The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-06-02


those days. and not only in the cavalry
service either.
CHAPTER TX.
BACK TO CAMP.
After a long rest followed by water
for our horses. the regiment started again.
though as 10 where We were going we
knew no more than when we left camp,
| said 10 Cloyne that II would save great
deal OF unnecessary worry IL the colonel
would post notice before leaving camp
for a scout or a fight TO let us know where
we were going. how long we were TO be
gone and what we were 10 do, but Cloyne
replied that the colonel would first have
TO know all these things himself, which
seemed a great deal TO expect.
AT any rate no such information had
been given out about our present trip, nor
did we ever get any about any trip
on which we started afterward. so In
time IL came TO be fun 10 ask when on the
road, Where are We goingY so as 10 get
a pleasing assortment OF improbable an
swers. AT first IL seemed too dreadful
TO take part I'm some movement about
which | knew nothins-not even whether
or not II was tudicious. But when l saw
the older members OF the regiment calmly
obeying all orders, asking no questions.
| endeavored TO be veteran to that
extent myself and let the government
manage It's own business I'm Its own way.
AS | had not made this resolve at the
time OF our first scout and charge / was
curious and anxious about many things
besides our probable route. What would
we do with our prisoners should n regi-
ment OF the enemy suddenly strike us?
Suppose we were to get into fight and
have lot Of horses shot; how would
the riders reach camp How were our
disa bled men to reach camp again. as II
raI mo ha1 1htlla ~ aa WI
Was any one sure tha tthe colonel had
calculated time and distance osrefuly,
so that we should reach camp In time
10 save men and animals from starving
And speaking OF starving, where was
TO get anything TO eat during the coming
day or more?
This question slowly but surely forced
all others from my mind for | had eaten
all my hoecake that | had not given
away, / had roasted my sweet potatoes
at dinner time and felt, as i ate them,
so full that l wouldn't want another NOR
sci till morning. but, an hour OF trot
and gallop had caused a radical change
OF opinion. / had no more silver with
which TO buy should be able 10 find any
native who would sell, and my mornings
search for corn soft enough 10 eat had
not been encouraging enough to Justify
me In trying again.
As | wondered darkness approached,
and we halted TO bivouac for the night
Brainard, whom / found In one OF the
straw filled country wagons which had
been seized TO carry the injured, was as
hungry as l and very dismal about H.
too. How both of US wished we had
kept the fat pork which had been dealt
as a part OF our three days ration! We
still agreed that very little or 1t would
go a long way. but that was just the sort
of ration we most needed at that particu-
In seemed
reach nearly down to our boot toes
While we pitied ourselves and endeavored
to dHaden the pangs OF hunger by the
time -heHered- -truant schoolboy trick OF
tightening our belts, a detail was sudden
ly made from our company to guard the
prisoners. and l was one OF the non
commissioned officers named
We were marched TO the front to take
the Johnnies from their captors and
bring them nearer the rear There being
no building near by, we camped them In
n cluster near the roadside. clearing
horses away to make room for them.
Their own horses were prudently tied
troop or two distant. so that none OF them,
should he attempt TO escape. could get his
mount They were not bad looking fell
lows, though they did not appear very
soldierly I'm their uniforms, no two of
which were exactly the same tint OF gray
and scarcely any two OF the same style
be a 'nre-eater." and the majority were
men OF middle age. Nearly all of our
own troopers were young None seemed
vrey sad or angry. In fact, they didn't
at all meet my ideas as TO southerners
and prisoners of war. They were ordered
to silt or lie down. but were not bound
or restrained In any other way, except
that there were guards. revolvers In hand
IN front and rear of them, and we were
quietly ordered to keep little blaze all
night In the fires which were nearest,
so that no one could attempt to get away
without being seen.
AS the sergeant-who chanced to be
Hamiton-and / had nothing TO do but
post and relieve the guards, we lay on
the ground and engaged some OF the cap
tives I'm conversation. We found they
were all Georgians. most of them from
small villages or plantations, and they
did not know much about the war except
that they were sorry II broke out. but
they had felt II their duty to stand by
their state.
Seems to me-" said one OF them after
we had chatted a little while. that you
uns was all to blame for the war. for we
uns didn't want none. No matter which
side whips, I'm a ruined man, for there's
nobody 90 make the crops while IN away
up here. I don't own no niggers, an my
wife an young uns cayn't do no more'n
work the truck patch Kitchen gardenl
an look after the pigs an the milk crit
.ters."
heard this story so many times dur
ing the war that I had TO do a great deal
of being sorry for the enemy
our prisoners had been told 10 bring
their provisions with them. and as they
had eaten nothing since dinner time they
asked permission. which was readily
granted. 10 do ther cooking at the fires.
Their rations were so different from ours
that Il was interesting TO look on. In
stead OF boiled fat pork they had raw
bacon. thin slices of which they fried
or toasted on sharpened sticks. Some
had white bread. others biscuit or hoe
cake, while two or three mixed meal and
water and made hoecakes In the frying
pans which several OF them carried:
others had sweet potatoes, which they
baked In the ashes.
oh, how hungry the smell OF their cook
Ing made me- I understood for the first
time why II was that some OF the poorly
fed children In our town used TO stand
around the bakery while the bread. cakes