The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1901-03-14

|
were behind and there was no shelter
General Sherman's tent had been pitch
ed near the road and the General hat
just taken of his heavy boots and put
on pair of snow-white stockings and
loose slippers and otherwise made him
self comfortable. when there was al
uproar on the road near his hcadIuar
ters
"A teamster who had been whipping
the mules of his team 10 make them
pull became eNasperated beyond eIdur
ance. and, using the butt end of his
heavy whip, began to club the mules
over the head. He was so brutal that
some of the soldiers passing protested
and this increased his rage. The
screams of the beiabored mules, the
curses of the enragei teamster, and the
shouts of the soldiers made din like Il
riot. but the brutal beating went on.
suddenly the flap Of General Sher-
mans tent was thrown aside and the
figure of a tall. bare-headcd officer, in
fatigue dress, white stockings and slip
pers. was projected through the rain
into the center of the melee. This was
General Sherman, and without a word
he seized the iratc teamSter by the ear
and fairly lifted him from his feet.
There was instant quiet. The mules
down in the mud waited for the next
blow. The teamster. recognizing the
ear puller, was limp as a rag. The boys
In the road stopped 10 see what Uncle
Billy would do next
For n minute you could hear nothing
but the pa.,cr of the rain. Then Sher-
man, still holding the teamster's ear
In a way TO make the fellow stand on
his toes, turned ana marched his pris-
oner TO the rear, called the officer in
| charge of the guard, and ordered that
the beater of mules be properly pun
ished and never he given charge of an
other team. As the General turned to-
ward his tent after this exploit, the
passing regiment gave him cheer, and
the philosopher of our company re-
marked: That's better than any cuSs-
! in l ever heard. Uncle Billy is mas
| Ter mana al ear Puiiin
''On another occasion | saw Sherman
| in different mood. We were making
night march swinging to the right
around Kenesaw. The night was as
dark as they make them down in Geor-
| gia, and we marched all night without
| talking. under whispered orders, the
men being guided in the line of march
by punches Of white raw cotton pinned
on the shoulders of those in front. Can
teens and haversacks were tied close
so there would be no rattling, and hour
| after hour we moved through the
| dreary dark. dropping down in the road
| TO rest whenever there was a stop. This
is the most eXasperating sort of 4
march. and the men were in no pleasant
! mood when it began to grow light
ANY night march is very trying The
| natural inclination is to 60 forward as
rapidly as possible. The men who set
the pace in front are suddenly halted,
and the men following crowd up upon
them, expecting that there will be a
delay of only a minute. Instead there
will be delay of an hour, which to
men in the rear seems without reason
or excuse. Then suddenly there will
be forward movement at breakneck
pace, then another halt without explain
alton, and tiresome standing in ranks.
In this case there was the added bewil-
derment of following silently the cotton
pods on the shoulders of the file leaders.
the evaporation of sudden stops. and
the further evaporation of being COM
PEELED TO keep quiet, so when daylight
came the men were in swearing
mood. and they swore
1T was the habit with all men. par
ticularly il they were themselves in
clined to exceSses, 10 be very severe
upon officers who became intoxicated.
Nothing gave them so much satisfac-
tion as to find an officer drunk along the
line of march and TO indulge in severe
comments. With the coming of day
light the rule as to silence was suspend
ed, as the divisions were then going into
position. As our regiment marched
rapidly to its appointed place we passed
occasionally a sleeping officer Every
time the boys would remark: Another
officer drunk As we approached the
main line We passed an officer asleep
in fence corner. Some fellow in our
company shouted: There's another Off
Ger drunk
The men were greatly surprised TO
see the sleeping figure assume a sitting
posture and to hear the voice of Gen
eral William T. Sherman say. not I'M
kindly. No, boys, not drunk. but terribly
tired and sleepy Instantly came the
reply, Bully for you" and the men
went forward into line feeling n kin
ship with their commanding general.
He had not resented the remark. he had
not sworn at the men who made il. but
he offered the excuse which they would
have offered, that they were tired and |
sleepy. These two anecdotes explain |
why Sherman was so near to his men. |
He would not see a man or mule |
abused, and he held himself as com |
manding general to a close sympathy |
with the men in the ranks who were to |
fight his battles"
1T was 1T Big Shanty," said the Ma
jor, that a woman complained to Gen
eral Sherman of the damage caused by |
a large shell. The General supposed |
that some of her family had been killed,
and he took a sympathetic attitude But |
the woman, after reproaching the Gen
eral for having so many men with him |
and firing such big cannon in her vicin-
ity, explained that a large she'll had |
struck her ash barrel and knocked it
all TO pieces. and she wanted TO know
how she was to have any lye, and how
she was TO make any soap, and good
ness knows they needed soap then if
they ever needed it in their lives. Sher-
man said good-humoredly that il WAS Il
very bad case. and that the only way /.