The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1891-01-07
"LIGHTs AND SHADOWS or THR OLD
CAMP FIRES"
By ONE OF THE "oLD VETS"
GRANT, MoCLELLAN, HANCOCK, LOGAN,
SHERIDAN, FREMONT

GRANT, MoCLELLAN, HANCOCK, LOGAN,
SHERIDAN, FREMONT
And so they pass In steady grand procession,
Down TO the gates of silence and OF night
We. following alter, hear the bugles waiting
Which tell for them the close Of life aud light
Alas" we sigh "how bare the earth Is growing
or those whose very names the people love;"
But In their ears new reveille Is sounding,
Which wakes them to the life and light above,
It. $. Potter, Co. II, 9Th Ohio regiment,
tells the following story: We reached a
part of Virginia where no "yanks" had
penetrated; consequently there was great
excitement among the colored population.
They had all b. en- told the story that
Yanks "had horns" We went into camp
after dark, so it was too late to investi-
gate that night but at sunrise, they sent
a committee of one to see what the Ysnks
were like and report. We noticed him
coming edging his way up carefully, but
rs he couldn't see any horns, and no Que
molested him, he began gathering up cast
off clothing and rations that we had
thrown away. When he had bundle
gathered, one of the boys called him to
come up to the fire. ''Look here, sir, il
you take those things you must pay for
them" "Gor-a-mighty, Massa, l done
got no money" Every well; you can
dance, l suppose ~ ayes, sab" swell
then, you have got to dance" We quick
ly provided stage of bareback boxes and
set him to work, and he did his ''leve best. ?"
Some of the boys emptied about pound
of powder under the darkey's feet and u
brand Of fire was applied. A terrific yell
and jump followed the flash, and u streak
of blackness shot out of camp, making u
bee-line for home His fright was in
creased by the prolonged yelIs Of the
boys. He was seen afterwards and said
the Yanks did not have horns, but were
''real debbles, shuah |"
Capt. John Rouse, priyates Charley
Tracy, Joe Stevenson, Henry Ayres and
Henry Miller, of Co. A, nth Illinois regi-
ment, formed glee club while in camp
at Richmond, Kentucky. They went one
night to serensde a certain Judge ut his
mansion, aud by way of waking them up
and letting them know they were Yankees
they first sang orally round the flag,
boys" and "Red, White and Blue" but
the judges family did not seem to wake
Thar, fthorIia n,I Ion,
sang 'Star of the evening, beautiful star. "
Still not light in any of the front win.
dows. 1t was trifie dscouraging, but
the boys sailed In again with the most af-
fecting and irresistb song that they had
on tap, ''Nita, Juanila, ask thy soul II we
should part" etc. They were just CO.
mencing their second verse when they
saw that their fond hopes were at last
about to be realized. A light appeared in
one of the second story windows, just
over the veranda, when Charlie whisper
ed. ''Soft with that chorus" AT last the
window raised as the last notes died away
and woody head thrust out and as the
moonlight struck the upturned face, she
said, BERRY much obliged to you all,
gemmans, for yo' nice music; but de
white folks all done and gone away"
They returned to camp somewhat cha
grined, and that was the last serenade Of
the glee club of the 77th Illinois.
Sergeant s. S. Thomas, of Co. ID, 18th
Illinois regiment, while in camp Hancock,
at Chicago, in October 1862, and while
the regiment was organizing and drilling
preparatory to service in the field, Tue
mania for presenting things" was the
rage. He decided TO get something TO
present to Lieut.. Metger, OF Co. D; 30
looking around for an article, he got one
neatly packed 10 box, and returning to
camp, IL was given out that there would
be another presentation at 2 o'clock, p.
NJ, the next day aud that the Lieutenant
was to be the one to receive the present.
A committee escorted the lieutenant to
the sergeants tent, when the sergeant
mounted bareback box, be being high
ly educated and brilliant speaker, and
began as follows: SIT is written that
Saul slew his thousands, but may 1t DO
said OF you as OF David, Thou has slain
thy ten Of thousands. Take this weapon
of defence and use il well in the glorious
cause Of freedom and liberty" At this
point the box was handed to tue lieuten-
ant, who opened 1t, anxious to see the
gift that had called forth such stream Of
eloqucuce. He proceeded to unroll the
many papers that enveloped the article
and disclosed a fine tooth-comb II 10
useless 10 attempt to describe the shout
lnai issued from the lhroats OF the crowd,
or tell the amount OF chaff that the lieu.
teuant received during the next few days.
When be went to The front he found that
there was lots OF use for the weapon, and
there is no doubt tha. the slaughter fully
equaied David's tally, though the quanti-
~ of blood spilled was much less. Poor
Sergeant Thomas died few months after-
wards 10 The hospital in ST. Louis, Mo-
He was brave soldier and true COM
rade, with life full Of promise til i was
never realized.