Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-11-22
THE BOOMING CANNON
RECITALS OF CAMP AND BAT
TIE INCIDENTS.
Survivors of the Rebellion Relate
Many Amusing and Startling Incl
dents of Marches, Camp Life, Forag-

things seemed going to the dogs. The
wear 1862 was a blue one for the sol
der in the field. The rebS seemed
strong in front. and the people at home
seemed divided in our support. In
Illinois the Republicans were SO alb
sorhed in the war that the Democrats
in November. 1861. elected Il majority
of the delegates to the constitutional
convention here that met in 1862. and
that convention was as much a tho.1
IN our sides as Nallandigham was for
the OHIO boys.
THE constitutional convention,
through one of its committees. asked
for reports from the several regiments
as to whether troops from Illinois
Were well equipped and as well cared
for as troops from other States This
impertinencc reused the soldiers TO ac-
ton. Major Quincy Mcneil Of the See
ond Illinois cavalry. wrote the com
mittee declining to answer any ques-
tons, and adding: You were elected
L. make a constitution for the State
OF Illinois. Why don't YOU do it,
This remark of Major McNeils
made him very popular in the army
and good many soldiers wrote bone
to The same effect. and in the end the
work of the convention was rejected
The soldiers in the field being almost
unanimously against ii. However. the
elections in November, 1862 gave lit
tie comfort TO the boys in the army.
In fact, the first note of comfort that
came to us in 1863 was when Gov
ernor Yates of Illinois. sent the LcgiS-
lature home, ana when Brough car
ried Ohio against Nallandigham. The
latter came in October while we were
penned up in Chattanooga, aud the
Army of the Cumberland made it
personal matter"
Under the Ohio laws" said the Ser
geant, every soldier from that State.
no matter whether he was serving in
Kentucky or Missouri or West Nir-
ginia regiment, was entitled to vote
II there We're only three Ohio voters
In regiment the boys insisted that
they must vote, and at least two of
the Kentucky regiments the major
ity of the men were residents and
voters i'll Ohio. They were never more
considerably treated than on that day.
when Illinois. Indiana, and Michigan
soldiers surrounded the polls to see the
Buckeyes PUNK it to the Copperheads.
IAN were very quiet, however, par
ticularly the men who came in from
the outposts, relieved from duty that
they might east their ballots. Late
that night one of the squads was re-
turning to the picket line, when the
Colonel came over from division head
quarters to say that dispatch report
ed that Brough had been elected by
10000 majority. home vote Instantly
II seemed to me that great camp was
awake In ten minutes bands were
playing and men were cheering on
the right, on the left. and down the
center
The men headed for the outposts
swung off at an eager step They
Went out from the intrenched lines
into the plain that lay between the
Union army and the rebel army.
perched on Missionary Ridge and
Lookout Mountain. and marched erect
to the outmost Union vidette line. and
shouted TO the rebel pickets i'm front:
Sixty thousand majority for Brough
Put that in your pipe, Johnny. and
smoke it And "A Johnny replied sar-
castically: oh 1t is Brough. Is it?
thought maybe you had captured
corporal
But the soldiers I'm both armies I'M
derstood the significance of the vic
tory. The people at home were no
longer Indifferent They had aligned
themselves with the men who were
fighting in front The boys didn't
know John Brough. but he stood for
the cause they were fighting for. and
that was enough. The beleagured
army in Chattanooga was vibrant
with the spirit of victory, and the be-
sieging army on ridge and mountain
was correspondingly depressed
My first vote" said the Captain.
was for Lincoln in 1864 Our division
was near Atlanta and the ballot-box
was in the rear end of an army wagon.
We were even then preparing for the
march to the sea, and the regiments
voted as they were concentrating for
the new movement. When we knew
that Lincoln had been reelected Sher-
man cut loose from the Atlanta line.
and jubilantly we marched eastward
and southwark. We had done our best
for Old Abe at the polls, and we pro-
ceeded to do our level best In the field
| never go into an election booth now
without thinking of the old army
wagon near Atlanta and my first
vote. Chicago Inter-Ocean