The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1898-04-23


field, and az they were carried into.
camp, they were laid in circle around
| big campfire, and then the doctors
would 60 around dressing their wounds
Outside the surgeons tent stood large
pile of arms and legs which had been
amputated after tbs battle" In de-
sCribing the way in which the men
were buried, Mr.. searles says, "A deep,
long trench was dug, and as the men
were brought from the field they were
dropped into this trench, and then
covered with clay, and sometimes when
the men were buried in a hurry a leg
or an arm could be seen sticking ont"
Just before the battle of Cedar Creek
the government had sent a provision
: train to the Uuion army with three
days ratlons, but the Confederates
/ captured 1t and the Union army had to
march three days before the men got
anything to eat.
Mr.. Searles was in few skirmishes,
among which were the skirmishes of
| Fishers Hill and Manassas Gap. From
the Shenandoah Valley the army
marched to Middletown, where they
built winter quarters, but stayed in
them only two days. Then the army
moved to New Town, where they built
winter quarters a second time.
The Shenandoah Valley had been so
thoroughly devastated by both armies
that while the Union army WAS at New
town the men had 10 carry fencc-r rails
to make fires from places two miles
away from camp. Afrer a short STAY
here the army was ordered to 90 to S.l-
vannah, Georgia, to relieve General
Sherman. After they arrived at Savan-
nah they were placed as guards over
the arsenals and markets. During the
time they were there the Confederate
cavalry tried to burn the city. They
would set fire to the cotton in the store
houses and on the docks. Once they
set fire to an arsenal containing loaded
shot and shell, and when these shells
burst they caused great fright and ex-
element. Mr.. Searles was guarding an
other arsenal about a block away, and
a great number Of the shells burst over
the arsenal near where he was standing.
While Mr.. Searles was on duty in Sa-
vannah Jefferson DAVIS, the Confeder-
ate President, was captured by the
Union soldiers and brought to Savannah
in a transport. At the time OF his cap
a.
there would be a riot, SO on account of
this the reserve was ordered out to
guard the city and to suppress riot il
one took place, but there Was little ex-
element. As Jefferson Davis was walk
ing across the plank to another trant-
port, III which he was taken TO Wash
ington, C., he said: jeff must now
walk the plank" Mr.. Searles helped
to carry the gold which Davis had with
him, to the transport from the provost's
office.
In speaking of the people whom he
found in Georgia, Mr.. Searles SAYS:
The men and women both smoked to-
bacco and used snuff, and were called
crackers Tie people from the couh-
try would begin to come into town with
their garden truck abOat midnight.
Their carts were drawn by COWS, horses,
oxen and mules. AS soon as they ar
rived at the market they would unhilch
the animals and then lie down on tie
benches and sleep until morning."
The food. during the time that Mr..
Searles was in the army, was fresh pork
and beef, when the soldiers could cai-
ture it. and when they could not catch
it salt pork and hard tack would have
to do. Some times they would have
coffee, and the way in which they would
get supper was TO put some water in
little pail which they always carried,
and put 1t in the fire and let 1t boil.
Then they would put some coffee into
it, and soon have a good cup of coffee.
\ half a canteen, which they melted in
two, was used as a frying PAN on which
they cooked their meat. Most of the
lime they had dog-tents, which were
composed OF three pieces Of canvas and
SCI cdiOI three men. III the evening
they would put up the tent, and III the
morning take it down, each man taking
a piece of canvass and putting it into
his knarsack. If during the day a man
was killed his two partners would have
TO look for some one who had lost two
of his comrades, and then they would
have their tent complete again. Mr..
Seares' regiment was kept on guard
duty until July I, 1868, when they were
sent to Hilton Head, sc, where they
received their discharges from the
army.