Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-13

the liberal bounties. .
SH&& furloush Of thirty days
was given to those whose
term was about to ex-
pfre without waiting for the end Of their enlist
ment Battery was at Columbus, KY, very
short handed, most Of the veterans having gone
home on their furlough, and others were await
ing our arrival. We took steamer at st.
Louis and landed at Columbus late at night,
and shouldering our baggage we marched up
long hill TO camp. Some cavalry who had
wintered there had built log houses for them
selves and a long shed for their horses, and
contrary to the usual custom Of soldiers break
ing camp had left them standing and our boys
had taken possession. Four of US were given
one OF these houses and were soon asleep. and
1t seemed to be but q few minutes before q
bugle awakened us and we heard call for
everybody to turn ont. In response to another
bugle call we fell into line and answered to our
names and were dismissed for breakfast. Rations
had been provided in anticipation Of our ar
rival, and we spent the forenoon getting ac-
qualnted with our new comrades and looking
around u.s. At the foot of the high bluff upon
which We were, the Mississippi river was mile
wide. and directly opposite was the battlefield
OF Belmont, where Grant and Logan saw their
first service during the var.
TWO STRONG EARTHwoRKs.
Columbus was struggling village of per-
haps hundred small frame houses. On the
bluffs near our camp were two strong earth
works whose heavy guns commanded the river
for several miles in either direction. as well as
the land approaches IN the rear. Fort Halleck
the larger, inclosed some fifteen acres and
Fort Quimby was about one-third as large. The
garrisOns of these forts were colored troops
and numbered in all about 1 200. Near us, out
side the forts, was a regiment Of New Jersey
fvfo f-x- -h.oa
was in command Of the post. To the rear was
level space beyond which at distance Of a
couple of miles was some timber ut the edge Of
winch was line of pickets. Two roads led
from the town to the top Of the bluff. one Of
which was new one cut through the hill and
paved with logs laid side by side, forming what
was called a corduroy road. This road was
nearly as steep as the roof of house and led to
the gate Of Fort Halleck, while the other ran
along the side Of the bluff to the entrance Of
the other fort
At noon we recruits were called into line to
be inspected by our captain. He was Swede
who had spent many years in the Swedish army
as an officer, and while brave man and a good
tactician he was out of place in our volunteer
service, as he felt that there should be a broad
Wine between an officer and his men, and or
free and easy ways worried him. Speaking
badly broken English and giving great stten-
ton to details which We considered unim-
portant, he was not popular with his subordi-
mates. either officers or men, and resigned a few
weeks later to accept command of colored
troops. He always appeared on duty in full
uniform, and as he walked slowly down the
line IS straight as a gun barrel, with coat but
toned to the chin and wearing sword and spurs
l thought had never seen so soldierly figure.
he looked at each OF US very closely and on the
whole seemed pleased with our appearance.
BEGINNING TO DRILL.
The next morning We were divided into
messes and our drill was begun. A battery of
six guns has captain and four lieutenants, one
of whom acts as quartermaster and has charge
Of drawing rations for the men and forage for
the horses. Each gun has a number by which
it 10 always known; two guns form a section
under direct charge Of q lieut. nant, and each
gun and its accompanying caisson is drawn by
six or eight horses-ours had eight. An or
derby sergeant keeps the company roll, quar-
termaster ser 5eant and a commissary sergeant
issue forage and supplies. There is a sergeant
for each gun and two corporals to each SER
geant. two buglers, one Of whom rides with the
captain. ve;srinsry surgeon, a blacksmi. b. a
wagon maker and a harness maker. There is q
driver for each team. eight mea with each gun
and few extra men to take he place. OF any
who are sick or disabled. aud foar team ,,ers,
who drive the 4ix-mule teams which haul the
wagons, and altogs her q 81 i-gun bat cry has
tve o, hcer and $50 or more men and nearly 100
hor es and tweniy-four muies Each du.v
.ergeant has charge Of hi gun. aces ha he
hor Q are 70 pc 1, car d for and tha nj =
taehment ge,s = rrope amount o. ra i'm. On
a mar b. at Ill b. tl., h. b cad Of hi
de a men beside he lead cam OF be gIn,
and ir nee ed - know all he com nalds aud
o }lc ra.- and be able 0 ide aud ms, rue
he mcu. AID in. ac;ioa h ,nueril cad he
WORKING OF hi p.eee Each man in gun squad
h'"a pla1e u h; gln ana a numb sr, AMI all
he men belonging 20 iece TO m gun de
'arhment and axe lit lie commumt b. them
selses. The RI ions for a d,tachm IN. are
issued in bulk, in camp each mes hi its own
fires, he horres are tied toge her, and except
a. We met at roll call or relic led each ;hc- on
guard We were ,hgoyn very lille wi members
Of her detachments. Each mess had a col
ered man enlisted a. a cook, and those Of US
who did not want to do our own washing paid
our looks to do it for W. None Of our clo hes
needed siarching or ironing, and when in sers-
ice we were satisfied IL they were dipped in
some stream and ried on the bushes once in a
week Ut two. Everything in the battery is
doue by rule. At the sounding of feed call
each driver gets from the stable sergeant the
forage for his team. At water call the drivers
fall in line with their teams, and led BY the
sergeant on duty go in line to the watering
place and return the same way. At Columbus
We watered In the Mississippi at the foot of the
hill. was given charge OF a team belonging
TO man homo on leave. For drill purposes
W Woro uViueu Auto equaus OF Ten eacn, ana
for several hours each day we were marched
and countermarched and taught to keep step.
and We soon decided that it was not much fun.
LEssoN IN CAMPAIGNING.
Early in April . brigade Of infantry was sent
to Columbus and our battery was ordered to
accompany them to some point in Kentucky,
and the captain sent most Of US recruits to give
US lesson in campaign ng. We were gone five
days and had an uneventful trip, and then drill
was resumed. By this time We newcomers be-
gan to feel able to crush the rebellion alone and
were little surprised that recruiting was still
going on in the north and that we were kept
idle. One evening at roll call after the usual
command, attention to orders!' the captain
read an order assigning Us TO the sixteenth
army corps and directing US to report at Men,
phis at once. A few days later we embarked,
and arriving in Memphis about dark we were
marched couple Of miles from town and went
into camp among q lot Of infantry. The COM
mand We had joined had Just finished long and
toilsome campaign, and when daylight came we
new fellows were not very agresably impressed
with our new comrades Brown, sunburned,
many Of them ragged, they did not eompare
very favorably with the garrison at Columbus,
who were about al the soldiers we had yet seen
and who kept their uniforms clean and their
buttons bright. We afterward found that, il
- A. 49, A