The National tribune., 1899-06-15

ibA tiSSS pItScfiUtO Dy tile OIlitcu Stt8ltS
Army regulations, and this nap had
clearly won the coveted detail OF Ord6rtHi
I by competition with his comrades as bSiA9}
the neatest, best-dressed man In the squad.
He was a tall, fine-looking young man.
wearing white gloves and a paper collar,
with spotless dress coat buttoned to the
chin, his shoes shining like mirrors, his
buttons and belt-plates like new gold, and
his regulation hat caught up on the left
side with feather and gilt eagle Tbs
front of his hat was mass of gilt letters
and figures and bugle, indicating his
company, regiment and State. On His
breast was large red star
"Jehosephat, sighed Shorty. II wish
be one of old Abe's body guards, sent out
here with Grants commission as Lieu
tenant-General. Expect that red star
passes him on the railroads and at the
hotels. I'd like to play him two games out
O. three, cut-throat, for it. / could use it in
roy business
NO." said the Orderly to 81, with a
strong Yankee twang, Il don't know a mite
about the 200th Ind. Leastwise, I don't
remember it. Everybody. down here's
eternal mix, like Uncle Jed Stover's fish.
couldn't tell Shad, herring nor sprat from
one another. 1t seems to me more like
'tarnai big town-meeting than an army.
to say; all act alike. Can't tell where am
Indiana regiment leaves off. and Ohio one
begins; can't tell officer from private,
everybody dresses as he pleases, and half Of
them don't wear anything to tell where they
belong. There wasn't a corps badge in the
whole army when we come here"
| Corps badges-whats them?' asked 81.
| Corps badges? Why this is one" said
the man, tapping his red star. "Thaf
shows | belong to the Twelfth Corps-beSt
First Division-best division in the corpss
We have to wear them SOS to show our
General which are his men, and where they
be. Haven't you no corps badges"
Our General don't have to tag u.s. said
IShorty, who had come up and listened.
He knows all of us that's worth KNOWN,
and that We'll go wherever he orders US;
and stay there till he pulls us of. Our
corps badges afull haversack and Spring.
field rifle sighted up to ,20O yards"
| well, you do fight, in a most amazing
way" said the Orderly, cordially. We
never believed it OF such rag-tag and bob
tail, until we saw you go up over Mission
Ridge. You were all struggling then,
but you were struggling toward the enemy.
Never saw such a mob, but 1t made the
rebels sick
well, if you'd seen US Dustin your old
friend Longstreet at SnodgraSs Hill
you'd seen some he-fghtin'. We learned
him that he wasn't monkeyin' with the
Army, o the Potomac, but with fellers that
WIZ down there for business, and not to
wear paper collars and shine their buttons,
He come at us seven times before we could
git that little fact through his head, and we
piled up his dead like cordwood."
| "Well you didn't do any better than we
did with Early's men at Cups Hill, il We
do wear paper collars returned the other
proudly. "ifter We got through with
lJohnston's Division you couldn't see the
ground in front for the dead and wounded.
And none OF your men got up on Lookout
Mountain any quicker'n we did. Paper
collars and red stars showed you the way
right along"
My pardner's only envious because he
haint no paper collars nor fire clothes"
| said ST. conciiatorily. 1--WE often told him
that if he'd leave chuck-a-luck alone and
save his money he'd be able to dress better'n
Gen. Grant"
"Gen. Grants no great shakes as
dresser" returned the other. Il was never
so surprised in my life, as one day when
was Orderly at Division Headquarters, and
a short man with a red beard, and his
clothes spattered with mud, rode up, fol-
| lowed by one Orderly, and said, Orderly,
| tell the General that Gen. Grant would like
to see him." By looking hard managed
to make out three stars on his shoulder.
Why, if Gen. Mcclellan had been coming
you'd have seen him for ruile before he
got there"
IF Gen. Grant put on as much style in
proportion to what he done as Mcclellan,
you could see him as far as the moon."
ventured Shorty.
'Well, we're not gettin' to the riiimint,"
said the impatient ST. Les rack on. So
long, Orderly. Come and see us in the 20Oth
Injianny, and We'll treat you white. For
ward, march!'
There's a couple Of boys comm up
the road. Probably they kin tell us where
the rijimint is" suggested Shorty.
The two boys were evidently recruits Of
some months standing, but not yet con-
sidered seasoned soldiers.
NO" they said, there is no 200th Ind.
here now. 1t was here yesterday, and was
camped right over there, where you see that
old camp, but before noon came an order
to march with three days rations and 40
rounds. 1t went out the Lafayette Road,
and the boys seemed TO think they wuz goin'
out to Pigeon Mountain to begin the general
advance o the army, and wuz nightly
tickled over it"
Gone away" said 81, scanning the
abandoned camp sadly; everybody
couldn't have gone. They must've left
somebody behind that wasn't able to travel,
and somebody to take care o 'em. They
must've left some rijimintal stuff behind,
and guard over it."
NO." the boys assured him. They
broke up camp completely. All that wasn't
able to march was sent to the hospital in
Chattynoogy. Every mite of stuff was
loaded into wagons, and hauled of with
'em. They never expected to come back"
THAT camp ground don't look as it'd
bin occupied for two weeks" said Shorty.
"See the ruts made by the rain in the parade
ground and the general look O. things. l
don't believe the riimint only left there
Yesterday 1t don't look as if the 20Oth
fnjianny ever had sich camp. It's more
like one o. the camps O. them slack-twisted
Kaintucky and Tennessee Iijimints."
"If Oh didn't behave that ST Klegg and
Sharty was did intoirely, and up home in
Injianny, Old be sure that was their ices,
said voice from the thicket by the side of
the road. The next instant a red-headed
man, with very distinct map Of Ireland In
his face, leaped out, shouting:
tSi and Sharty, ye thieves of the worruld,
whin did We get back. and how are yez?
Howly saints, but Dim glad to see yez."
Jim Monaghan, you old Erin-go-bragh,"
said Shorty, putting his arm around the
mans neck, may l never see the back O.
my neck, but Pm glad to see you. l was
just talkin' about you. thought l recog-
nized you over there in one of the camps, at
your favorite occupation of eXtry dooty,
cleanin' up the parade ground
NO; Olive not bin on extry Jooty for
narely two wakes now, but it's about due.
But here comes Barney Mcguire and Con
Taylor, Tony Wilson and the rest iv the
gang. Lord love yez, but they'll be surely
glad to see yez.'
The others came up with tumultuous
welcome TO both.
where's the camp" asked ST.
"Jist beyant-jst beyant them cedars
there-not muSket-Shot away" answered
Jim pointing to the place.