Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-08-28

| N$eA VI rNN1 VII II olLkie nay ptoNcu
Wv to us that the enemy
had become weary of us and had aban-
doned the vicinity we all went back
TO camp and began to do our spring
housekeeping. This work was great
| " needed, for only the make believe
/ sick men had occupied the camp in
the last fortnight, and they made the
place look like a lot Of houses that
had been abandoned to tramps. In
deed, In later days I've been compelled
to believe that the war was the origin
Of the great army of tramps that has
invested and infested the country ever
since 1865.
After careful inspection our colonel
decided that the best way to have a
clean camp was to make new one. so
he formally asked for ground for the
purpose. but the general said that all
the troops at the post would have to
make new camps elsewhere very soon,
for since our trouble with Longstreet
the war department had determined
that the post was not worth the cost
Of holding It, Further General Hal
leck. the presidents right hand mill
tary adviser declared that he could
not understand why the post was ever
occupied.
When this Information reached us,
all Of US were amazed and Disguised.
We bad gone out almost year before
TO help save the Union. We had spent
all orr time and suffered innulnerable
discomforts. privations and fears. Now,
according to the highest authorities,
we Nigh: as we'll have remained at
home. Cloyae. Brainard and held
an Indignation meeting over 1t, and
Cloyne moved formally that we Join
the Mick McTwyny gang and assist
big Pat Callahan IN cursng the govern
ment, but Brainard objected, saying
that governments. being human, had
to learn some things by experience,
and as on general principles l always
sided with Brainard. Cloyne's resolu
ton was voted down by a two-thirds
majority.
Meanwhile preparations for evacuat-
ing the post had been made. The
heavy artillery was removed. one regi-
ment after another followed 1t. and
finally there came an early July morn
ing when we were Informed we were
to pack our own effects at once and be
ready 20 abandon camp.
Up to that time we had supposed
that our effects were only what could
be carried on our horses. but some OF
us soon learned to our sorrow that we
had accumulated enough stuff to load
half a dozen horses. |, for one. had
collected at least ton of war relics,
:angng in weight from a Johnny't
iron stlrrup to une1ploded shells and
solid shot weighing a hundred pounds
All of this old iron lay in q row on the
topmost log Of our room and directly
over the inner edge Of my bunk
tried to bride teamsters to provide
transportation l even laborsd with tbs
sergeant of our howitzer battery, hop
ing to coax him to carry them in unoc
cupicd corners of his gun caissons, but
he, too, WAS obdurate- he had luggage
Of his own-so | had to content myself
by selecting a single three inch shell
that could 20 in my box Of extra cloth
Ing without exciting suspicion by its
weight.
One day tho entire regiment except
the stable orderlies were ordered on
; picket, the reserve station of which
was the main street of the village. A
o'clock in the morning the pickets
instead of being relieved. were entirely
!. withdrawn, and the relief was posted
within quarter OF mile Of the mair
| body of the regiment. The men or
these new posts were relieved al il
the morning by members of a single
troop, which happened to be our own
From the new outposts-l was the
: corporal in charge OF one and Rrainart
: OF another-we were soon drawn in tC
camp.
On entering camp the order wal
given to prepare to fire the houses
> stables, etc. The signal, the officer.
told us, would he the fall OF the CAM
I fagstaff, at which a man with an a.
: already stood, while the entire band
= mounted, stood near by, playing "Ault
Lang Syne." TO prepare for frln;
D camp was simple enough. 1t wa
merely to "stand by" with matche
ready to light, for every bunk was o
pine and contained mattress full o
hay. straw or leaves that had been wei
summed and seasoned. The walls wer
: of pine, and so were the roofs. n
! plaster or partitions could delay tn
spread Of flame, and everything wa
as dry as July sun could make it.
5 Down crashed the pole, hundreds o
matches cracked. and the band begal
playing some solemn music, samiliarl,
known as "Old Hundredth," and thel
dashed into There's No Luck Abou
+ the House." for "A Hot Time In tn
I Old Town" had not yet been written
j. In moment all the men were hurry
= Ing to the stables, where the horse
D stood all saddlcd. Orders had alread
been given to dash to the road as 500
+ as mounted; the guidon bearers wer
I already there as rallying points 70
a the men Of their respective troops. A
J. ready flames poured from the window
! OF all the houses and even from som
e OF the roofs. The remaining hay 4
q camp had been thrown by the stabl
I Orderlies upon the pine brush roofs O
q the stables. The instant a stable wa
! entirely cleared Of horses the roof wa
s lighted and the fire quickly spread.
o The spectacle that followed was n
J. good as fight, so some of our bes
q fighting men SAID. At least GO build