The National tribune., 1897-02-11
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have to Say AbeHa;;
Their Old Campaigns.
DANGER AND HARDSHIP.
"reminiscences of a Convalescent fri'a''
Soldier on His Way to the Front.

"reminiscences of a ConvaIescent fr''a'e
Soldier on His Way to the Front
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In Novem-
Der. 1853 was wounded III the hrst engage
ment of my regiment. at Locust OroNe, ana
sent to hospital in Alexandra, where hon.
George F. Edmunds hunted out all Vermont
soldiers and had them transferred to Gen
eral Hospital at Braitleboro. Here / i'm
proyed SO that, the last of March, 1864. the
Surgeon in charge informed me he was going
10 have me transferred to the Invalid Corps,
as he wanted me for Hospital Nurse. But
/ thought was well enough. and preferred
10 go bsck TO my company, and in few
dsvs started with squad OF convaiescents,
expecting to rejoin them in time for the
Spring campaign.
wish TO relate my personal experiences
in journeying to the front. My regiment,
the 10th VT, at this time was part of the
First Brigade, Third Division, Sixth Corps,
Army of the Potomac, in Winter quarters
near Culpeper, Va. From Vermont our con-
vaiescent squad went by rail and water to
Bedloe's Island, New York Harbor. After
remaining there for Two or three weeks we
were slowed away on hoard a Government
transport bound for Fort Monroe, and after
experiencing rough ocean voyage, where
nearly everyone was sea-sick, sailed up the
Potomac River to Alexandria, and marched
TO Camp Distribution, to await orders Tor
the front.
A large squad had been sent off only
day or two before and We were assigned to
as dirty camp as it was ever my privilege
to enjoy, there to await the assembling OF
another squad. Meanwhile we were being
organized into companies, armed and
equipped for our onward march.
IL so happened that j was assigned 10
company, with one other from my regiment,
composed almost entirely of Germans; not
very desirable combination for two of US,
at least as we could neither speak nor un-
derstand the language. Finally, after three
weeks in this camp, and fully 80 companies
had been organized, armed and exercised in
the manual of arms and company drill, we
heard one morning the order Fall in, with
three days rations."
We formed hollow square around 5000
prisoners, WHO were deserters and bounty
Jumpers from eur army, and it was our task
to guard them to the front. Cur prisoners
were as grand lot of as hard citizens as my
eyes ever beheld-men who wouldn't smell
the smoke Of battle if they could help il, and
had enlisted on y for the bounty they received.
to shake the "reminiscences of Camp Distri-
button, just at the time the battle OF the
Wilderness was being fought.
1t was necessary to make of our 5000
armed convalescents strong proyost-guard,
and those in the rear had occasion to use
their bayopets to prick and urge forward
many stragglers, while some fell out on the
plea of being sick, and we're left 10 the ten
der mercies OF Mosby's guerrillas. who fol-
lowed in our rear, and either shot took
them prisoners
On reaching Fredericksburg a camp was
formed just outside the city. guard placed
to hold our prisoners. and a day or two later
i was detailed TO 90 as che OF the guards
with an ambulance-train to the field hos
pital on the Spottsylvania battlefield.
The memory of this march TO the battle
held and back viii ever remain; what with
the double-ouick pace at which we went at
times 10 keep up with The train in the dust
and heat, besides the desolation and death
mingled with the groans and suffering of
the wounded. Shortly after our return we
set out for Port Royal on the Rappahan-
mock, to meet The wagon-tIain of the Quar-
termasters Department of the Army OF the
Potomac going TO that place for supplies.
The base of supplies had been moved there
after Grants flank movement to Cold Har-
Dor, and transports were now coming up the
river with these supplies.
This was another tedious march in heat
and dust with prisoners, and more of them
gave us the slip, prefeuing to take their
chances meeting the bushwhacker to facing
the enemy in battle.
Towards night, the company to which
was assigned being near the head of the
column, and coming to a halt on the river
bank at Port Royal, many of us plunged
into the river for a bath. One of our num-
Der was tripped by wire lying on the
sand of the rlver-bottom, which excited his
curiosity, and as he lifted it up, following it
TO shore, thence TO q house on hill a halt
mile or more away, he found it connected
with a battery.
The sole occupant Of the house, an old
man, was placed under arrest, the wire cut,
and he was made to locate several torpedoes
in The river. His duty there was to press
the button at the battery and explode the
torpedoes at the proper time and blow up
our transports with supplies on coming up
the river. Our aged prisoner vas sent to
Washington and held, am told, till after
the war closed.