The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-31
EARLY AYSOF THE WAR.
xRES THE sOUTHERN SOLDIER WAS
IN THE FOEmArIgE STAGE.
And when the Youthful Volunteer Was In.
oiined 50 Esnegerato His Individual
Importance-SoeDe At Centreyiile.

bnt were as soon lost in the Magnitude
Of those which afterwards followed. SIEVE
raj such incidents occurred while the army
lay az Centrevlle, during the weeks ina
meclafcly following the victory at the
First Manassas. We were then In the for
NATIVE stage Of the soldier.
The youthful volunteer. fun OF enthu-
siasm and hope. quite naturally was IN
clined 10 oxaggerate his Individual impor-
lance. In this respect he was much aided
by his relatives and friends. To them nc
was already a hero. No pains or expense
were spared In preparing him for the @"
reer OF glory. which. in his own ana the"
inaeinations. now lay before him. We
need not refer 20 the outDui9.o
patriotic passion. the pathetic par u"e9 ~
that exciting period. They are p'' NV'
comitants Of an wars. "a. ..,.,.,-..,
Ne have a way Of saying iAat history
repeats Itself" This IS mistake ~ "lny
initiates what has been cone peioie' %
an our case 10 IS Interesting 10 recall scenes
,be IKE I'D which had been occurring from
~ limo ~ the Mother Of the Gracchi.'
and before. down 20 that bright morning
,vbeu an older and "a younger brother
sons Of some yearniug Confederate mother
went bravely away from their home be-
hind the forests. perhaps never 70 return
IL was the same old story The generation
OF the past had done the same thing, ana
We were bat initiating them.
At the time OF which ] write the men
stnl bore evidences Of their familiarity
with homes bat recently forsaken for the
trials OF the field. They had not yet realiz-
ed that in few short months at best
their weu-packed kuapsacks and dainuly
prepared haversacks would little by little
sacrifice their treasures 10 the demands
Of want. Although many Of them had but
a few weeks before borne their part in
the deadly strife, and were in some sort
familiar with the dread realities OF war;
they had not yet quite gotten rid Of the
idea that after att the thing they then
had I'm hand was but big frolics sort OF
hunt on a grand scale. in which each was
90 have his share OF the game and the
glory.
The monotony OF camp life began 10 be
oppressive. and was only varied by roll
calls ana drills. and other more common
place empioyments. Some OF the men
thought IL necessary 20 keep their artillery
sabres not only bright, but sharp. They
imagined the keen edges might be wanted
in some desperate encounter with the
enemy Others spent much time i'm polish
ing Up herce-lC oking Bowie knives, and
IN cleaning revolving six-shooters. with
which over-sOlicitous friends had thought
- necessary 10 begirt the sacred persons
when they had left home for the wars.
The picnic element entered largely into
or war experience about that time, and
We had not altogether realized that we
had actually surrendered our personal lib
erty. and 20 a considerable degree our
free Wills. for the sake Of the cause we
were pledged to defend. Like boys out of
school, the men often wandered OFF with
out authority, forgetting that they might
De needed for duty AT any moment. on
these occasions they We're generally off on
e0raging expeditions, in search Of such
Injuries a. could not be found IN camp
and which no soldier was ever expected
20 enjoy. At the very time they We're thus
engaged, their well-arranged mess-clubs
were in the daily enjoyment of a cuisine
whose menu, a year or two later, would
have been regarded as more than sump-
tuous
10 show now campaigning was regarded
10y some people at that time. 1 was writ
Ten 10 by a friend who knew he ought 10
he in the army, and was under the
pressure Of public sentiment on the sub
Ject, especially among the ladies. lie
wanted TO know IT, upon concluding TO
join US he could bring with him his pri-
Vate tent, a servant. and certain toilet
articles indispensable 20 his comfort while
engaged I'm the defence Of his suffering
country The only reply ] could make
was that few OF us had shaved SINCE we
left home. mat we had thrown both ra-
zOrs and physic 10 the dogs: that sleeping
ON the ground had already become a IuXu-
ury; that our day-break appetites
were inappeasable unless we got
breakfast by sunrise. and that altogether
We were having quite q good time. At the
close Of the letter 1 happened to mention
that the day before we had heard for the
first time the distant mutterings Of the
enemys artillery. / never received any re-
Ply To my letter nor did my patriotic cor
respondent ever Join the army.
This semi-hucolic style OF soldering had
lasted some time, when suddenly one dav
a fast rider on horseback came dashing
into the village, inquiring for headquart- |
ers. lie was couutryman. over-heatcd /
ana covered with dust The weather was
unduly hot and dry for the season He I
had seen, as he supposed "a body OF hos /
tile troops moving down road west of 4
our position. The cloud of dust gotten up /
on their way had attracted his attention. I
and be felt bound to give the alarm 10 4
General --. then commanding at Cen /
treVilie. In few minutes the alarm was /
abroad among the camps. 10 was as the |
buzz OF a beehive when an enemy is /
about Ordinary alarms We're not infre- |
Quent, but now an enemy was supposed 1
to be actually in sight, and seemed seri-
ously threatening the safety of our posi- !
uon Struggling parties of soldiers had /
heard the ominous call OF the long roll
is from station 10 station the drum
b, ats sun moned them 20 immediate ser
vice. Officers Of an grades were hurry
rg 20 the performance of orders Of their
'upeIi0rs. aj0r-generals brlgadiers. and
.eglmental commanders We'd with each
lther w their urgent haste. preparing for
TIE crisis whatever Il might Doe.
The village OF centreyille rests upon a
'ange Of high hills From the SUBMITS Of
hese may be seen the lar-nnf Blue Ridge
,no several Of it's gaps afterwards made
emous during the progress OF the war
East n these stand the Bull Run hills.
through which the railroad breaks al
'horoughfare Gap. il was along the base
Z these that our startled countryman had
discovered the moving column Bv this
mac every man. from the highest In
.rade 90 the lowest. was at his post,
identity and anXiously gazing in the d.
eDtion indicated. The alarm now
mounted almost 20 a fright. because no |
ne seemed 10 know who the strangers |
we're whore they had 80 suddenly come /
rom. or what might be their destination.
ms was really the first panic Of the cam
align. As soon as it was found that the
Unknown column could be seen from the
ops OF tho nclghboring hills officers and
zen LETT their respective places 10 OBJ
tfte ~ movements. Now and then the
hle topa OF wagons could be seen
l"usb the iitts In the cloud OF dust
n, ia ION uhaer ne shadows OF the OPEN