The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-03-29
worth relating but as there are
things Of more importance I shall de-


things of more importance I shall de-
sist..
We remained here at Gauley Bridge
two months without any more fighting
forgot to state that we were on our
arrival given an old musket weigh
about twenty pounds, one of those
John B. Floyd muskets, carrying an
ounce ball and three bucksbot at one
go, and spinning fellow around
whenever he pulled her of. These we
kept but two weeks when battery Of
artillery arrived, and our company
turned their muskets over to the prop
er authorities and assumed control of
the battery and this was an act that
we never regretted.
But orders come at midnight for us
to march. We young soldiers thought
very hard of this night marching as
we could not see why they did not put
/. off till morning. We had not been
In the habit of being walked up at night
and thought very hard Of somebody,
we knew not who. Some OF the boys
refused to rise and were pulled
out aud made to march between
two bayonets and stand guard when
we camped. All this just because he
was not ready and willing to get up at
midnight. We thought this was hard
indeed and mutiny was threatened
by some of the boys. But we learned
that we were attached to old Governor
Henry A. Wise's brigade and marched
under his directions and orders. Wise
was long, slim, spare man carrying
very little flesh, but man of great
will power. He was extremely kin
to his private soldiers but was a terror
among his subordinate officers. The
writer has more than once seen him
shake his honey fist in colonel's face
for disobedIence of orders. He was
also very profane man. But he
kneeled at a Methodist mourner's
bench some five years before he died
and prayed for pardon.
While falling back 20 White Sui
pher Springs he was followed by Gen .
erals Rosecrans and Fox, of the Union
army. Wise rode small roam horse
while Cox rode a large gray. The
night that we arrived at the Springs
we csmped in large sugar orchard.
During the night one Of the boys drew
a picture of Wise riding up Sail noun.
tain while he was pushed closely by
Fox on bis gray steed and
reaching forth his hand as if in
the act of taking hold of Wise.
This picture was tackled up on "a sugar
tree just in front of Wise's tent door,
and when he came out and saw it
there he grew very angry and offered
any of the boys go days furlough that
would tell him who did it. But the
old fellow never found out who the
guilty party was.
1t was here that the measles first
got into our camp. 1 remember
that 80 of the company were in the
hospital at one time with this dread
disease, and several of them ended
their days on earth here, and the writ
er came near passing in his checks also.
This was at the commencement Of the
war, and our hospitals were terrible
filthy holes and the men died like
sheep with the rots. 1t was July and
the weather was indeed hot and, sultry
and we were provided with no ice, and
it took but few days in that old Tenpin
Alley where there was more than 100
cases of measles to do the work for the
ordinary man. This being our first
experience in this line of business you
that have never been there may posi-
bly, form some idea of how things look
ed.
If any of your readers want any
more of this story let them say SO in
your next and they shall have more.
Il. F. KELLEY.