The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1901-07-25

.asaE4@sS : Army than the boys
t%- N of the Eighty-tifth
G,n A-- Illinois. and none
yielded more readily to discipline or RI
pened more rapidly in the rough school
Of experience But the men of tie
Eighty-fif We're. after Stone River,
Ehickamauga, Kenesaw. Peach Tree
Greek. Atlanta, and the march to the
sea, as much given to pranks as they
were in their first march in Kentucky
in the summer of 1862. We arrived at
Richmond, Va. on the long march from
The Carolinas early in May, 1865. Our
brigade was made up of seasoned sol
iliers, If there were any in the army.
but they came north In the belief that
General Halleck or Secretary Stanton
had put a slight on General Sherman,
and they We're looking for trouble.
The march from North Carolina,
after the surrender of Johnston, had
been sort of picnic for the boys. but
discipline was as strict as ft was In
front of Atlanta. and it was needed
when we came to Richmond. Halleck.
then in command of the Department Of
the James. directed that Sherman's
army. pass in review before him as it
marched through Richmond. Sherman
forbade the review. and Halleck re-
fused to permit any of Sherman's men
to enter the city. Ex-Confederates and
citizens came and went at will, but
when Sherman's men attempted to
visit the city they were met at the
pontoon bridge by a provost guard and
turned back.
"Sherman's man resented all this,
and they We're furious over the intima-
tion that they were kept out Of the city
In the interests Of good order, and be-
cause they could not be trusted. The
boys talked only among themselves.
and organized to carry out plan to
see the city. One day large crowd of
unarmed soldiers assembled at the
south end of the bridge, and at given
signal rushed upon the guards, push
Ing many of them into the river and
overwhelming the others by sheer
weight of numbers. In short, Sher-
mans men, acting without orders and
without officers. seized the bridge and
held it while the boys went over and
looked about the fallen Confederate
capital. SO far as l know Halleck
made no complaint Of this irregular
proceeding, and Sherman did not no.
tice ii.
After the grand review at Washing
ton the Eighty-fifth Illinois, with the
other regiments of the brigade, went
Into camp near the Soldiers home, and
the men were permitted to roam at will
over the city. One morning some Of
the boys discovered soldier at Fort
Slemmer walking up and down in
front Of an officers tent carrying a log
on his shoulder. One of the boys was
sent over to investigate, and when he
reported that the soldier at the fort was
carrying the log as punishment for a
very trivial offense the men decided to
interfere. They went in force, but
without arms, over to the fort, took
charge, dismissed the log carrier to his
quarters, and jOvially informed the Of
ficer in command that the punishment
was contrary to the regulations, and
Sherman's men didn't want him to let
1t occur again.
"At the close of the interview they
picked up the log and brought 1t at the
head of an orderly column into our
camp. At the beginning Of the war
such a proceeding would have thrown
army headquarters into a panic. But
then the war was over and Sherman's
men were in great favor, and the case
was not even reported. There was at
street car line on Fourteenth street.
Almost the only patrons were the sol
diers of the Fifteenth Corps, and as
the cars did not run to suit them, they
formally seized the road and ran it for
their own convenience. They called it
military road for the convenience of
the military, but permitted citizens to
ride who cared to pay fares. The mat
ter was treated as joke by the COM
pany and the citizens, and the boys
after their frolic turned the road over
to the company in better condition,
they insisted. than when it came into
their hands"
Il remember q case" said the Major.
"in which soldiers who came to frolic
remained to work. One night our bri-
gade eamped at TullahOma, and a fire
called the men to the crossing of the
principal streets. The boys were at
first greatly amused at the efforts made
by home talent to put out the fire. and
were free with the most absurd sugges-
tions. But when the matter became
serious and the few citizens were be-
wildered and helpless the soldiers fell
into ranks, organized quickly n dozen
fire brigades. and under the direction
of men who had fought big fires at
home worked half the night to save
the property of their enemies. They
checked and after time mastered the
fire, but from first to last they bore
themselves like soldiers OH a frolic, ex-
cept that they made Il business of put
ting out the fire.
That same brigade. after the terrific
battle of Jan. =, 1863, at Stone River.
returned from the last charge against
Breckinridge's corps to their bivouac
of the morning to find Negley's men
carrying off the rails out of which they
had built rude shelters the night be-
fore. Palmer's men hurriedly stacked
arms. and by common impulse sur
rounded, at full run, the rail experts
of the other division. Both divisions
had participated in the charge and had
marched back in the dusk of evening
with the battle spirit on them. Palmer's
men came on the scene at the swing
ing. exultant step of victory. marching
like regiments on review. But 10 soon
er did they see Negley's men carrying
Of their rails than they dropped the
soldier. and bore down on the raiders
like football players in rush. The
movement was so spontaneous and the
numbers were SO great that Negley's