The National tribune., 1902-12-11

by my Mexican war experience, ana per
haps they did. but if l knew a little more
about army life at the start, they were not
long in catching up. l was soon a Gap
tain. and in the 9th Wis. one OF the resl-
ments of what was later known n the
Iron Brigade" l began my military ser
vice in June, 1861.
A TEIUMPuAL JOURNEY.
These Western boys took kindly to a
soldier life, and though there was a lmser-
ing fondDess for pie, they soon had u yet
eran-s regard for bean soup and harit;ick:
nor were they long in learning the Naiue
of hot coffee nj reveille or how TO in
proyise an oven III the ground TO bake
beans.
We had been i'll camp at MadIs"a
but a short time when the battle of R,til
Run startled the North. and an order came
for the regiment to report promptly al
Washington The country WIS all excite
ment; from Madison 10 Harrisburg, Ia;
there was no end to the hOncrs Showereu
upon us; Milwaukee turned out en- maSSe.
greeting the regiment with most eiab-
crate banquet; Chicago offered lunch
that priuces might have enyied, and as We
marched through the city. sidewalks. win
dows and houset0ps were crowded wlth
an applauding multitude.
In Pennsylvania our special train was
stopped at every considerable village,
where we were greeted With bdfds ei
music accompanied by the entire popIia-
ton of the neighborhood. AT one village
4 child, offering % cents to soldier. SAID
size wanted 10 give something TO save the
Union, and was sorry she couidn't give
more but had opened her bank that
morning and it was all there was III IT.
4 little incident, simple in itself, but IN
dicating the patriotic enthusiasm OF the
times. At the same place three 'old
al hrsls nm
rade, sent o.; request that the Gen
eral' might be introduced to them. TIE
Assistant Surgeon was captured. and,
much to his delight, presented as the Cen
eral. / never saw n Surgeon IN the vol
unteer service who wouldn't grant any rea-
Sonable request If you would give him his
military title instead of calling him Doc
tor. Surgeons, new TO the service, with
the rank of Major, frequently claimed the
right to command the regiment in the alb
sence of the field officers, and l often
Thought them better qualified for some
place off instead Of in the medical staff.
The boys were in high feather: pretty
girls clustered about them. sHowering bou
ai,ets until youths bright dream seemed
Il reality. At Harrisburg there came a
change; the public seemed to have forgot
ten us; we unpaclied our tents and began
10 be soldiers. There was considerable
growing. and the burnt bean soup wasn't
reiished after the few days of banqueting-
A little incident that occurred here Illus
trates the uncertain destination of gen
erous offering. \ lady called at the camp
aud rendered for the sick in hospital a
jar of finely-preserved berries.
AS Officer of the Guard, i received and
sent the gift by an orderly to the tent Of
the Regimental Surgeon, accompanied By
note from the donor. Shortly after, hav
ing occasion TO go TO his tent, / found the
'iinner, with the preserved berries for
the sick" forming conspicuous part Of
the repast.
The time came TO move on, and instead
of fine passenger cars, box cars. none too
clean, We're backed on the side track for
our use. The boys saw the ears, and. |
regret to say, were profane. They finally
went on board. but knocked the sides of
the cars, as they expressed it, for a proper
reconnaissance of the country. We halted
for one day in Baltimore, where the air
was thick with rumors OF what the
rebels would do that very night. / was
detailed os Officer of the Guard, and though
| ridicuIed the idle stories current about
camp, II was in yain-the excitement WAS
intense. The sentineis were instructed to
keep on the alert, but not to shoot too
quick or alarm the camp without cause
| was scarcely back at headquarters, af-
ter placing the tickets, before bang. went
gnn, and soon another. and another; in
stantly the regiment was forming in line.
| rushed through the darkness TO the scene
of danger, only TO be challenged and fired
upon at the same moment, the ball whiZ-
zing near my head. | succeeded in MAX
lug the fellow realize who was before he
could run me through with his bayOnet
but he declared that he had killed at least
one rebel and that the woods were full Of
EN-. To convince him to the contrary
Iss,fa Iat.n ff,n
over a fence, but he always insisted there
was at least regiment of rebels in front
that night, his firing driving them away.
The next day we camped at KaiOrarla
near Washington. The first night OIL
picket q sentinel killed calf that refused
to advance and give the countersign. and
n drummer boy came rushing in claiming
that a shell had knocked him down and
smashed his drum. A patrol brought in
a sound drum and q dead calf.
TESTING A CHAPLAIN.
We hadn't been in camp at Kalorama
many weeks when our Chaplain resigned
He drew his pay faithfully while with us
and when he left we bade him cheerful
good-by. BY Il rule of the War Depart
ment Chaplains were appointed upon tho
recommendation of the Captains Of the
regiment. The vacancy hadn't existed
long when a "cranky-looking old saint,
with a bad kink i'll one leg, applied for the
place.
Bragg. afterwards member of Congress
from Wisconsin, Senior Captain Of the
regiment, called us together for cOnsulta
ton. The parson handed in his papers
indorsed by several members of Congress
and two or three Senators. Imagine. il
you can, anything more touching than 8
candidate for Chaplain soliciting your suf
frage, whose religious zeal and piety is in
lorsed by numerous names legally entitled
to write 'M c." after their autographs
to take the place of a postage stamp oil
their letters. Says Bragg: LET him venti
late his eloquence. I've got it all planned
he wants 20 talk temperance; now. there.
Jones in my company, who only knows
enough TO bring wafer for the cook. bu
not enough TO keep bean soup from burn
ing, who can talk temperance with thu
wind and heat it in 40-mile gale: let thu
parson make his speech, and then the boy'
will call FOR Jones; it's all fixed"
The Captains felt the solemnity of thu
situation. Bragg perhaps excepted, wheI
candidate mounted an old box and be
.an harangue. Unfortunately the boy,
iaAn'f< seen the parsons papers. or failed
.osliaveS that respect for the cabalistic M
~ that we did, for there was visible