The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1900-07-19

The old soldiers Of Chicago are many
One hears strange tales about theii
camp fires. Out of the wreck and
wrath that strewed the land will
cOrpses have come memories that are
gay, severe, comic and tragic. In cat
aclysmal times happenings become tri'
fies, and only events are worth remem.
brance. Yet not infreQuently trifles
stick in the mind while large things are
forgotten. l know one soldier whose
only clear remembrance of Antietam
dreadful day concerns cup Of coffee
that he spilled little while before he
fell into line. Another, who acted the
man In saving life while town was
burning, recalls clearly only white
ninepin that he saw lying in the mid
die OF the street. One Of the "Old mus
taches' Of the city was talking recent
ly Of the disposition Of the soldier to
play truant and the punishment that
was meted. He went out from New
York early in 1861 and was honorably
discharged in 1865. He has wounds
to show. Men could not hope to serve
four years In Virginia without a
scratch. Some Of them did it, but they
were born under lucky stars.
You must remember" he said to me,
that many of the Federal soldiers
were boys when they went to the war.
1 was 16 when l enlisted, and per-
jured myself to get in. Eighteen was
the required age. knew dozen men.
or rather children, in my company who
We're no older than 1. With boys
growth we had boys appetites for food
and fun. We lacked sense of reSpon-
sibility, but We were willing to fight,
and a 16-year-Old boy behind a rifle
weighs as much as 4O-year-Old man.
1t follows that the camps were full Of
devilment. We gave the nOn-commis-
stoned officers world of trouble. They
stood 1t for awhile, but gradually the
| punishments grew more and more Sc
we're. l never knew a man to he exc
cuted for disObedience Of orders, but
some of them would have preferred
death to the sufferings they were made
to endure. As time went on the Off
GERS came to realize that our early re-
verses We're due as much to lack of
discipline as to anything else, and they
began to enforce strict obedience with
the iron hand. Offenses that in time of
peace would at best have been visited
only with reprimand were made occa-
sion for confinement and bread and
water. The general effect was salu-
tary. One flag floating over a common
country is evidence Of that fact, but it
was tough while 1t lasted.
"One time when camped near Wash
ington two companions and I were al
lowed to visit the city. We had loads
of fun and overstayed our leave. We
We're arrested and thrown into a room
In the basement Of the capitol. My
friends We're drunk, but l was sober.
They howled. Presidently l heard a
soft swishing sound in the hall. Three
privates appeared at the grating, drag
ging a length of one-inch hose. They
stuck the nozzle through the bars and
turned loose. Say, you never saw two
men dance like my friends danced. The
stream was played upon them for. 1
supposed, half an hour. Literally they
were nearly drowned. 1t was nearly
strong enough to knock them down,
and they could only turn their backs
to 1t and stand and take. it, We were
compelled to pass n long winter night
in a room whose floor was under eight
inches Of water. When we got out NV
frfn Ic hot 7
pose they could have got drunk il they
tried
"That was fun compared with a later
experience. Again had gone to Wash
ingtOn and again had overstayed nv
leave. got to camp an hour late. NV
company was stationed at Alexandria.
I was seized and thrown into the slave
pen. 1t was an inclOsure shut in by
high poles whose sides touched-a
stockade. suppose you would call it.
1t was circular in form and some sixty
feet In diameter. The floor was of dirt.
1t had been used to confine slaves
brought into Alexandria for sale. and
1t smelled yet Of the Africans who had
been herded in it. The door was OPEN
ed and was showed violently in. The
dark was falling, but could see that
1 had something like 800 companions.
Many of them Were drunk
II put in some bad nights in the Will
derness, fought In nine pitched bat
ties, 1 saw the horrors Of Grants cra-
ter but for concentrated terror have
never seen the equal of those hours in
the Alexandria slave pen. In a little
while couple near me, both drunk.
began to fight. You know that cattle
sometimes become crazed and STAN.
pede, but possibly you don't know
that masses Of men sometimes 90 mad
and attempt to slay each other. In
side of five minutes twenty private bat
ties were in progress and inside of |
ten minutes the entire interior was n
mass of struggling, writhing, frenzied |
men, They had no weapons, of course,
but they did fearful damage with their |
bare hands. Massachusetts was fight |
ing New York, Pennsylvania was fight |
ing Maine, New Hampshire was fight |
ing Connecticut The combatants lost
all sense of the cause in which they |
We're soldiers, of the fact that they
were leagued against common foe
under one flag. All idea of patriotism
and duty was smothered in a wild de-
sire to slay. Yells. screams, oaths,
means rent the air. When n man went
down 1t was the last Of him. He was
instantly kicked into insensibility by
Il hundred pairs Of feet.
Il got next to the wall of the stock
ade and laid down. A fellow had fall
en- near ME with great cash upon his
right temple, from which the blood
pattered upon the ground. l pulled
him OH me. l lay as II stunned and
watched the whirling combat through
lids. More than one maniac
paused to glance at me, and, thinking
that was past all fighting, hurried on.
The guards clambered up the walls