The National tribune., 1899-12-07

course very weak. both in mind and body,
wanted her to stay with me all the time
1t was her especial business 10 look afte
those who had been very low, but were nov
convalescing, and prepare and give them {
light diet. She would come 10 my cot anC
sit while l took my meal. She would
sometimes remain sitting with me for a few
minutes and talk with me TO encourage me
UNUSUAL HOSPITAL INCIDENTS.
The hospital building was the Main OF
River Hospital built by the Government
for the use of the boatmen, and was il
figure an octagon, and three stories high
with broad veranda on each floor. In
the third story We're a number of rebe
prisoners taken by Grants forces at For1
Donelson. Some had sufficiently recov.
cred to be able to sit with the convalescing
Union soldiers on the veranda of the first
floor. There We're some Indiana citizens
who had come to the hospital to see their
sick sons. One day a lot of Union and
rebel soldiers and citizens were discussing
the war, and the citizens were especially
bitter on the rebels. A very badly-wound.
said to the citizens:
'Gentlemen, my fighting is done; if you
fellows want to fight there are plenty OF
men down South who are in the business
and they will give YOU all the fighting you
want" The rebuke was so well deserved
that the Union soldiers present gave theil
approval by good hearty cheer. The
citizens who had so much fight in them
looked blank. and soon got up and left
A crazy soldier there used to take bent
pin, tie a string 10 it. and the string to a
pole. and fish in the rain-trough or puddle
or anywhere he could find water, once
in a while jerking up the line like fish
had bit at his pin hook. He went on thai
way for month or two. One day his dis,
charge was given to him. He hooked it to
the pin with which he had been fishing, and
held 1t TO the ground near a hole of water fol
moment, gave his fish-pole jerk, took
his discharge off Of the hook, and exclaimed
as he did so:
This is what have been fishing for for
the last three months"
He doubled up his discharge put it in
his pocket. walked TO the depot, and took
the train for home.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
On June %, in company with several
others OF our regiment, We left the hospital
and took boat down the Ohio and up the
Tennessee TO Pittsburg Landing We
marched across the country to Corinth. 2O
miles. We stayed there a few days, and
about 200, mostly of the Both Ind. were
M "a c Ia nf nt Fhap 4,
Of our regiment, as guards for a train of
flats, loaded with army supplies, and
pulled by a broken-down engine Up all
the heavy grades we would get off and
push the train. Ii was in blackberry
time, and when the train would come to a
very heavy grade, the boys would get off
and pick what berries they could, and then
push the train up the hill.
As We were moving along one day Nor
gals cavalry appeared on a ridge and
fired Yolley at us as We passed. The
captain mad lined us ap, and we returned
the IRE. No one was hurt on our side.
do not know what happened to the rebels.
AT the bridge along the railroad there
were blockhouses in which were soldiers
for the purpose of guarding the bridges.
runner met us one morning almost outof
breath, and informed us that there was n
company of guerillas trying to burn the
bridge. The Captain double-quicked us to
the place, only TO find two citizens with
guns out squirrel hunting.
We got 10 the regiment at Decatur. Ala,
July 5, very glad TO greet and meet the
boys, whom We had not seen since a few
days after our baptism of fire at Shiloh
on April and 7, three months before.
In few days We broke camp and started
back 10 Tennessee. The day was very
warm. j was just out from a long spell of
sickness. l had not gone far before nv
feet began to blister. Soon they were so
badly biistered that could not walk at all.
and so was compelled TO fall out. was
put in wagon loaded with knapsacks.
We marched that day to Pulaski, Tenn.
The wagon was on stopped near a pond
l got of the wagon and crawled on nv
hands and knees to the water, and gave