Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-08-06

ranging in weight from q Johnnys
iron stirrup to unexploded shells and
solid shot weighing n hundred pounds.
All of this old iron lay In row on the
topmost log Of our room and directly
over the inner edge of my bunk.
tried to bride teamsters to provide
transportation; even lSbored with the
sergeant of our howitzer battery, hop
Ing to coax him to carry them in unoc-
cupied corners of his gun caissons, but
he, too, was obdurate-he had luggage
of his own-so had to content myself
by selecting single three inch shell
that could go in my box of extra cloth.
ing without exciting suspicion by Its
weight.
One day the entire regiment except
the stable orderlies were ordered on
picket, the reserve station of which
was the main street of the village. At
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withdrawn.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 main
body Of the regiment. The men on
these new posts were relieved at 8 in
the morning by members of a single
troop, which happened to be our own.
From the new outposts-I was the
corporal in charge of one and Brainard
Of another-we were soon drawn in to
camp.
On entering camp the order was
given to prepare to fire the houses,
stables, etc. The signal, the officers
told us, would be the fall of the camp
flagstaff, at which a man with an ak
already stood. while the entire band,
mounted, stood near by, playing "Auld
Lang Syne" To prepare for firing
camp was simple enough. It was
merely to stand by" with matches
ready to light, for every bunk was Of
pine and contained mattress full of
hay, straw or leaves that had been well
summed and seasoned. The walls were
of pine, and SO were the roofs. No
plaster or partitions could delay the
spread Of fame, and everything was
as dry as July sun could make it.
Down crashed the pole, hundreds of
matches cracked. and the band began
playing some solemn music, Familiarity
known as "Old Hundredth." and then
dashed into There's No Luck About
the House," for "a Hot Time In the
Old Town" had not yet been written.
In moment all the men were hurry
Ing to the stables. where the horses
stood all saddled. Orders had already
been given to dash to the road as soon
as mounted; the guidon bearers were
already there as rallying points for
the men of their respective troops. Al
ready flames poured from the windows
of all the houses and even from some
of the roofs. The remaining hay In
camp had been thrown by the stable
orderlies upon the pine brush roofs Of
the stables. The instant stable was
entirely cleared of horses the roof was
lighted and the fire quickly spread.
The spectacle that followed was as
good as fight, 80 some Of our best
fighting men said. At least co build
ings were aflame, and 900 mounted
men were dashing between and around
them in their effort to reach the road.
Some Of the slower men were obliged
to make detour of half a mile, for
the heat Of that aggregation Of burn
ing pine was intense. even to men al
ready in the road.
FINELY, however, when the orderly
sergeants called the rolls, the entire
command was present or accounted
for. The column was formed quickly.
Then the bugles sounded forward"
and the band once more did the ap-
proprlate thing. for 1t played "Ain't I
Glad to Get Out Of the Wilderness?"
popular air Of the period. But be-
fore half dozen bars had been played
the music ceased and the column halted
instinctively, for we heard a shot H.
that Of field gun.
"Fours about!' shouted our captain
AS we were the rear guard. the men
who had dropped behind in rear guard
manner had already turned their horses
and brought their carbines to the po-
sition Of advance"
Look sharp!' said the captain.
"Find the direction from which the
next shot comes"
The instant we heard another report
we saw mass Of shingles 60 skyward
from the roof of our troops house.
Strange about that" muttered the
captain. II heard only one report, that