Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-10-26
SOLDIERS STORIES.
ENTERTAINING "REMINISCENCES
E OF THE WAR.
oraphic Account Of stirring Scene.
Witnessed on the Battlefield and in
eamp-Veterans of tho Rebellion Re-
ate Experience. of Thrilling Nature.

lSys Atnesseu on the Battlefield and in
Gamp-Veterans of the Rebellion Re.
cite Experiences Of Thrilling Nature.
f%SDuring the war the C~onfederates had
10y few holidays Of a festive nature.
E11odr thoughts We're fixed upon mat
49, Of the most vital Importance and
HS1as a rare thing to see the soldiers
una civilians get together for n big
frolic. 1t was my fortune to witness
one such occasion. The place was At
lanta and the time was the summer of
1863.
A private soldier went to the leading
hotel of the city and called for a room.
After he had been shown to his apart
ment his partner stationed himself di-
rectly under his window in the rear of
the building. The two exchanged sig
nails and We're soon ready for business.
1t was a dark night and the soldier in
the upstairs soon stripped the bed
of its sheets, quilts and pillows. He
rolled these into a big bundle and put in
a few towels and other small articles.
When everything was ready the pack
age was thrown down to the man who
was waiting for it. Unfortunately for
the thieves, they had attracted the at
tention of some of the servants and
they We're caught in the act.
Such sneak-thieving made the citi-
Zens indignant and the thousands of
soldiers In camp around the city agreed
with them that the rascals deserved
very severe punishment. But what
penalty would suit the case? 1t was
out OF the question to send them to the
p~enltentiary. That would suit them
too we'll, for it would keep them IL of
the army. The soldiers insisted that
they should be drummed out of the
army and the citizens demanded that
they should lee tarred and %fcathcred.
FINALLY it was settled that both pun
lshments should be inflicted, and early
the following morning 1t was known
all through the city and in the camps
that the victims would be the central
figures of a spectacular parade to take
place that day.
by $ o'clock there We're crowds of
people on the streets, and two hours
later every available point of view was
occupied. Ladies' and children looked
down from the windows and house
tops along the main thoroughfares; the
sidewalks We're packed and business
was practically suspended. The thou
sands who stood there in the hot and
dusty streets waited patiently, and at
last, just before the hour of noon the
sound Of a drum was heard in the dis
lance. Every eager face was turned in
that direction, and n tumult of cheers
announced the approach of the expect
ed sensation. The drum-beat grew
louder and the cheering became al
most deafening.
Then a spectacle was seen the like
of which had never been witnessed be-
fore by the oldest inhabitant. March,
ing In the center of a Gordon of guards
came two tail figures. Just what they
We're 1T was hard to tell. They were
apparently half-bird, half-luman. Half
of their heads and faces had been
shaved. They had been covered with
tar from their heads to their ankles.
and feathers had been piled on as long
as they would stick. The musicians
We're playing THE Rogues' March,"
and the prisoners kept step to it in a
lively fashion. They looked like a
couple of gigantic ostricles, and not at
all like the dashing troopers who had
been captured the night before. Tramp.
tramp. tramp, up and down the streets
of the city the two culprits marched
under the blazing sur. and thirty thou
sand people stared at them and shout
ed until they We're hoarse and laughed
until they We're exhausted.
The drummer seemed to enjoy it: the
guards wore n broad grin; the popu-
lace howled with delight, and the negro
lookers-on We're overjoyed to see two
white men S dissraced. But the most
surprising thing of all was the way the
two men behaved. Instead of being
crestfallen they threw their heads back
and staggered like conquering heroes.
They looked up to the windows and
balconies, and ogled the girls, and n
Of them had the impudence to throw
q kiss to a bevy Of pretty misses who
occupied n conspicuous place overlook
ing the procession.
The whole city was wild, and if n
Federal raiding party had come along
Just then l doubt whether there would
have been my organized resistance.
The carnival spirit had seized every
body, and mirth ruled the hour.
AS the procession passed the place
where 1 was standing 1 asked an Of
6cer what he thought Of it.
"They deserve it," was his reply.
Earring and fcatl' ing is just the
Thing for sneak-tllieves. 1t is right. to
drum them out of the service. They
have disgraced their uniform, and no
good soldier wants to serve with them.v
what will become of themy' I
asked.
ooh, the csnscript officer will attend
to that" he answered. He is at the
other end of the street with a file Of
men waiting for them"
I suggested that If they were forced
into the army 0pain pood coJjior,