The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-08-10
SOLDIERS FRANKS.
TIMES DURING THE CIVIL WAR
WHEN DISCIPLINE
Was Forgotten and the Generals Had
to Ignore the Fact

discipline uluu COUNT SAN 1iAN
sergeant, 'in the matter of FRANKS.
There were no better soldiers in the
Union army than the boys of the S5th
Illinois, and none yielded more readily
to discipline or ripened more rapidly in
the rough school of experience. But
the men of the S5th were, after stone
River, Chickamauga, KenesaW, Peach
Tree Creek, Atlanta and the march 10
the sea, as much given to pranks as
they were in their first march In Ken
lucky In the summer of 1867. we ar
rived at Richmond, Va, on the long
march from the Carolinas early in May,
1865 Our brigade was made up or sea-
soned soldiers If there were any in the
army but they came North in the be-
lief that General Halleck of Secretary
Stanton had put a slight on General
Sherman, and they were looking for
trouble.
"The march from North Carolina, af-
ter the surrender of Johnston had been
a sort Of picnic for the boys, but disci-
pline was as strict as it was in front
OF Atlanta, and it was needed when we
came to Richmond. Halleck, then in
COIIlIndIlQ Ol LIE ISpdl tlliCiiS VI Ni'N
James directed that Sherman's army
pass in review before him as it march
ed through Richmond. Sherman Tor
babe the review, and Haleck refused
. to permit any of Sherman's men to en-
ter the city ExConfederates ana
citizens came and went at VIII, put
when Sherman's men attempted to VS.
1t the city they were met at the pom
toon bridge by a provost guard and
turned back.
"Sherman's men resented all this, and
they were furious over the intimation
that they were kept out of the city IN
1.-THE interests Of good order and because
! they could not be trusted. The boys
talked only among themselves, and or
ganized to carry out a plan to see the
city. One day large crowd Of I'M
armed soldiers assembled at the south
end Of the bridge, and at given signal
rushed upon the guards, pushing many
Of them into the river and overwhelm-
ing the others by sheer weight of num-
bers. In short, Sherman's men, acting
without orders and without officers
seized the bridge and held 1t while the
bows went over and looked about the
fallen Confederate capital. So far as l
know Halleck made no complaint Oh
this in regular proceeding, and Sher-
man did not notice 1t.
AFTER the grand review at Washing
ton the S5th 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
TIE boys discovered a soldier at Fort
8Siemmer walking up and down in front
III an officers tent carrying log on his
shoulder One of the boys was sent
over to investigate, and when he re-
p0rted that the soldier at the fort was
carrying the log as punishment for
very trivial offence the men decided to
Interfere. They went In force, but
Wi t1aee.eaHas,S to the fort, took
ssSslafge, dismissed the log carrier to his
quarters, and jovially informed the Of
ficer In command that the punishment
was contrary to the regulations and
3Sherman's men didn't want him to let
it occur again.
eat 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
that time an undisciplined sort of
streetcar 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 1t
military road for the convenience of
the military, but permitted citizens to
ride who cared to pay fares. The mat
ter was treated as a joke by the COM
pany and the citizens, and the boys
after their forlic turned the road over
to the company In better condition,
they insisted, than when it came into
their hands
II remember a case" said the major,
s'in which soldiers who came to frolic
remained to work. One night our brig
ade camped at Tullahoma, and fire
called the men to the crossing of the
principal streets. The boys were at
Nv home talent to put out the fire, and
were Tree WllIb LIE lliOSt dboulu SuS
Eesticns. But when the matter became
serious, and the few citizens were be-
wildered and helpless the soldiers fell
into ranks, organized quickly a dozen
fire brigades, and, under the direction
or 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
IRE. but from first to last they bore
themselves like soldiers on frolic, ex-
cept that they made abusiness of put
ting out the fire.
'sThat same brigade after the terrific
battle of January q 1868, at Stone Riv-
ser. returned from the last charge
against breckenridge corps to their
biyouac of the morning to find Negleys
men carrying off the rails out of which
they had built rude shelters the night
before. Palmer's men hurriedly stack
ed 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 op them. Palm
er's men came on the scene at the
swinging, exultant step of victory,
marching like regiments on review.
rr+ NO sooner did they see Negleys
~ .at,. II.