The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1901-09-05

humorous rather than shed tears over the
heartrending, have selected only a por-
ton of that which recurs to me as the
pleasant memories of the past, and jot
them down, so others, if so inclined, may
Join and smile with US.
Having been a non-commissioned officer
during my service, l can speak of and
for the private in the ranks only.
Gen. Mcclellan had besieged York
town.
The battle of Seven Pines had been
fought.
Porter's $4,000 men had fought for two
days the whole Army of Virginia at
Gaines's Mills, with $4,000 men almost In
sight, and had fought alone, without any
assistance or reinforcements.
The Army of the Potomac had re-
turned, beaten by mismanagement and
misfortune.
Rosecrans had met with a check a few
miles from Nashville.
In the West the glorious victories OF
Forts Henry and Donelson had raised
our hopes. Island No. 10 and Memphis
were ours; but there was the drawn bat
tie of Shiloh.
Indeed, it was evident to every think
ing man that it would require an amount
of energy not yet displayed were we go
ing to save this Nation.
Then came the call for 100000 men,
snd you and /, comrades, responded to
that call.
We left the school-room. the work
bench. the shop. the store and the farm,
because the country called for men. The
hardest and most heartrending part was
leaving our wives and children, our loved
ones. They felt, as well as we; they also
suffered.
Six companies of the 18th IL. went
into camp at Kankakee, at the old Fair
Grounds. The 10th III. was there at that
time, but their organization was soon COM
pleted, and they went South.
THE FIRST FORAGER.
The camp was then turned over to our
six companies, and we soon showed that
we had IN US the true metal that would
put down the rebellion. In order to de-
yelop the talents that were lying around
loose one or two of our boys went out and
returned with a couple of sacks full of
boots and shoes.
OF course, we drummed the fellows out
of camp, and all that, but they had only
been a little previous; that was all.
l think this fellow changed his name,
went over to Indiana, and went into the
18th Ind. as a recruit; and to those who
are anxious about his history l refer to
II.
description of the exploits of Sam Trick.
We lost glory, and a good soldier, and
many other things by this imprudent
burst of honesty; but, then; you must
recoilect that we had not been in the
service long, and had everything to learn
about our new occupation.
Well, we did camp duty there, and
then We consolidated with our other COM
patriOts-the four companies from Cook
a
took the name and number that ought to
20 down to history, and will, if they do
US justice, of having furnished the grand
object-leSson that put down the rebellion.
To show that the Chicago additions are
worthy of due credit | need only relate
that we had not been in camp long at Chi
cago before one of the members of that
part of the regiment, in order to save his
tent, defended it at the risk of his life,
and the loss, l think, of about four
months pay, by shooting, on the spot, a
ferocious COW that had started to eat it
mp. This shows that our associates from
Cook County were hale companions and
ever worthy TO be held in the most CRATE
full remembrance, and, with us, entitled
to full share of the gratitude of the
Nation for having suppressed the rebel
lion.
Anyone who has seen a picture of that
prince of private soldiers, Isl Klegg,"
when he started cut on the first days
march, has good representation of the
boys of the 18th III. after the Quarter
master and Sergeant had
loaded the boys up; down, perhaps, would
be better word.
Well, as / started out to say, as the
enemy seemed backward about coming to
gee us, we went to call on them, and we
found them at home with the latch-string
out and the dogs loose.
Well, We landed at Memphis after, per
haps, as pleasant trip as any ever made,
considering the distance and all.
The river was low, and to hear the
deck hands take The soundings with the
lead and line on the shadows was some
thing that afforded an immense amount
Of fun and amusement for the boys, es-
pecially when we were tramping through
the slush and mud afterward
Our first camp at Memphis was in as
pleasant place as heart could wish, and
the weather most delightful. We found
Gen. Sherman in command, under the
greatest leader-as afterward was shown
OF the war, Gen. Grant.
Here we were placed in our first bril-
gade. Our Brigadier General was Nor
gan l.. Smith. / have always been of the
impression that Gen. Smith was a great
Sunday-school worker prior to the enlist
ment- When he was talking to the bows
IN sort of fatherly way, if some
thing went wrong-some violation of or
ders, or something of that sort-he used
about all the words you could find in the
Zen Commandments and other Scripture
words.
He was a gallant, brave man, a good
commander, and in real earnest TO beat
the enemy, and was not afraid Of hitting
too hard.
Here the native genius of our regiment
began TO assert itself to some purpose,
and we lived about as fat as anybody else.
In fact, we found it a land of milk and
honey; and our boys were not at all mod
est IN asserting their rights to their share
OF the Kids and goats, and milk and honey
and everything else that was not too
heavy-and was loose.
Indeed. the boys found brick-kiln, and
were going to confscate that but II was
too heavy. Then they tried to burn 1t,
but 1t would not burn. But they did their
best, anyway; and, to save repetition.
may add the 18th boys, collectively and
seEerally, always did their best.
SHOWING GRANT AND SHERMAN HOW TO
CARRY on THE WAR
Well, we now got orders to go into ac-
tive service, to march out and help Grant
lick Pemberton, and we started.
We undertook to take with us all the
nice things we had bought that would be-
come useful; several new suits of clothes,
change or two of shoes, and the Lord
only knows what else
Had each had the packing capacity Of n
mule we would have broken down under
that load. Some of the boys had their
hddles and fiddle boxes along.
On the first day we commenced IN