The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-10-19
THE FIRST PICKET.
1t Was a Call That Sent Terror to the
Heart of the Raw Recruit.

The raw recruit is the most venture
some soldier when he is sent collec-
lively to do anything, but collectively
or individually he can be very easily
demoralized Now the Eighty-third
New York was Il regiment of young
country boys who had made up their
minds to do their duty as soldiers. TO
go into battle without Sinking and to
suffer any privation for three years
or during the war" But their friends
at home, with fine sense of mis-
taken kindness. had that whole regi-
ment completely demoraiized almost
before it reached the front. They had
been drilling for some time, and had
been shifted from one rendezvous to
another 50 that the poison had time 10
work before they reached the active
service zone"
Wives and sweethearts at home,
realizing the dangers which the loved
ones had gone To face in doing their
duty Tor their country, eagerly
scanned the newspapers. From them
were CLEANED many pathetic little
stories of pickets and sentinels killed
1T their posts, whilst comrades slept,
near by, unconscious of his fate. AL
most every man i'll the regiment, while
lying at the rendezvous. received a
copy of these stories, for at that time
early in the war, the papers We're full
OF them. They also received the story
of the picket who was fired at but was
saved by u pocket Bible carried inside
his blouse over the heart With this
story invariably came Il present o. 4
Testament to the unhappy recipient
The boys exchanged their stories and
talked about them until every man
dreaded picket duty rs the most dan
gerous service the soldier could be
called on to perform. Nor was there
any veteran to explain what the dread
ed duly consisted Of. The boys all
felt that ii they could only escape hav-
ing to be sentineis on that line, there
was a reasonab BILE hope of their serving
out their terms.
At last the Eighty-third found them
selves outside the Notifications at
Washington and on fighting ground,
and at any time there might BE- call
to arms. One day the dread summons
came from the adjutaut in the shape
of an order for q detail OF twenty
men from each company to report at
once 1t headquarters, with twenty
round OF ammunition. That last
clause did it ami the first sergeants
hated to look over the list, select the
first twenty men able for duty and bid
them prepare. II could be nothing
else but picket. Tent-mates could be
seen talking earnestly together. Those
who were on the fatal details were
given final" instructions as to what
should be done with their trinkets if
they did not come back, and the most
sanguine did not expect all to come
back.
Just before the order to fall in,"
the detail, one at time. slipped into
their tents and pulled down the
flaps" When they rcappeared their
blouses were buttoned up and on the
left breast, just over the heart, there
ryas suspicious fullness. which
showed that these little stories from
home had done their work and this
detail would neglect no measure of
safety. "Good-by" was said. they
marched off and the remainder of the
regiment was shrouded in gloom.
Twenty-four hours passed slowly to
those who had terminates off on the
detail, and then silently and sullenly,
muddy and hungry the forlorn hope
marched back into camp, but there
was 40 fullness over the heart, and il
is questionable il there was a Tesla
ment in the whole outfit In response
to the eager inquiries as to where they
had been on picket the answer came
with much profanity: Picket be
bowed. We were out here two miles
in the swamp building corduroy
road"
This little episode, when written
home, stopped the flow of Sunday
school clippings, and they soon learned
to be soldiers and to know that picket
duty was about the only snap they
had.-Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph.