The National tribune., 1899-05-11
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What the Veterans Have to Say
About Their Campaigns
A NURSERY Of HEROES.
Famous Camp Yates. and Some OF the
Things That Happened There.

Things That Happened There.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Comrade
|Carrington's sketch of the 11th ILL.,, in tie
issue of March 9, and F. G. Ferguson's de-
scription of the cold weather of 1864, in the
same column, calls to mind some reminis-
cences Of those times.
My home was in Springfield, about one
mile from Camp Yates. l was a young boy
when the war began. The camp was the
Sangamon County Fair Grounds, and the
only buildings were the rude cattle sheds
and stables usually found in such place in
those times. excepting n few buildings for
exhibition of articles that needed special
protection. These latter were used for Head
quarters purposes and officers quarters, and
were considered quite sumptuous for war
times.
saw Colonels there with poorer accom-
mOdatiOns than private soldiers had in the
Spanish war; yet, from out that crude little
camp came Maj. Gen. John Cook, Colonel of
the 7th H.; Maior-General, Governor. and
United States Senator Richard J. O.lesbv,
Colonel of the Sth ILL.,; Maj-Gen W. r. l..
Wallace, Of the 18th ILL.,, killed at Shiloh:
MajOr-General. Governor, and United States
Senator John NJ. Palmer, Colonel of the 18th
H., and U. S. Grant, Colonel of the 21st
I'LL, besides many others who became famous
but whose names l cannot call to mind now.
That collection of bad-smelling shanties
was q veritable nursery of heroes. From it
came majority of the regiments that won
the splendid battle of Fort Donelson, the
first great victory of the Union soldiers, and
whose names and numbers were written in
4 frey record of glory at Shiloh. Vicksburg,
Stone River, Chickamauga, the Atlanta CAM
paign, and the march to the sea-
The Ad ant-General of the State. Thomas
S. Mathcr, took a fancy to me, and gave me
4 permanent pass into the camp, ard re-
spected his confidence by behaving myself in
a decent and civil manner, and made many
friends in camp, rs clean, tidy looking,
well-mannered, good-natured bOv always
| can do among soldiers. l was in that camp
nearly every day. from its opening, in April,
81, until its temporary abandonment for the
better and larger Camp Butler, seven miles
east of Springfield.
The buildings in Camp Yates were soon
filed np there were but few tents, and none
to be had, and large numbers of officers and
soldiers slept on straw under trees. 1t was
impossible to procure blankets for all the
soldiers rs fast rs tho came to camp Many OF
them brought quilts and blankets from home,
and shared with their less fortunate con
lades; bat there was great deal of sleepi ng
done without covering of any kind.
The provisions were principally smoked
bacon-hams and shoulders, bread, leans,
potatoes, coffee and sugar. There were no
packing-hOuse contractors in those days, and
the meat was largely purchased from farmers
in the country around and throughout the
State-goOi, healthy meat, such as the farmers
prepared for their own use, and smoked in
smoke-house with hickory chips Some
fresh beef was furnished, and good fresh-kiled
beet, but the soldiers objected to it because it
was inconvenient to handle in camp. The
bread was generally soft, good bread, fresh
from the bakeries in Springfield.
The Administration at Washington was so
desperately poor at that, time, and SO be-
deviled with enemies in its own vicinity,
that it was unable to do anything for the
soldiers in Illinois. but there was a man in
Springfield who was equal to the emergency.
Richard Yates simply went ahead and pro-
vided for the soldiers without writing any
snarling, fault-hnding letters to President
Lincoln on the contrary, his letters to the
Great Emancipator were full Of grand patri-
otism and encouragement. The soldiers
mostly did their own cooking, and so uncon-
sciOusly prepared themselves for that impor-
tant duty of a soldiers life in the active
service Of a great war. There vas some bad
cooking at first, as was to be expected, which
caused the most Of the sickness in that camp;
however, there was but little sickness at any
time.
There was great deal of drilling in march
ing, which the soldiers seemed to delight in,
and considerable freedom and equality be-
tween officers and soldiers; in fact, many of
the officers did not know what respect and
Difference WAS due to their rank; but the
soldiers were respectful and Obedient to their
officers.
Some funny things used to occur. 1t will
be long time before will forget seeing n
newly-arrived recruit hold out his pipe to
U. S. Grant and say, Cap, give me light,
and the matter Ot-tact way in which the
future General of all our armies stuck the
hot end Of his cigar in the soldiers pipe and
gave him light. Col. Grant knew perfectly
well what respect was due him, but had too
much common sense to create q scene with
greenhOrn.
Camp Yates had the best-natured large
number of new soldiers / ever saw. There
was little quarrellng, grumbling or intoxica-
tiOn, and with all the levity that is common
to young men there was an carnestness of
spirit, a willingness to submit to the hard
ships of the soldiers life, and determina-
tion to save the Union.
/ saw the 18th Ill. march through Spring
field, as described by Lieut.. Darlington, and
about the same time, with streaming eyes
and quivering lips, standing by my weeping
mother, saw the 7th Ill. march past my |
home on Its way to the war, and in its ranks |
my brother John, Second Sergeant of Co. i, |
the first company and the first regiment |
accepted from the State of Illinois Illinois |
had six regiments in the Mexican War, and |
the 7th was the first one in the civil war.
1 well remember that cold New Years |
Day in 1864. had been to the Office of
lal.-Gen. John A. McClernand, late COM
mander Of the Thirteenth Corps, and was
going to my dinner. The weather was in
tensciy cold; a furious blizzard was raging
and the air was filled with clouds of snow.
My home was on one of the routes to Camp
Yates, occupied again by soldiers, and while
passing large elm tree my foot struck some
thing in snowdrilt was wading through.
Knowing there was no obstruction there, |
stopped TO examine. Itfwas soldier asleep,
unconscious, and freezing to death. realized
at once that something had to be done i'm
medlately, and that before | could get help
from any house, out in that storm, the man
would be frozen beyond recovery. He was
larger and heavier than / was. | was a boy
Of IL, never very strong and with one arm
disabled by bullet wound, but l jerked
that man onto his feet and banged him up
against the tree, hauled him across the side
walk and banged him araipst fence kicked