Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-14


at that time as it is now-we anticipated
pleasant ride down the Potomac Before noon.
however, the order was changed and we were
told to go across the Chain bridge and report
TO Gen. Abercrombie a. Fort Ethan Allen. II
was dusk when got over on to the Virginia
side and marched up the steep hill to the broad
plateau in front of the fort. 1t was too late TO
pitch tents and SO we bivouacked on the ground
and as most of us were very tired, for it was
our hrst march. all were soon sleeping the sleep
of worn out soldiers. know, as for myself, I
slept 80 soundly that was conscious of nothing
until about midnight awakened by nv
chum shaking me by the shoulder and saw
ing: Get up if you don't want to be
drowned got to my feet and then
realized that | was thoroughly drenched with
water. A terrific thunder storm was raging
and had rolled down into what had been the
gutter surrounding former tent, which had
of course. become filled with water and had
poured beautiful stream right down the back
Of my neck. There was no use getting mad
and the whole command seemed to be ENJOYING
the absurdity of the situation. Fires had been
lighted throughout the camp and around each
blaze was group of men in various stages of
deshabille trying TO dry themselves and their
wet garments. 1t was our first night in regular
soldering and of course the discipline was not
as strict as 1t afterward became. The shower
lasted for perhaps an hour and then the moon
came out beautifully and shone upon what to
me- boy OF seventeen. seemed weird and
wonderful scene. Most of the men remained
up the balance of the night and we told stories.
sang songs and made an amount of noise that
was wholly at variance with army regulations
and which finally brought an officer from the
fort to tell our officer of the day that if we were
going to be soldiers We would have to stop that
racket; that this was no picnic, but we would
md out before long that being in the army was
something more than having holiday.
Alas. some of us realized that only foo sariouSlv
in the days that followed. But even when we
had become more severely disciplined when we
were making forced marches or waiting for our
turn TO go to the front in battle or when We
stood where shot and shell were flying thick
as the rain drops on that first night. L don't
think there was man who ever forgot his
baptism on the sacred soil of Virginia.
THE RESPONSE TO LINcoLS's CALL
Looking back thirty years one cannot but
marvel at the way in which the men of the
north promptly responded to the calls made by
President Lincoln for volunteers during the
early part of the war. They came from every
station IN life and were of every age that could
be accepted by the examining officers The
spirit OF patriotism was SO strong that men who
had reached an age beyond which had been
fixed as the limit for acceptance did not hesi-
tate to prevaricate in order TO get an opportu-
nifty to serve their country. Bows who were well
grown would urge that they were eighteen when
perhaps they lacked one or more years of that
age. that they might be permitted to shoulder a
musket and march into the field. These men
did not go into the army for the money which
they received, but because they believed il their
duty to do what lay in their power to uphold
and defend the national government What
was S13 month to them? There were in NV
own company men who were worth their thou
sands, men who had been getting good salaries
| as clerks. bookkeepers and professional men,
young men who were at school college
and whose parents were in good circum-
stances. who had never known what it
was either to earn q cent of money or
to ask it from their fathers and be refused. So
l say again what was the pay that they received
from the government to them? 1t was GER
tainly no inducement for them to endure the
| hardships of camp life, the fatigues of the
| march or the dangers of actual conflict on the
field OF battle l remember after we had
chased Lee down through Virginia after the
battle of Gettysburg We halted at Catlett station
and were there paid by a paymaster who had
come from Washington for that purpose We
had not been paid for four months, and conse-
quently there was due each private the sum of
S52. know when the amount was handed me
put 1t In my pocket without looking at i. and
the gray-haired paymaster said to me: .Hadn't
you better count your money and see if it is
| correct?" replied: 1T don't make so much
difference to me. didn't come into this war
for Sl3 a month" My captain afterward told
Olu illaU stlu 10 MIN would prob
ably be more careful about my money as grew
Older, but that the spirit of the reply was all
right.
IN THE FORTS AROUND WASHINGTON.
The first winter Of my army experience was
spent in the defenses of Washington. From
Fort Ethan Allen went to Murson's HILL
which had become famous as the place where
the rebels had mounted their Quaker guns and
had kept Mcclellan in terror for some days.
and then We went to Minors Hill, where we
spent the most of the winter. That was about
eight miles from Washington, and as had
been detailed at the headquarters of the COM
manding general had no difficulty in coming
INTO Washington quite frequently. The ma
tional Capital was then, of course great mill
tary camp. Officers and soldiers were seen
everywhere, and the regulations in regard to
the latter were very stringent. No soldier or
officer was allowed to be in the city without a
proper pass, and l remember the impression
made upon me the first night l attended the
theater, when shortly after the curtain went
down on the first act a file of soldiers marched
into the building and the officer in charge
visited each officer and soldier in the audience
and inspected his pass. Those who could not
show the necessary credentials were placed be-
tween the files of soldiers and marched off to
the provost guard house. When we did not
come into Washington there was certain enjoy
ments that we could have in the vicinity of our
camp, and there were several families living
about there with whom the officers became quite
intimate. These Virginia people pretended to
be extremely friendly to the United States. but
every now and then they would let fall a remark
that indicated that their real sympathies were
with their state. However, it pleasant to visit
them, and AZ the head of the of house was
always possessed of first-class thirst. a bottle
of commissary whisky would usually insure the
most courteous and polite treatment.
on THE PENINSULA.
In the spring Of '63 we were ordered south
going first to Suffolk, then participating in the
campaign on the Black Water, which was quite
lively as long as it lasted. From thence we went
to West Point and Yorktown and then marched
up the peninsula to Bottoms bridge, in the feint
that Gen. Dix made upon Richmond in order to
hold Lon2street there and prevent his joining
Lee into Maryland and Pennsylvania. This was
not disastrous campaign, for there was little
danger in 1t save for few skirmishes, but still
We had an opportunity of finding out what real
war was, although the terrors Of battle were
not discovered until later, at Charleston. in
Florida and with the Army Of the Potomac
during Grants memorable campaign which
ended with the surrender Of Lee at Appomattox
and the downfall of the rebellion.
boy Of seventeen could hardly appreciate
the magnitude Of the struggle in which he was
part, but 1t seems to me that he developed
during his army service far more rapidly than
would have been the case had he remained at
home in private life. He learned self-reliance,
ur1tC of ,xI oox;ov, and he h.