The National tribune., 1902-08-14


the service of the United States in the
war of the rebellion.
From the date of my enlistment until
some time in June we put in the time
learning the art of war, hoping all the
time that we would not be called upon
to practice the art to any great extent. On
June IL, 1861, we were mustered INTO the
United States service, and, nine days later,
started for Washington, ID. Z. In that
ride we enjoyed, to some extent, the pomp
Of war.
The country through which we passed
was full of enthusiasm and the people
seemed to wave us on, as if it were glory
and not years of bitter war that awaited
u.s. We stopped one day at Harrisburg,
Pa, where we received our arms-old
Harper's Ferry, smooth-bore muskets--
which we loaded afterward in the day of
battle, with one ball and three buckshot
hind ball and buckShot to drive them out
of the gun-barrel and at the same time
nearly knock the life out of the man who
stood behind the gun.
When we marched through Baltimore,
we loaded our pieces and fixed bayonets,
as a precautionary measure. In those
days Baltimore was Il hotbed of treason,
and on that march through the city the
people delighted our ears with cheers Tor
Jeff Davis; but they carefully refrained
from the use of brickbats and stones, so
we had no occasion to use our muskets:
but the demonstration did not augur an
early peace, by any means.
We arrived at Washington all safe and
sound, in the latter part of June, and ell
camped for several days in the outskirts
of the National Capital, which, at that
time, was nothing more or less than a
great, overgrown village.
sHERMAN's FIRST BRIGADE.
On July 2 our regiment crossed the Po-
tomac River by the way of Long Bridge,
into the State of Virginia. We were there
brigaded with the 69th, 10Th and, If m!
memory serves me, the 18th \. Y. The
69th was a famous Irish regiment, COM
manded by Col. (afterward GeneraD Cor
coran, and carried the green flag of the
Emerald Isle beside the Stars and Stripes.
The 10Th was Cameron's Scotch regiment,
and displayed the thistle of Scotia with
the American flag, the same being borne
aloft by two brawny, bare-legged Scotch
men. The other regiment, which was only
q common, everyday Yankee regiment like
my own--only mine was from the West
had nothing peculiar about it to fix it in
my memory, SO / am not certain as to its
number, but do remember that it was a
New York regiment.
Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman was
honored with the command of this brigade
of four regiments of volunteers, and as 1t
was Sherman's first important command,
he was just as proud of his four superb
regiments as an old hen could possibly
be with four broods OF chickens.
Sherman's brigade was assigned to Gen.
Tyler'S Division, and further than that
we knew but little about the organization
of the army. OF course, we knew that
Gen. Scott was the General-in-Chief, or
in supreme command, with headquarters
in Washington, while Gen. Mcdowell
commanded the army in the field; that
Sherman's Brigade was part of Tyler
Division, and that there were other divi-
sions in McDowell's army; but We had
very little knowledge of the situation, and
! presume no army ever went into the
field and into battle more completely un-
qualified to perform inteliigently the du
ties of soldiers and officers. There was
but little if any time to drill or study the
art of war, for the Confederacy had TAX
en- the initiative and confronted US with an
army better prepared for campaign than
we were, and that army actually threat
ened the Capital; so we were obliged to
put in our time building Notifications and
preparing defenses. All that portion of
Virginia opposite Washington seemed COW
red with woods, and the labor required in
telling the thousands of acres of trees, |
that might be used in sheltering an ad-
vancing army of the enemy, was great. |
We participated in one or two brigade |
drills, or, more properly speaking, bri-
gade parades, during the early days Of
July, while we occupied this position, but
the bulk of our time was taken up with
hard work in making the position of
Washington more secure, until the ad-
vance of McDowell's army began.
THE BULL RUN CAMPAIGN.
About the middle of July the Bull Run
campaign opened. The I'd Wis. and two
or three others were three-year regiments; |
there were also a few two-year troops, |
but the bulk of the army was composed
of three-months men, whose terms of en-
Iistment would expire within the next 30
days, or by the middle Of August. There |
fore, if McDowelPs army was to capture |
Richmond and end the rebellion, 1t was
necessary for it to make a forward move |
ment withou. further delay, while we had
soldiers to do the fighting, if fighting
should become necessary. So the military
authorities seemed to reason, and the army
moved out on its first great campaign.
Sherman's Brigade was encamped along
the Warrenton Pike-the main thorough |
fare leading to Centerville and Manassas
about mile west of Fort Corcoran.
We were supplied with good, comfortable
wall-tents, but when we started on that
cdupdlSH we leIl III
charge of Lieutenant and, probably, a
hundred sick and convalescent soldiers. |
As we had no such thing as shelter tents
In those days, each soldier rolled wooden |
inside of a rubber blanket, which served |
for both bed and shelter, except, on rare |
occasions, when We took shelter beneath
bush or slept under rail.
The Confederate army, under the COM
mand of Beauregard, did not seem to dis
pute our advance at first. and abandoned
the defenses at Centerville, retiring be-
hind Bull Run.
On the afternoon Of July IS Tyler's
Division encountered the enemy at Black
burns Ford, where we had our first skir
mish, in which the ID Wis. lost one man.
Tyler's Division did not gain lodgment
on the west bank of the Run, and with
drew from the contest at that place. For
the next two days McDowell's army lay
along the eastern bank of Bull Run, while
he perfected his plans and prepared for
general battle. Beauregard stood on the
defensive, and the sluggish waters Of Bull
Run wound their course between the op
posing armies.
On Sunday, July 81, the first great bat
tie of the civil war, known in history as
'"The First Bull Rum" was fought, last
ing about six or seven hours. Sherman's
Brigade had it very comfortable at first,
and many of us thought our General was
q born strategist. From our camp, near
the Warrenton Pike, between Centervile
and Cub Run, Sherman marched us down
the pike, crossing Cub Run, and arriving
near the Stone Bridge, which crosses