The National tribune., 1902-09-04

1863. he found it in the most demoraliZed
condition of all its history. Many of the
soldiers had lost faith in the ability and
patriotism of our leaders, believing, from
sad experience, that they were no good.
and desertions had become alarmingly fire.
Quent.
Gen. Hooker was, above all else, an Or
ganizer and although he never won We
tory in the field while in command OF the
army, the victory he won in camp over
the forces of decentralization was signal
and of lasting Duration. The couitr!
owes an eternal debt of gratitude to Gen.
Joseph Hooker for the mighty work he
accomplished within the next three
months. When the Army of tue Potomac
started on its Spring campaign of 1870, IL
could suffer defeat without losing heart
or win a. victory without losing its head
No army, carrying within Its heaft Oh
hearts nobler ambition of patriotism,
higher resolve to accomplish Il stupendous
duty. ever took the field.
Gen. Hooker put more faith IN the
ability of well-fed, well-ciothed ana
thoroughly disciplined, than in weary
dispirited and poorly-supphed army, 10
win victories and accomplish the great
work that war alone could fulfill, and he
went about the work of reorganization
with a will In the first place, he ar
bread to replace the everlasting hardtack
as an article of daily diet, of which the
soldiers had become extremely tired, ana
within a week ovens were constructed and
bakeries running in every division OF the
army. and fresh bread was thereafter is
sued daily. Fresh vegetables were also
supplied, and other improvements made
in the army commissariat whereby the
common soldier recognized the fact that
his interests were acknowledged and re-
spected. which policy quickly reduced de-
sertions to a minimum.
Gen. Hooker gave his soldiers season
of rest and better food. both of which they
greatly needed. but at the same time no
part of the activity of military drill. dis
cipline, and preparation for the struggle
that must surely come with the return of
Spring was neglected. Whenever an op-
portunity offered to steal a march on the
enemy, to disturb his comfortable repose,
to harass his communications or invade his
field of supplies, thus reminding Lee that
the Army Of the Potomac was out of the
mud, such opportunity was not neglected.
One of the expeditions within the lines
of the enemy's source of supplies, III which
the writer of these sketches took part,
proved to be quite campaign of adven-
ture and furnished variety Of entertain
ment. The troops comprising this eNpe-
dition were three battalions, one each from
the ID. 9th, and 7th Wis. about 300 in all,
under the command of Col. Fairchild. of
the I'd Wis. The expedition left Belle
Plain Landing on the morning of March
%, 1868. going down the Potomac on n
small river steamboat. | have distinct
recollection not only of the year, but of
the day of the month also. for on that day
l was just % years Old. Possibly the ex-
cursion was planned iii honor of my birth
day. AT all events, l was there to receive
all the honors offered and enjoy all the di
version such an excursion could afford, just
as much as though ] were actually the
central figure.
As we steamed down the broad Potomac
the wild blew chill from the northwest, |
and we high privates (that was before l
had received my first promotion TO Cor |
porality) and non-coms found deck pas
sage the place of all others for an enjoy
able birthday picnic. The cabin was
small and fully occupied by the officers of
the expedition, who kept well within shell |
ter
When the noon hour arrived and we
began preparations for our picnic dinner,
we found close picking. There was no
kitchen range on that steamboat deck, and
the only comfortable spot was within |
range of the warm side of the smoke |
stack, which was a position in great de- |
mand. As master of ceremonies. it being |
my birthday, it was my especial duty to |
devise some means whereby my guests of |
the upper deck could be provided with |
cup of hot coffee, so bestirred myself as |
a man can only under the weight of great |
responsibility. All, as l looked upon the |
little waste-pipe. the top of which stood |
about five feet above our cabin floor, vast |
ing, in frantic puffs, its mellow. delicious |
breath on the cold Virginia wind, at once |
an idea struck me, and Immediately put |
that idea into practical use. Taking my
army camp kettle. which held about a
quart, placed within the cold ingredients |
for a cup of coffee and attaching to the |
bail thereof about three feet of string, /
lowered away the pail into the hot throat |
Of the exhaust pipe. Within five minutes |
] drew il forth. and 10. there was a dish |
of coffee fit for the General of the Army. |
II was not necessary to invite my guests |
to participate. 1t is wonderful how prone |
are all mankind to follow a good example. |
and especially is this true of soldiers. |
They are also firm believers in the truth
of the old proverb. God helps him who
helps himself" and in this instance | had
only to set the example; the boys helped
themselves. That is TO say, / had no
sooner withdrawn my pail from the steam
pipe, when ii vas replaced by not one.
but by several pals. Then the activity
of the picnic began in earnest. The new
process of cooking by steam was noised
abroad to the fartbest corners of our en-
campment, and the invention appropriated
by each and every soldier that could reach
the steam-pipe as an inherent right. CO.
equal with life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness-for here, indeed. was happi-
ness itself. Every soldier who could mus
ter a tin pail and string was happy. and
some who had no tin pail attached strings
to pieces of meat and gave them a steam
pipe Baptism.
Within - minutes after the discovery
we were all more interested in the new
process of cooking than we were in the
scenery along the banks of the Potomac.
Long strings. short strings. and strings of
medium length were in use, and the little
exha,. st-pipe was loaded from the muzzle
far downward within close proximity of
its powerful lungs, that began ere long
to indicate stuffed-up condition, as if suf
fering from influenza. Then something
startling happened, for n time throwing
the gay party of picnickers into a state
of wild confusion. The patient engineer
poor man. striving to do his duty in the
lower regions. and all unconscious of the
discovery of the new process and the peace
and contentment that reigned up stairs,
surm;sed that the steam had become
waterlogged in his exhaust-pipe, and in
order to make its action more perfect and
clear its throat of the impediments to ex-
halation, at that moment blew off steam.
Great Scott! But didn't he clear out the.
pipe? The way tin pals, cold water. hot
coffee and stray pieces of meat deluged
that steamboat deck and disturbed the
complacency of my birthday picnickers
was laughable to the onlooker who had
racaivad hic cnffoa ap1 uiyan pIaca IN q