The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-07

force, but without arms, over to the fort.
took charge, dismissed the log carrier to
his quarters, and jovially informed the
officer in command that the punishment
was contrary to the regulations, and
Shermans men didn't want him to let it
occur again.
AT the close of the interview they
picked up the log and brought it at the
head Of an orderly column into our camp.
AT the beginning of the war such a pro-
ceed1ng would have thrown army head
quarters into panic. But then the war
was over, and Shermans men were in
great favor, and the case was not even
reported. There was at that time an I'M
disciplined sort of street. car line on
Fourteenth street. Almost the only pat
rons were the soldiers 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 a military road for the
convenience of the military, but permit
ted citizens to ride who cared to pay
fares. The matter was treated as a Joke
by the company and the citizens, and
the boys after their frolic turned the
road over to the company in better condi-
ton, they insisted, than when it came
into their hands,
Il remember a case said the major,
in which soldiers who came to frolic re-
manned to work. One night our brigade
camped at Tullahoma, and fire called
the men to the crossing Of the principal
streets. The boys were at first greatly
amused at the efforts made by home tai
ent to put out the fire, and were free
with the most absurd suggestions But
when the matter became serious, and the
few citizens were bewildered and helpless,
the soldiers fell into ranks, organized
quickly a dozen fire brigades, and, IN
der 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 on a frolic, ex-
cept that they made a business OF put
ting out the fire.
THAT same brigade after the terrific
battle of Jan. 2, 1868, at Stone river, re-
turned from the last charge against
Breckinridge's corps to their bivouac of
the morning to find Negley's men carry
ing off the rails out of which they had
built rude shelters the night before.
Palmer's men hurriedly stacked arms,
and by common impulse surrounded. at a
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 swinging, exultant step Of
victory, marching like regiments on re-
view. But no sooner did they see Neg
ley's men carrying off their rails than
they dropped the soldier, and bore down
on the raiders like football players in a
rush The movement was so spontaneous
and the numbers We're so great that Neg
leS's men were overwhelmed. and Pal
mer's men carried back the rails, frolick-
ing like mad.
1.-The scene was as tumultuous as a
hundred football struggles compressed
into one, and the uproar was terrific
Negley's men were forming for a coun-
ter rush, when Gems. Palmer and Negiey
came on the scene, the one bare-headed
and the other disheveled. Negley COM
planned iocularly that it was a pretty
howdy- when he couldn't conhscata
rails enough to shelter his headquarters
from the rain without Palmer turning out
from 5000 to 10000 men to prevent the
confscation. Palmer replied that he had
no rails himself to lend. but his men
might have if they were approached In
the right way, but by the great horn
spoon nobody could steal the rails which
his men had stolen with infinite trouble
two days before. In this spirit the affair
was settled, each general ordering his
men to quarters. If they could find them"