The National tribune., 1902-12-11

cies Of the service seemed to demand. One
night our regiment was suddenly ordered
across Chain Bridge into Virginia to q
point threatened by the enemy. On the
way Captain tore from his shoulders
the insignia of his rank, and on return to
camp was invited to resign, which he did.
The morale of the regiment was high: no
officer could hold his place who showed for
q moment the white feather.
Tie Autumn and Winter were passed
in preparing for the Spring campaign. Me-
Dowell commanded the division, with
! headquarters at Arlington. His repiita-
Educated at West Point. lie early became
the pet of Gen. Scott. who had great adj
miration for his brilliant social qualities
as well as his unusually fine soldierly pres
ence.
! Theoretically, Mcdowell was an accom-
plislied soldier, but he seemed to always
lose his head in an emergency. l have
seen him attempt to handle a division,
simply in practice, only to get his bri-
gades and regiments SO divided and
twisted that he completely lost control of
his command; his horse was such fire.
quent blunderer over fences and into
bitches that there was a general impress
sion, that couldn't be shaken. that this
man who never tasted wines or liquors was
drunkard.
The soldiers believed Mcdowell to be in
some way in criminal communication witt,
the Confederates, and it was current gos-
| sip in the ranks during Pope's campaign
that he wore n peculiar, light-colOred and
conspicuous hat that the enemy might dis
tinguish and not injure him. The charges
of drunkenness and disloyalty were equal
ly absurd, but McDowelfs greatest success
was as a society man in command Of a
| Department after the war
| Picket duty during tile Winter of '61-2
was no idle recreation. IT the people OF
Virginia attempted to repel us the mud
didn't, for the sacred sOif' stuck to the
Union cause on every available occasion
and sometimes / felt that we made a
deep impression in return. About once a
month we went 10 miles to the front fol
a weeks duty Oh picket; it was an open.
air picnic with no bad plumbing 10 grOwl
about, and if the ventilation wasn't per
feet there certainly was enough of it, fol
at night no S .elter but our blankets in,
teryened between US and the stars. One
day. willie at the front in this way, an old
gentleman, who owned the farm, came rid
ing across the field to our camp. Inform
ing him what State we We're from, he
said: Il have q son living i'll the West
you may know him!'
| "His name, and where does he livcT"
inquired.
1tllieTS, Inu lie lives 1T l1aStllSS
Mimi" was the reply.
Sure enough, his son had been my neigh
Dor and intimate friend. He took my ad
dress and rode back to the house, sOoI
returning with most cordial invitation
to dinner from the ladies' of the family
whom / had met during their visits to
Minnesota. Although intensely Southern
in their sympathies they gave me an old
time welcome, and we sat long at the
lfable diScuSSinp tho nracnactc nf fla wa
and of our old friends, now divided and
confronting each other, awaiting the great
struggle.
TIE SPRING CAMPAIGN.
With Spring came our advance TOWARD
Fredericksburg. The cry was. "On tt
Richmond" and the men took Up the lin,
of march burdened with knapsacks, in ad
dition to their other equipments, viii
hearts as light as though it were tourna
ment and not a bloody battle impending
Regiment after regiment swung gail.
along, some companies whistling "Tht
Girl l Left Behind Me-" others singing
John Browns Body Lies Moldering il
the Ground" the chorus ringing out lout
and clear, the cadenced step of the mer
keeping time to the music. II was one O
those mornings too lovely to last. when al
nature seemed in perfect accord. i wa,
enjoying the scene with all its picturesQu,
surroundings, when l observed a grizzlet
old darky standing in q lane near the pass
ing troops: he was throwing up his arms
wildly exclaiming as we passed: For d,
Lor's sakes, for de Lor's sakes, dars nj
ems to um, dars no ems IL um-bress d.
Lor' dis po' ole Niger libbed TO see d.
lda.r
The morning so lovely passed. aud theI
came storm of great violence. The brook,
and creeks, nearly dry at sunrise. wer'
foaming. dashing torrents when the su.
went down at evening: the men who step
ped off SO gaily few hours before wer'
struggling through the mud and wafer n.
best they could; artillery and army WI gon.
came to n halt, some of them in awkward
situations; tents were got out, if found
and every man was intent on finding