The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-01-07
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have to Say Abont
Their Old Campaigns.
GOING TO THE FRONT.


Graphic Description of the Young Recruits
Experiences.
Continued from last soees.)
EDITOR n ATI0NAL TRIBUNE: Inc lever
ish haste with which the Government was
sending new troops to the front is We'll Mus
. trated by the history OF my regiment On
the 2S;h orders were received to proceed to
washington Gu the next afternoon we
marched into the city OF Harrisburg and
drew guns and other accoutelments. Inc
guns were Austrian mnskets, OF the FIRE.
mont purchase, short, clumsy, heavy, ana
fearful in execution. The execution. how
ever, was pretty evenly divided between the
two extremes OF the gun. The regiment
carried these guns but short time before
they were exchanged for the Springfield
rife. an excellent firearm 10 its day.
The regiment marched to the depot and
took a tran of box cars, in which were
rough board seats. We were soon trundliDg
toward the seat of war. Rations had pre-
yiously been transported in these cars In the
form of live stock. and the odor was not
pleaSipg to the oliactories of the newly-born
soldiers.
Without mishap, unless the whole affair
was mishap, after slow run and several
sidetrackings, toward morning the train
pulled into Baltimore. We marched from
the depot by waning gaslight through the
CITY TO another station. Here a fairly-good
breakfast was partaken of, and the regiment
boarded another train and arrived at WASH
inrton in the early part of the afternoon.
On alighting from the ears an effort was
made at the so-calied Soldiers Rest " to
appease the hanger of the new arrivals. The
regiment was marched into an immense
shell of building, where tables extended
from the entrance 10 the rear, and the boys
marched each side OF a table.
These tables and their bounty are long 10
be remem bered, both on account of their
length and The opportunity thy afforded
for a p.cnic. In front of each hungry SOL
der was about one-third OF loaf of bread,
a hunk of meat fairly well knocked, and a
tin cup filled with the writer never knew
what / shall not attempt TO repeat the
varied expressions of the new soldiers con-
corning this bouB,iful repast. Suffice it
to saw the amount left was all-sufhcient Tor
another just such regiment.
The REGIMENT Austrian muskets and all,
with bayonets that would not fit, was
marched into the Capital City of the great
then almost dis United States. With diff
Guilty we moved forward. Other commands
seemed to take precedence, or trains OF bag
gage or ambulance wagons as they moved SO
blocked the way, We did more hating than
marching. The scene in the crowded city
was largely military, and for the first time
the pew soldiers felt their near approach to
the realities of war. Their eyes were not
only being opened, but their ears also.
The second battle of Bull Run was being
fought, and the sound of the artillery could
be plainly heard. The regiment received
orders to march to Arlington Highs, and
by dint of perseverance and patient bearing
of huge knapsacks, aided only by lusty
cheers from the citizens, managed at night
fall TO reach Long Bridge.
Here was another blockade. The regi-
ment waited for 700 ambulances to pass.
IL was after dark when the sacred soil of
Virginia was first pressed by the feet of this
new regiment
As the dinnerless and nearly supperless
bows moved forward into somewhat open
country some, overcome by fatigue, fell out
by the way, hut we preserved fair order
until the flights, at about ii p. m, were
reached, when we filed into field and pre-
pared as best We could to spend the night.
Thepight was very dark, but, alter fash
ion, without tents the boys bunked, and
were soon lost in sleep. and all unconscious of
the rain that at this time began TO fall. About
one hour and half of repose, and the
regiment was 0ruered FORWARD 10 Cnaln
Bridge The order to "fall in" was I'M
needed. Officers went from man to man.
reused them from their slumber and repeated
the order to fall in" Most of the men were
so weary and sound in sleep that they
scarcely needed the order, nor cared for
neither rain, officers. or enemy.
With difficulty line was formed, and the
regiment moved. Nest OF the men, not yet
four days out of citizens cloihing, were wet,
weary, hungry, and out of humor, and cared
little whether they went to Chain Bridge
or lay by the roadside and slept. As oc-
casion offered many fell out, and before the
regiment reached it's destination the ma
jority were somewhere except with the COM
Nand.