u Bengal
| tiger in battle insensible to fear, stoical
under wounds-~a regular human bulldog ns
| far as courage was concerned, but one of thd
| jolliest of companions ON march or in camp
always happy. witty, good-natured and
/ ready 10 break his last hardtack with com
| radc
or the cannoneers y our gnn-sduad on,
| was killed Mt Gettysburg, poor boy An.
other will figure in this sketch from time e
! time, as his quaint wit, his Irish courage OF
| his soidier-like weaknesses may bring him
| To the ffont--in battle or in biyouac. An
{ other, wounded at Gettysburg, severely
never came back to us, but got a better billet
( In n volunteer commission which his courage
/ had 50 richly won.
A. for the rest, just apply the above de-
/ seription to them, squad for squad and mar
| for man.
| SHORTLY AFTER MY ASSIGNMENT TO 4
: GUN
! the Second Lieutenant called me to him on,
/ day after drill and said in n Kindly tone
You have most responsible post. Neg
! lect Of It's duties might cause "a premature
/ discharge Of the piece and the death of you
comrade, No /. Do you feel quite sure tina
you can stand up 10 your work ia action "a
ON drillrh
Yes, sir; perfectly so, sir.r
well, | will say that your eonrade
have seen the hardest fighting of the war
AZ Antietam 40-odd were killed and wound
ed la this battery-hali its force present TO
duty. But there was no ilinching. No mar
has ever ainched in this battery.n
This sort of exhortation, this method o
appealing TO the pride of the men on ever,
occasion, which Was the policy of Stewar
aud all the olliceTa who from time 10 tim
served under him, was the secret of tn
grim, stoical "staying quality" for whiel
our battery was always famed. This spiri
pervaded the men. Much of the camp gos
sip was recital Of deeds Of heroism perform
ed by their comrades III earlier battles
They would tell how McAndrew died at An
tietam, with bullet through his head, il
the act of pulling the lanyard, and ho,
when they tried 10 dIsengage the cord iron
his dead fingers, he still gripped it, and $
they buried him with his lanyard in hi
hand-Gunner, even in the grave!
How John Johnson, at Fredericksburg
had his right arm shot clean off at ia
elbow, and never WINGED from his post ti
the charge WAS inserted
And, then, there was no end of stories
physical prowess. The men were, almoi
without exception, sialwart, powerful youn
fellows, ready for anything that walked th
earth, and If not qnarrels0me, neither weI
they hard TO pick aguarrel with.
"coURAGE," "THE CLEAR GRIT,n NERVE
DEAD LOADS OF SAND"
"You bet he's got the stuff in him, ," II
was q slayer from Stayersville," etc, WEI
phrases you would hear in almost every cor
yersaton. At the time / joined there WEI
perhaps 30 or % menin the battery, any on
of "a hom conId hnrsI4v have heen "a hinne