The National tribune., 1902-12-11

do you know where the parsons pew
is" said the Major.
81 think 81" came out in a tremulOus
voice
''Show us to it." said Bragg
The man, now thoroughly frightened,
led the way up the broad aisle. The
hymnals showed that we sat in the min
ister's pew that Sunday. and we weren't
crowded either. The churches of Fred
ericbsburg at that time didn't post ON
their doors strangers cordially well
comel,' especially if they wore the blue"
PURSUIT OF 'oLD sroNEwALL."
As the days and weeks went by and we
read of McClellan's battles near Richmond
and Grants victories in the West, while
we did nothing but rub, polish and drill,
there crept into McDOwell's command a
feeling of impatience that on the 2Jth OF
May found relief in the widest cheers
when the order came-'Pack up" and the
rGmor ran along the lines, Its McClel-
lan and Richmond at last" We went
through Fredericksburg and seven miles
out on tie Bowling Green road and halted.
Word came that Jackson was on the war
path UP the Valley, threatening Washing
ton, and of course, expecting to draw
McDowell's command to its defense. We
didn't disappoint him, but came meekly
back to Falmouth and entered upon the
famous 'wild-goose chase" to surround
and capture "Old StOnewall." Had we
caught him, Mcdowell would have been
| the hero Of the hour, but he wasn't.
| When the army under Mcdowell had
been sufficiently scattered the intrepid
Southern leader returned. and joining Lee,
Mcclellan was forced back from Rich
mOnd TO Harrison's Landing.
Had Mcdowell on tile 26th of May
pushed forward to Hanover Court House,
what would have been the result? Rich
mond might have fallen, and with it Con-
federate authority in northern and eastern
Virginia, enabling Mcclellan, if vigorous
| ly and intelligently supported, to have
practically put an end to the conflict in
II months after Bull Run. Would it have
been well to have ended the war so soon? ?
Possibly, but probably not, for the North
was not then prepared for emancipation,
and without it there could have been no
permanent peace between the States.
AGAIN AT FALMOUTH.
Two weeks Of hard marching. leaving
the roads behind us strewn with KNAPP
sacks and blankets, thrown away by the
men, exhausted to complete recklessness
by the terrible heat, and we are back at
Falmouth, rubbing, polishing and drill
ing again. With all its drawbacks
| it was two weeks of valuable dis
cipline in the school that makes veter-
ans Of volunteers. On such a march the
soldier is taught the possibilities of the
situation with view to economizing ev-
erything pertaining 10 rest, food and shell
ter; he soon learns how to grasp every adj
vantage; if 4 five-minute rest is probable,
he secures enough fuel to start fire the
instant the column halts; filling n tin cup
from his cantecn, it seems but a moment
when the water boils, to which he adds
the fragrant coffee usually in supply; if
the column moves too soon for him he
lslinss his gun across his back, slipping
and munching as he goes on.
The dust and heat taxed the endurance
of the troops severely, but we had men
always boiling over with fun, and it was
a bad day indeed when they couldn't I'M
prOyise some song that would send con
tagiOus bOuyancy through the ranks, as
company after company caught up the
chorus with a swelling shout that lent n
kind Of holiday enthusiasm to the march.
Here is the favOrite refrain:
Well freeze to Old Stonewall.
| When the JOhnnies so to sleep;
Put simmons in his whisky,
And mustard on his feet.
Water. generally SO useful: sometimes
caught us mapping. The army His ''shel-
tered for the night and quite secure from
the impending shower il the little trench
to turn aside the water from the tent was
properly placed. Taps had sounded and
the camp slept as weary soldiers know
how; suddenly heard men shouting as
for their lives, and, looking ont. saw a
mountain torrent taking everything in its
course as it swept down to the valley.
Drenched with water, sleeping mer sprang
TO their feet to save their kits floating
away in the darkness. An honr later and
these same men, wet to the skin, arc again
lost in peaceful sleep. save, perhaps, Il dis
turbing vision of the dear old home.
INCIDENTS OF TIE MARCEL
l commanded the one Irish company in
the regiment, and it amuses me even now
when ] think Of their ingenious expedients
to secure just a ''wee drop" of mountain