The National tribune., 1901-02-14
THIS is THE WAY TO DO IT.
Comrade Chandler Offers Good Advice to
Army of the Potomac Men.

Army of the Potomac Men.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Under the
head of why Don't They Writer l fire.
quently read queries from comrades as to
why some of their regiment or company
don't contribute stories of the part their
commands took in such and such battles.
Let me tell all these why -don't-they-
write?' comrades that the best way 10
have their commands represented in THE
NATIONAL TRIBUNE's history columns is
TO write themselves. No one who se-ved
in n regiment long enough to become in
terested in that regiment but can tell
through what he passed, and if he can tell
it to n crowd of listeners, he can surely
write it, if he can write at all.
1t reminds me of being in Winter quar-
tiers. Each company was community OF
itself, made up of all classes Of people
Three persons in a tent would do all the
work-build the "ranch,' put up the ridge
pole, spread the four pieces of ''pup"-tent
over it, and pin it to the outside of the TOP
log; button on the end pieces; build fire
place at one side, with q stick chimney
placing a pork barrel, with both ends
out, on top, and a couple of hunks across
the back end, made of poles; make up a
feather bed of pine or cedar twigs; mix old
dead grass with yellow Virginia mud, and
daub up the spaces between the logs tC
keep the heat in and the cold out, and dc
many other things to make the place com.
Portable. The fourth man would spend his
time chucking in lots of advice and doing
not much of anything else. Through the
coming Winter he would always hunt the
best place by the fireplace to toast his
shins by the fire made from wood that the
other fellows cut and ''toted' while he was
busy in a game "over in Co. O." OF
somewhere else, claiming to have been on
extra duty up round the Commissary's
.tt.I rtp hn how ftnr
wood. He would always growl when the
canteens were empty and he wanted a
drink, but would choke before he would
take them to the spring to ELL. Each COM
pany had few of these fellows, who got
in their work-or lack of work-the first
Winter, but by the time Spring came and
we were on the move and the comrades
"paired off," these fellows would be left
out of the crowd with which they win
tered.
Now, let me say to the "Why -don't-they-
writer boys: If you want your brave
deeds in camp and in battle written up, get
at it and write it up. All that you require
is a lead pencil, few sheets of paper
c'write on one side only'O, and bit Of
practical common sense, mixed with your
memory of the events you wish to write
about. Put in ordinary United States talk,
and you'll see it in print over your name.
Then some of the other boys Of your
regiment will say:
Hello, here's letter from Zeb Tucker,
Of my old regiment. Haven't heard from
him for 80 years. Am blamed glad the
old boy is alive an kickin'."
After he reads your ,etter, he'll say:
'Yes, / remember that incident, but
there are one or two points that he didn't
touch on in his account, an | believe III
write 'em up for the old TRIBUNE.
And the first thing we know wen have
a regular Army of the Potomac page in
The TRIBUNE (for it is to the comrades Of
this grand old army | am referringl.
l have watched the pages of THE TRIB-
UNE in vain for sketches of the Army of
the Potomac. Once in awhile / will see
something from some of the Eastern boys,
but very seldom. | have written a num-
ber of sketches, narrating events which
occurred to me, or which came under my
personal observation, which have appeared
in The TRIBUNE, and could write a col
umn-and-a-half sketch every week in the
year and not tell the same thing over
twice, if | should set about it. But let
those who haven't footed their bugle have
chance. Try it, Army of the Potomac
comrades.-S. u. CHANDLER, Quartermas-
ter-Sergeant, Co. A, 24th N. Y. Cav, Min
neapolis, MINI.