News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-06-04

Nva1E {%SsSSssszalz of them impressed me
WS3NM 1sSST more favorably than
SEsTf%MYhRA. our own or that they
UI w. looked like men from
whom the Southern Confederacy had
much to fear Certainly they could
not bear comparison with the average
of our old militia regiment, at whom
the cavalry had sneered and whom the
regular artillerymen had called Dough
boys" The great majority reminded
me of the corner ioungers in city and
town. / said as much to Cloyne, who
replied:
"For very good reason too. That's
Just the class from which they were
recruited"
1t was pleasing to think that we
should see something different when
we reached our camp, which was only
about a day distant from New York.
Our quartet wished we might soon
reach there, too, for the trip persisted
in recalling by contrast that of the
Ninety ninth, and the contrast made us
gloomy. No natives wished US god
speed or brought fruit and refresh
ments to the train when it stopped at
a station. Nobody sang patriotic songs
In the cars or passed jokes from seat
10 seat. On the contrary, there were
much vile language and drunkenness
with some fighting, for men who had
received large bounties and were not
accustomed to having much money had
apparently tried to invest all their cash
in whisky. Some tried to desert by
jumping from the car platforms as we
passed slowly through the larger
towns, and apparently we all were
suspected by the officers In charge of
the various sCaads of being possible
"bounty Jumpers"
1t was not until this trip that we
came to realize, recruiting officers
though we had been, that the payment
of bounties, which had not begun until
the Ninety-ninth had taken the field,
had developed a new and highly pop
ular industry-that of enlistilg, receiv.
ing bounties, deserving, re-enlsttng to
receive "a ore bountles, and so on in
definitely until the bounty jumper was
detected OF sent to the front too sud
denly and securely to escape. One
of the officers, with whom Ham
ilton and Cloyne scraped acquaint-
ance, said we were lucky not to
be sent down In locked cars, with
windows so arranged on the out
side that they could not be opened
enough to let a man through. He said
also that number of hard characters
had enlisted only for the purpose of
robbing their comrades and that those
of us who had much money would do
well to hide it securely before drop
ping asleep.
None of these revelations promised
well for the Union cause, and asked
Hamilton why it was that the army
did not get better class of volunteers.
Because" said Hamilton between
his teeth, most members of the better
classes are trying to become officers,
instead Of first enllsting as privates,
like several fools with whom | am
acquainted"
"But they can't all become officers"
] argued. There are too many Of
them"
"None of them will become a private
soldier until there is a CONSUMPTION"
said Cloyne, who stood by. ITS the
only way that men of the better classes
ever get into the armies of other ma
tions."
"But we are different" said 1, with
rising American pride. Our better
classes know they have more to be
thankful for than the people Of other
nations, so they have more patriotism"
"They do, eh? From the appearance
of this car and such others on this
train ! have gone through. must say
their patriotism is not hprrying them
iHto tie military service
Then had to change the subject of
conversation. Il 80 s-.-;:z:,.,-:-'
Beforereaching camp we became aCI
quainted with some of the recruits for
our own regiment and found enough
varieties Of human nature to interest
us and to justify Cloyne's remark that
1t takes a net or an army to catch all
sorts Of queer fish. Hamilton, who
had a head for statistics, took the
trouble to ask each recruit for the
Thlrty-eighth what was his business
before he enlisted. There were Gig
SO recruits, but As different trades and |
professions were named. Indeed, there |
was but one business or calling which |
more than one man designated. 1t was
Soldier" Hamilton, Cloyne and
were three Of the five who made this |
statement. The others were two stall |
waH Engllshmen, almost middle aged. |
! engaged these successfully in con- |
versation and was almost paralyzed |
at learning that they were survivors |
of the famous "Six Hundred who |
formed the Light Brigade" that |
charged at Balaklava and was immor-
talized by Tennyson in a poem which
and every other boy in our school
had detained on speech day"
1t was long before could tear my