The National tribune., 1893-09-14
HIS FIRST WEEK.
A Comrade Tells of His Early Experience a
Soldering.

made from the Eastern and Middle States
by The President, first, to defend the city
for the time being, and, later on, to be in
corporated in the vast army OF defense and
offense that, all together, during the above
period, drew 100000 men and boys to the
front.
/ say boys because, although it is the
custom to speak of soldiers as men-and
they all did mems duty-still goodly por-
tion were from Is TO 90 years old.
The experience now related grew out Of
boys enthusiasm. Possibly the fact Of his
ancestors for three generations having served
in the Revolution and war of 1912, as well
as many years in the then volunteer
militia of Massachusetts, as well as the fire.
Quent letters from an elder brother at The
front, may have led up TO it; but the result
accrued that on one hot day in July, 1864,
he found himself in hotter camp in Read
vile, Mass, and regarded with more or less
suspicion by various active Sergeants who
were picking up recruits for their several
companies.
Rather ahead of the story, it is proper to
say that futile attempt at soldering had
previously been made, but failed through
the organization, at that particular time,
resolving itself into a company of "stay-at-
homes"
At Readville, however, it was "strictly
business" resulting in signature with 100
others, more or less, on a blank enlistment
roll. There was no attempt or appearance
of restraint upon the recruits, and few, if
any, felt otherwise than that their simple
signature bound them quite as effectively
as the later formal "muster-in."
The camp was organized with barracks,
tents, and mess-houses for about 5000 men,
and the recruits were kept, in q measure, In
quarters appropriated to certain skeleton
companies until the requisite number (10l)
were obtained, when they were examined
physically, the elect mustered in, the result
lettered as a company and attached to
regiment, and finally uniformed, equipped,
and marched to the front.
In the present case the young debutant,
on the morning after signing the enlistment
roll; after sleeping under tent for the first
time in 4 country boys life of 16 years and
five months; after supping and breakfastiug
ct Uncle Sans expense on what seemed to
him somewhat abbreviated delicacies, in the
shape of hard round crackers and milkless
coffee, found himself one of 100 patriots in
line in an abandoned cornield within the
camp limits, and gazed upon fiercely by
monster in shoulder-straps aided and abetted
by two other monsters with blood in their
eyes and siethoscopes in their hands, re-
spectively the United States Mastering Of
fcer and the Surgeons.
Result, 90 patriots, more or less. rejected,
and s. accepted; our particular subject be-
ing among the former, doubtless because Of
his youthful appearance and his location
between two coTuhills.
His rage and disgust we're equal and freely
expressed. lie had left home. mother,
brother, sisters, and school, bent upon the
destruction Of the Confederate army. aud 10
be rejected in this summary manner was too
much. Within 30 minutes his name was
upon another roll, and he had made him
self solid with young tO-be-Captain. who
relished his grit and promised 10 see him
through. After an afternoon Of feverish eX-
element, the fading day found him in
another line in the same cornfield under the
same eyes Of the same trio of monsters. but
this time on top of a oOrn-hill, with all his
clothes on, and looking as big as nature and
his former experience would permit
Fingers, eyes, teeth legs, lungs, aud heart
having been fumbled over and approved. he
was placed two yards TO the front with the
other accepted patriots, and later on, as the
sun was falling down in a halo of glory be-
hind the sand-hill of old Norfolk County,
be answered TO his name, swore allegiance to
the Constitution Of the United States and
the Articles Of War, and that ne was Is years
of age (the latter with something of a gulp,
because his mother-God bless her-had
taught him not to tell lies), and was promptly
marched off the cornfeld under guard to
taste his first experience Of real soldering.
No time was lost in those days, and before
midnight Co. 3 was uniformed-that is TO
l,ol %
goffins," two pairs Of stockings, one set of
fannels, blouse, pants, cap, overcoat two
blankets, one-tbird of a shelter tent, haver-
sack, tin cup, knife, fork, and spoon, and a
knapsack piled up at his feet, and was deyot-
ing his best energies TO assiniating his
points with the sizes of his apparel
All military men Will admit the pleasure
contractors seem 10 take in insists, and their
uniforms were no exception. AS swapping"
however, comes naturally TO boys, and even
to grown men under such circumstances as
this, it was only question Of time and the
No. 8 "magoffins," No. 6 cars. 42-inch
trousers, and 38-iDch blouses were finally
placed where they would do the most good,
and few hours sleep was secured.
Reveille was followed by breakfast of the
same abbreviated menu as before, after which
partial organization, chiefly interesting be-
cause the Orderly mot First" as now
Sergeant selected was not our man, and
promptly reyenged himself by detailing our
subject on camp police duty.
The forenoon was taken up in squad and
company drills; noon came, with more camp
Injuries; early afternoon, a march to an
improyised arsenal, when tough oak boxes
were unscrewed, and greasy secondhand
Enfield rifles, with waist and cartridge box
belts and cartridge and cap-boxes, were dealt
out, and Co. y finally filed back to barracks
fuli-hedSed volunteers armed and equipped
as the LAW directs" except as 10 ammunition.
The same process was going on through
out the camp. and in seven days five full
regiments OF 10 companies each left Read
vile camp for the front.
Within 4S hours of the time OF our COM
pany's muster-in il was found at the rail-
road station on platform cars, surrounded
by sisters. cousins and aunts" determined
to GOdspeed the boys in person. On the
evening Of the same day the good steamer
Commonwealth took aboard the /, 031 souls
comprising the regiment, who bestowed
themselves as best they could, our particu-
lar interest centering in the lower deck,
close TO the furnace-room, as a reminder of
the hot days in store for us.
Morning found them at Perth Amboy, n.
j., and transferred TO luxurious cattle-cars,
that landed them late in the day in patriotic
Philadelphia, whose Union Volunteer Re-
freShmeut Saloonn onened itself nc usuaI