The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1902-07-31
OLD SOLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES.
Ihe Blue and the Gray Review Incl
dents of the Late War, aid in
Graphic and Interesting Manner
Tell of Camp, March and Battle.

o"t eAcuse, coming from man q
Mark Twain's age and experience.
n soldier imam enemy's country ma.
OBTAIN supplies or horses or asSistanc,
through any sort of stratagem or plan
lie may capture food. he may take +
from houses. and to secure it he may
amDuscade wagon train. Il railway
traln, or he may send spies into an enc
mys camp. In every act lie is actin:
Tor the army. not for himself. He is
making war, not as an individual, bu
as part of an organized force. repre-
senting government. and he is under
no personal obligations to the enemy
inconsistent with his character as a sol
der
During the Civil War there were
hundreds of cases in which soldiers ac
cepted food from enemies and made
war on them In the same hour On the
picket lines in front of Chattanooga
after Chickamauga the beleagured
unlOnists exchanged coffee for corn
bread and other edibles of which the
COnfederates had a supply The rule
was for Yankee to wave newspaper.
go forward toward rebel line. meet
reb who came forward waving a
newspaper, and midway the two pick
cts exchanged commodities to their
mutual benefit.
There was not one incident of this
Kind. but scores. Sometimes it was the
Confederate who was suffering and the
UniOnist gave him what he most need
ed. Occasionally it was the Unionist
who was suffering and the Confederate
shared with him the necessaries Of life.
but the minute the truce was at an end
they were blazing away at each other
without thought of any obligation to
forget their duties as soldiers. In line
with their rifles in their hands they
were not individuals. but parts Of a
great machine of war. acting under or
ders. In no case did the comforting of
Il personal favor change the attitude of
officer or soldier in relation to the
enemy.
General Grant, when Buckner sur
rendered at Fort DOnelson, handed the
latter his purse and opened his quar-
tiers to him. but when Buckner return
ed to the Confederate lines ne made
war just as he had made war before.
Al Gettysburg. General Barlow was
carried from the field by direction OF
General Gordon and most tenderly
rlrpH for cnr.1nn 70
send into the Union lines for General
BarlOw's wife. and when compelled to
march away the next morning left Bar
low without promise or parole. and
with all the resources of his own head
quarters ut his command. This did not
bar General Barlow or any o; his COM
rades from making war on General
Gordon and his command.
"A thousand times Union officers and
soldiers were fed or entertained by the
relatives of men prominent in the Con-
service. Sometimes this hos
)itality was offered from interested
motives and sometimes because of old
rs in the case of General
ht Dul tut
lnce of hospitality in no way bound
hose accepting it to not fire on those
who fed them or to forbear military
operations of any kind against them.
There We're times when a good South
rn mother gave the best she had in her
louse to divert the attention of Union
fficers from her son, hidden i'm some1
Ipper room.
But the acceptance of her hospital /
ty did not prevent the officers or sol |
iers entertained from capturing the |
on if they could. There We're cases in |
rhich starving COnfederates dressed |
in Union uniforms and Sc.
ured provisions by deceiving the men
n guard against them. There were
ines when the Unionists acted in the
anne way. No one thought of accusing
ither Of violating precepts and GUS
Dms of all ages and nations. and the
pectacle of Mark Twain wringing his
ands like hysterical girl and shout
lg out lamentations against General
'unston is simply ludicrous"
speaking of the ludicrous," said the
aptain, did ever tell you the story
an Irishman in my company who
oped when he left the army to finish
ut his career to suit himself? One day
lie boys were talking about what they
ould do when the war was over. PAT
lid he knew what he would do. He
anted somebody to make him rich by
wing him, say, four or five thousand
pillars, and he would build little
Duse ON hill and he would live there
/ alone and he would not do a blamed
ling. 1t ought to be explained that
atrick was disinclined to labor and 4
.eat lover of ease. Most particularly
: disliked to get up early in the morn
&, and he had absolute hatred for the
usicians who sounded reveille.
"In planning for his perfect happi-
,ss, Pat, strangely enough, had decid-
to hire musician to come up before
s window every morning Mt o'clock
the morning and play reveille The
,ys thought that was rather strange
but he explained that when
e fellow sounded his bugle he would
zen the window and say. To hill wild
): now go away from here" The mu-
.ianer, as Pat called him, would re.
e. but the next morning he must
me up and play the same thing SO
at Pat could again say. To hill wild {
:; so away from here He said that
ould be supreme happiness. 1
Il remember PAT on our march from I
cksburg to Meridian. 1t was the Gus {
m of the men then as they approach 5
the camping ground TO pick up rails c
d carry them along so that they
,uld be ready to build a fire as soon c
the lines were formed in camp. On ,
Is occasion a staff officer rode back {
d said that as the division would go 5
10 camp where there was no wood it 5
,uld be advisable for the men To :.
rry rails with them. Every man took
vantage of the suggestion and walk | Y