Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-07-20

Now that the graves are fair with
flowers, and the tears have given place
to only tender memories, we, who We're
in that great struggle, can look back
and lind much that was laughable,
even amid the tragedy of civil war.
Who that ever saw Il train load of
soldiers ordered To the front but re
members with what rollicbing and
shouts and yellS OF delight they crowd.
ell on top of the cars, in the cabooSe.
and even on the cC.W-ca tcher of the
engine, as joyous us if the tune had
been Haste to the Wedding, instead
OF deaths, and pains and privation' s
march That this came not so much
from courage as from Il want of reali-
zation of danger, none who have been,
there will dispute. Each man could
conceive of his comrades being killed
Oh wounded, but no soldier ever yet
received bullet which was not SUI
prise to him.
L remember hearing my colonel
wha, lay with a broken thigh. and Il
gunshot hole i'll his shoulder, and the
body Of his dead horse lying on him,
say TO a private who kept calling to
him., oh, colonel. I'm wounded, In,
Wounded Hush, you fool; do you
think, you are the only one here that's
WoundedY' And, speaking of wounds,
reminds me of a little French restaur-
ant keeper who went with the first
vOlunteer troops that left our town,
more frOnp desire to follow OUR band
and the gay silk flag we carried THAI
from Amy sympathy with the cause.
In out first engagement shot tore it's
way through the burr of his ear,
cutting Il hole as neatly as an augur
could hawe' done
This reused his ire and he leaped to
his feet. shaking his fist at the enemy
a quarter of a mile away. "a thousand
plaques upon youI You try to keel
me-to keel me! Now / fight no. more
for de pay or de country, but for my
self alone. l keel every one of you all
by myself" And as / pulled him off
the breastwOrks he subsidized, mutter-
ing for half an hour as if he was just
then taking i'm what war meant, Mon
Dieu, they try to keel meW
Another valOrOus soldier in my regi-
ment felt himself prepared to lick, not
the enemy @"aIl by himself" but his
own entire command. We were in the
act of fortIing a small stream, and this
man had reached the deepest part
when all at once his mule laid down
with him. He struggled up amid
screams OF laughter from the rest of
the boys. his face flashing. fire.
Laugh. you fools. l believe you'd
laugh if you saw man drowning.
[ AN whip any ten men in the regi-
ment-I can whip any twenty of you,
Come on all of you'll can whip every
mothers -on of your
We came near being routed on. anOth-
er occasion by an indignant civilian in
Il little town which we occupied. A
mess gathered one rainy morning
around. a fire in the street when 81
,, well -toldo looking citizen came riding
by in, % mighty hurry ON fine black
horse without taking any notice of us.
Suddenly one of the men called out:
"Oh, come back, sir; for Gods sake,
come backr' The man turned in his
saddle and looked around, when all OF
us joined in shouting, Come back,
sir; fer Gods sake, come backH' Con-
vinced that there was something seri-
Gus on hand, he wheeled about and
came riding UP with the rain drench-
, ing him: 'sWhat is it? What is it?'
please, sir, cam you sing?' whined a
voice.
Can I sing?" asked the astonished
fellow.
Eyes sir, can you sing?' We are all
So homesick and lonesome we'd like
to- hear some of the old songs" Well,
we did not get a song, but we got some
thing else
A sG1Iinr.S iS alV1