The Irish standard., 1898-09-24
HARDsRlPS MET WITH JOKES.
The Unfailing Cheerfulness Sh own
Under Privati0ns.
THEIR COURAGE IN THE FIELD.
Gen. Thomas Francis Meagher Was
Their Commander.

"'Thc gallant 69th" was the army des-
ignation during the civil war of the fa-
nous New York regiment. And this
title it won during it's first service when
1t took the field in response to the call
of President Lincoln for three months
men. The people of Maryland and Vir-
ginia, whom they were among held the
mon in high esteem. They neither in
vadcu any private house nor looted any
abandoned home and these latter were
in plenty, as was discovered on the
march to Bull Run. Some showed that
they had been vacated in great haste,
the owners evidently dreading to be
caught within the union lines or fearing
for the safety of their families in the
presence of the Yankee soldlcry.
The first experience of the Goth regi-
mcnt as soldiers was camping tcntless
at Annapolis and again along the line
of the railroad leading to Washington,
conjoincd with all the inc!licicncy for u
commissarat that officers wholly ig-
norant of the duties of their stations
could effect. Officers and many of the
men were proficient in the school of the
soldier; how to conduct themselves in
the camp or on the march was Il lesson
to be learned. The men proved apt pu-
pills. Meanwhile conditions were ac-
ccptcd as inevitably associated with SOL
dier life; criticism and condemnations
of superiors We're few, and generally in
the nature of an explosion of speech
which excited laughter all around.
On arriving at Washington the regi-
mcnt was campcd in Georgetown Col
lego. Here the men were expected to
learn to cat meat on Friday. Father
Mooney, the chaplain and the rector of
st. Dridgct's church, New York City,
was the mentor. The men were hungry
often, and when told that it was all
right for the soldier in tho field to eat
meat on Friday tho chaplain was asked
If II wasn't possible to have the meat
served on another day.
diers, "our camp is Just like an Irish
soup house in famine timc-plenty Of
meat on Friday, but the devil bit on
any other day of the week" or course
everybody laughed, including Father
Mooney.
Father Mooney" cried another, now
that the humor was on, many IL good
man in Ireland lives without meat for O
week; maybe we aristOcrats could get
along without it for one day in the
week" And SO IT went on. The bread
and coffee disappcarcd-th meat re-
manned untnstcd by nearly the whole
regiment, for truth to say, those of the
men who were not Catholics entered In
to the full spirit Of the fun and badin-
age.
why don't you eat your meat. Jim
my?" asked one. nudging his neighbor.
"Ah, sure, you wouldn't be asking
Jimmy, with his fine taste. to be eating
the meat that's only intended for COM
mon soldiers" interposed another. :,
How the devil do you think Jimmy
could ever run for alderman II he eat
meat on Friday?" remarked third. And
thus went the pleasantly with life-sus.
tanning variations of expression.
The commissariat was improved in
Fort Corcoran as any change could only
be Improvement. But the cheerincss of
the men, no matter how gnawing the
hunger, never deserted them. While
short commons was the rule a company
went out one night on n scout. Re-.
turning to Fort Corcoran in the morning
the men sat down in front of the tents
for a muchdesired breakfast. BY and
by II piping hot loaf was served to each
man, coffee to follow. General Sher-
man, the brigade commander, came
along just then, got sniff of the newly
made bread. and had it all collected and
carried back to the bakery to be re-dis-
tributed when ii was cool. There was
no audible protest. Everybody accepted
the inevitable One genius remarked:
"'Tis well man does not live by bread
alone. If he did we'd all be dead"
"Arrah," rcbukingly put in another,
didn't yc hear the general say hot
bread would destroy our stomachs? He
just wants to save us from indigestion,
that we may enjoy the good things he's
going to give u.s." And so it ever was.
Everybody was made merry or was maxi
ing mcrrimcnt in his misery.
A clerical friend of Father Mooney.
looking on at the men building Fort
Corcoran, remarked:
"a match for Southern chivalry is r.
ish shovelry."
A correspondent Of the Evening Ex-
press Of New York at the time. a pri-.