Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-08-07

never to go on another scout without
a little bag of meal in my haversack.
AS ] ate, the old woman told me of
the trouble she had in keeping In the
house anything to eat. The southern
soldiers, she said, stole everything she
had whenever they came that way, as
did the northern soldiers, 30 she had
learned to keep her chickens, pigs and
corn In the woods far back from the
road. where nobody would be likely to
find them, and her husband always
in the neighborhood.
l wondered what the people in the
north would think about such treat
mcnt of the colored people, for whose
benefit some of them seemed to think
the war was conducted but my
thoughts were interrupted by the sound
of bugle.
Take de res along, honey" said the
old woman, here she looked un.
der the floor again-"hyah's some yams
lsweet potatoesl. Tuck 'em in yo'
pockets an rous' 'em in de hot ashes
when yo' gifts hungry"
hurried away with profuse thanks,
a full stomach and an entire willing
ness to face. single handed. the whole
southern army In battle array. Many
months later, when had some soldiers
under my own command, l gave more
attention to the cookhouse than to my
other duties combined. And how crate.
full were the smiles which Brainard,
Hamilton and Cloyne gave me when
divided my surplus hoecake among
them! Brainard said that bit Of hoe
cake saved his life. so had done the
government as great a service as IL l
had brought new soldier into the
field.
Again we started, and as we rode the
captain and lieutenants looked fire.
quently at the horses heads to see that
curb bits were not chained too tight
or hanging too high or too low and
that the horses were not worried by be.
ing ridden with too tight reins. Most OF
the recruits wanted to make their
horses arch their necks like soldiers
horses in statues and military pictures,
and when the captain made them stop
they muttered that war wasn't much
fun. Zig Pat Gala han said that n sol.
der was not only a dog, but he was
expected to let his horse be a plug,
which proved that the government was
a condemned fool and deserved to be
wiped out by the rebels. He did not
get much sympathy from Mick Nc.
Twyny, for Mick was trying to carry
the dignity Of his new office, and it was
such Il heavy contract that he had nc
mind for anything else. His recruits,
however, agreed fully with big Pat Cal.
lahan and cursed the government flu.
emily, and the captain didn't reprovs
them, which seemed to me gross neg.
lect of duty.
We rode nearly all day, but nobody
could tell us where we were or what
we We're expected to do or when we
would do it, all Of which, when pro.
longed for hours, began to be enre gina
in the extreme. When we halted at
noon to feed the horses, | complained
to Cloyne that If we never were to
know what we were TO do we might as
THAT'S just what we're expected to
be-" said he, land the sooner you real.
lie it and live up to it the sooner you'll
be trustworthy soldier"
This was depressing. 1t was simply
awful. Could there be no way of re.
lease for mind which could not help
working? l asked Cloyne how high in
ny,1- ~ -. \
thinking for the government. and he re.
Piled:
General in chief Of the army, as n
rule, though before you've been long in
the cavalry service you'll have an oc-
casional chance to use all the brains
to help you through
This was encouraging for little
while, and then it wasn't During the
day | found something besides the
conduct of the war to think Of The
dust raised by more than a thousand
horses in front, our company being
next to the last in column. was blind,
ing and choking, besides getting inside
my clothing and making me feel I'M
speakably dirty. How | wished might
! take in rapid succession all the baths
| had with great effort avoided when
was small boy! The water in my
canteen became disgustingly warm
for the midday sun was hot and | had
not learned how to cool n canteen, yet
my mouth and throat were parched
My legs ached intensely from the
steady pressure on the saddle, yet The
horn Of the saddle was SO high, witt
| tho roll Of blankets strapped to It
that | could not get relief by riding
| woman fashion" for few moments
as was the custom with farmers boys
at Summerton. Poor Branard who
never before had done any riding
said he was sure his legs were being
so bowed that they would have wild
er spread than his shoulders, which
would be extremely inconvenient, a:
well ms unsightly. But there was one
comfort-Mick McTwyny insisted tina,
his legs We're that bad that when he
reached camp he was going to the hos
pital and remain there for life.
Suddenly, an hour after the afternoon
| ject for thought. A bugle call sounded
from the advance, which was passed
down the column by successive bu
glers. 1t was n call l had not heard
before, so ! asked the lieutenant what
1t was.
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