The National tribune., 1899-01-12
A FILE OF IuFHuTRYWEN.
"F Three Years. During the At Home in Shelter
Tent and Abroad with Three Days Ratons
and Forty Bounds Of Ammunition"
Ry JOHN McELRoY.
ecprrcla 1895 by the publishers TEIBrSE

| depressing circumstances, and occupies
nj i!self as well as lac could III assislirs
| MS enfet bled comrades in dc ing such
camp duties as fell To their lot
Nor were the conditions immediateI J.
surrounding them all the cause they hat
nr deep dIscouragenen Walker fCuno
time to read up the Northern newspapers
he found in the camp and inform himsel
as To the progress of the war. Ii was sac
reading.
The grand Army of the Potomac had
suffered a terrible defeat in December in
'front.' OF Fredericksburg, and was new
put slowly recOverirg-If at all-from the
hurts received there.
Banks s grand expedition, which had
started up from New Orleans to CO.
operate with Grant in CT.r irg The Mis- =
slsSlppl, had been brought to a standstill
at Fort Hudson 4C0 miles away. and the
rerels expressed their confidence of icing
able to drive him back in disastrt us rout
to has starting-place, even as they had
before sent that commander Scampering
down the Shenandoah Valley. with the
loss of miles OF trains and millions of
property.
The Army of The Cumberland, after
what seemed to lie a drawn issue to a
fearful battle en- the banks of Stone River,
had remained dormant, Us If too badly
hurt to resume The aggressive.
The great Army of the Tennessee. CO.
700 strong, after six months of desperate
efforts, met everywhere by bloody re-
pulses, was now strung alcng the leyeeS
on the west bank Of the Mississippi. with
out having gained an inch OF foothold
anywhere tor It's attack upon the rebel
stronghold. The papers were full OF muir
murS against the Commanding General
and asser ing that he had conclueiveIy
SHOWN his incapaci Y to conduct so i'm
portant an enterprise demanded he
ND no e
the iofces operating against Nicksfurg
nc given 10 some mere competent man
SENATORS, Governors Of States and the
Assistant Secretary of War. one after an
other, came down the ri er 10 inspect the
army, and returned with di,hearteninp
reports.
Wal er would have been more than bu
man II he had not been depressed Nv al
this doWnpourlng of encouragement: but
ne remembered DonelsGn. Sill, n Cor
inth, and Memphis. and hoped on, and.
IKE the true American boy that ne was
ielt ratler nerved up TO doing some des-
perate deed To assist III turning the cur
rent AGAIN into the channels of victory.
While in this frame Of mind the news
came mat another attempt was 10 he
made To run the batteries. and that n
number OF transports were to he in
Guided IN the expedition. The citizen
crews OF the latter-their riIotS Car
tains, engineers, mates. firemen. and
deckhands- had, with one exception. alb
soluteiy refused 10 engage in so yeriious
service, and volunteers were called for
TO replace them. Who would go?
The moment this question was asked if
became apparent that better form fer
II would have been. Who would not fo2
For out OF the ranks stepped more + en-
than would man 100 such boats Such
profusi"n Ct competent engineers. RI
lots, Captains, and other steamboat Off
GERS were found 10 lie serving in The
ranks that the officers arranging the ex-
pedl ION were offered the widest range Of
Walter found that lie was one Of those
accepted to man the boats. and lie SOC
receiNed orders Ia go immediately t1por
one OF the transports icing prepared III.
service. These preparations consisted in
placing bales OF hay around the boat.
bollers and machinery to protect them
from shots, and in instructing the voiun-
teer crei. in their duties. The engineers