The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-08-07
one THING NffDfUL
TOBACCO Is WANTED BY MEN AT
THE FRONT
Soldiers Never Get Enough of the
WHOLESOME Good Stories OF
Smokers Trials


both chewing and smoking. That is our
crying need. Hungry as we have been,
/ have seen days recently when half OF
our company would have traded meal
for a pipe load of smoking tobacco"
This has always been the cry of the
soldier He lives on tobacco. on duty
and off, it is his sole consolation, and
those who send a message of love and
remembrance to dear ones at the front
will make it doubly dear If that mes
sage is wound round package of OLD.
reliable smoking and chewing tobacco.
During the war of the rebellion to-
bacco was much more plentiful in the
south than it appears to be in Cuba now.
Yet even then the boys in blue suffered
at times for a supply of the weed.
In the spring of 1862 the soldiers pay
was delayed for some reason, and for
over two months not a penny circulated
among the less thrifty members of a
Pennsylvania regiment stationed at the
Chain bridge, just outside of Washing
ton.
They had food in plenty and clothing.
but tobacco was lacking and the boys
were miserable. Finally one of the men.
q private from Lancaster, known as
harum- scarum sort Of a chap, determined
upon a desperate move. The move was
evolved while he was strolling by the
White House in Washington one morn
ing, enjoying days leave.
Noticing President Lincoln pacing
thoughtfully through the White House
grounds, the soldier boldly entered the
gate and strobe up to the president
whom he saluted respectfully.
Good morning, my man." said Lin
coin. What can do for you?"
For an instant the man hesitated, then,
taking courage from the presidents
kindly manner, he blurted out:
'"rhe fact is, Mr.. President, we haven't
had any pay for two months"
II know. 1 am sorry for that" inter
rupted the president his face clouding
UP sadly for an instant.
"And-well,' continued the soldier,
give been out of tobacco for a week,
and
Lincoln's hand went into his pocket
and drew forth a silver dollar.
'"Take this my man." he said with
smile. 1T shan't be said that any Of my
boys went without tobacco if l knew
of it,"
And. answering the soldiers thanks
with another smile and a wave of his
hand, he continued his stroll.
Lincolns encounter with the hungry
smoker recalls a story told of Grant just
after he was placed in command of the
army.
He was at City Point. A number of
transports We're being loaded there with
ammunition and general supplies for the
troops at the front. All the transports
We're under guard, and special instruc-
tons had been given to the sentinels to
allow no smoking on board.
One day Grant walked down to the
river bank, the ever present cigar in his
mouth, and started up the plank to one
of the transports. A negro trooper was
on guard, and as the smoking general
approached he halted him quickly.
"Well?" queried Grant, looking up.
"No smokin' lowed on board, suh,' said
the guard.
"They your orders?" said Grant, short
ly.
Eyes, subj"
every good ORDERS" commented the
general. And, tossing his cigar over
board he proceeded aboard the trans
port.
An amusing story of a soldier boys
ingenuity comes from Camp Alger When
the national guard Of Pennsylvania was
called out one of the Philadelphia troop
ers, raw recruit, not knowing under
just what conditions he would have to
live in camp, included in his outfit a
nightshirt.
The very first night of his stay at
Mount Gretna he saw how useless the
garment would be, but for the sake of
association, or for one reason or an
H. laII otv,a Il
in his knapsack throughout his stay at
Gretna, and was still with him when his
regiment was ordered to Falls Church.
In the hustle and confusion of equip
ping the large army that responded to
President McKinley's CALL there was
some delay in FURNISHING clothing to the
boys at Camp Alger. Here is where the
nightshirt came in handy.
The soldiers blue shirt was pretty we'll
worn out and his bathing utensils were
considerably the worse for wear. Ad-
journing to his tent the other night, the
Pennsylvania got out the hitherto use
less article and with a sharp knife ripped
it in half.
One section of the robe de mutt is now
doing service as fancy-fronted neglige
shirt. The other section has been made
tocrat of the company.
A bluecoat isn't a true soldier If he
hasn't grievances. And each soldier
looks upon his particular grievances as
the crying evils of the army.
The Sixth Pennsylvania regiment, re-
cruited from the small towns in the
southeastern section of the state, has
been giving the army officials at Camp
Alger all sorts of trouble by it's efforts
to adjust it's grievances.
Company M has its budget, but it suf-
fered in silence until the other day. Then
a former police judge, who is enlisted as
a private soldier, voiced the Importance
of his companys grievances and of the
village whence he came in the heavy re-
mark:
"If West Chester knew how we were
being treated there would be h-l!"
Massachusetts volunteers tell a good
story of a regiment of colored troops
that recently came down from the Nut
meg state.
The command had been lined up to be
mustered in, and previous to that pro-
ceeding the coored colonel was request
ed by the recruiting officer to state to
the men that they were under no COM
pulsion to enlist, but could do as they
pleased about the matter. This is how
the colonel put the case:
"NoW, eff dere Is any oh yo' sojers in