The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-06-26

cotton Mt Guntcrsville. On the morning
of May { Col Viewer. with 1I5 men,
marched from Scottab0ro. and Lieut.-Col.
Happel. with 1I5 men. marched from
Woodville They formed a junction in
good time and marched into Guntcrsville.
but Whitecotton was not to be found: he
had disappeared utterly. He no doubt re-
ceived notice of the movement of our
troops and recrOssed the river. The APP
pearance of this force at Guntersville had
Il good effect, however; the people saw our
sturdy soldiers. and realized from our
prompt action that we did not propose to
wait ut the railroad for an attack, but
that we W, uld move ont in search of
bodies of men whose business it was TO
disturb the railroad.
Ihe entire force of men engaged IN the
work of guarding the railroads was Kept
in readiness to march ut a moments no
tiee This condition of readiness was
never relaxed day or night.
IN ordinary camp life me soldiers nj
up comfortable quarters. and when OFF
duty they are at ease, but this is not so
with soldiers engaged in guarding rail-
road line in the enemy's country, when
their comrades at the front must rely up
on it for their supplies. | found it neces-
sary to become thoroughly familiar with
all the streams, roads and by-paths trav-
ersing the country Our military maps
were well prepared. but | found that the
local topography, streams, fords, bridges,
reads. lanes, and SO forth, We're not always
laid down, so from time to time during
IN? military service | supplemented the
military maps with sketches of NY own.
many of which I have preserved. ! made
it point in guarding the railroad to send
out scouting parties frequently On both
sides of the railroad, and have our Off
GERS and men famiariZe themselves with
tho country and people. We treated the
people with a friendly and cordial spirit,
encouraged them to plant and raise crops
and to bring to the posts fresh vegetables
for sale and barter. "Foraging" was not
permitted ut all: the people Were absolute
iy safe in person and property as respects
the action of the military forces guard
| ing the railroad. We wanted the friend
ship, not the enmity and active OPPOSE
| ton, of the old men, women and children
| who lived in the towns and in the country
along our line. This kind of treatment
soon bore fruit. An active trade sprang
up between the country people and the
| soidiery: -four, bacon and coffee were Of
! ten exchanged for early vegetables: green
backs soon began to circulate amongst the
people Confederate money was of no
| value 10 them when the National forces
occupied the country.
THE ART OF LIVING IN THE FIELD.
| NV readers will probably recall the fact
| that in camp ] required the organization
of company messes with company cooks.
! This system cannot be carried out ON the
march: the messes then were usually com
posed Of four men each, who marched to-
gether and ate and slept together. While
guarding the railroad the system of com
| ,al bonn
| insured the men regular. weil-co0ked,
wholesome meals. and with fresh yege-
tables added to the army ration the sol
| dicrs had everything in the way of food
that was required. My own mess consist
ed of myself and five staff officers. The
mess was under the management of Act
ing Assistant Adj't-Gen. Nicholson. Our
plan was to secure the services Of q good
cook and live as well as the market
would afford For a year we had had
the services of colored man named Ed
Derby. who was n professional cook. lie
had given us great satisfaction. Our table
was always the wonder and the envy of
Generals and other officers who at times
accepted our hospitality; but during ouI
stay in Winter quarters Derby concluded
to get married. An order was duly issued
authorizing the marriage and the banns
were celebrated with considerable cere
mony by Rev. Geo. w. Pepper, Chaplain
of the S0th Ohio. The bride was, or, rath
er, had been, n servant Of Hon. jeremiah
Clemens, then a prominent lawyer OF
Huntsville.
Mr. Clemens was native Of Alabama
He had been United States District At
torney, had served in the Alabama Legis
lature, had taken n company of volunteers
from Alabama to Texas in 1912 to take
part in the war between Texas and Mex
leo; he WAS in the Mexican war as Major
: and was promoted to the office of Colonel
was L. S. Senator from Alabama from
1919 to 1853, and was in the Alabama
Convention which voted the State out o.
the Union and eloqucntly protested against
this action. He was now living quietly al
home, hoping for the restoration Of the
Union.
Derby, our cOlored cook, man OF In
teiligcnce and some education, felt tina,
in marrying servant Of Senator Glenn