News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-06-11

UDELLZIAS/LtI Il e ca VARY ca III .
1-(S3 seemed such a shift.
less, DO nothing place for all who
were not recruits that | thought seri-
ously Of writing private letter to
President Lincoln suggesting that he
should have this large and lazy body
Of men go out and kill some rebels OF
do something else that would help end
the war 1t seemed to me that the men
l saw lounGing about me- could not pos
sibly he the same who had been all the
&aIk of the post when the Ninetr-uinth
was there.
We recruits did yery little longing
We were drilled pre- ty steadily in the
use Of saher, a weapon which did not
feel or act anything like we had sup.
posed. For days it seemed too heavy
and clumsy for me ever to use to any
purpose, and | doubted whether ever
should be able to inture the Confeder-
acy or defend myself by any of the
thrusts, points or cuts of the manual
of arms told Cl0yne SO one day, and
he replied:
"Thats the reason you're being
taught. Thered be nonsense in teach
ing you if you already knew how"
The regiment that is, the new COM
panles-hud no horses, and we Sum
merton boys would feel very diEssal
when we saw the older COMPANIES
mount and go off on q scouting trip. as
they did 1T 'vaSt o0ce a week, while
we, instead. We're marched out to drill
or set to work on the stables. which
were so maAy and large that it seemed
they never would lie finished. There
were - Of them, and each was more
then 800 feet long and required 100
thick 10 foot posts which had to be
cut in the forest. besides hundreds of
smaller ones for the roof and to divide
the stalls. Many of the men made up
their minds while this work was going
OF that a soldiers life was a dogs life.
and they proved their sincerity by act
ing like dogs-growling, snarling,
SkuFking and fighting.
During this wretched experience of
cavalry life my spirits were strength
ened frequently by observing the inn
perturbable manner of Hamilton, listen
ing to Cloyne's sensible comments on
whatever occurred and admiring the
loyal spirit of little Brainard, to whom
whatever the government did through
any Of it's officials seemed entirely
right. Whenever my mind was troubled
because | didn't understand the full
meaning of everything that was done
or left undone Brainard would remind
the that if knew everything about the
War l probably wouldn't be a private
soldier, but general of the army or
perhaps president of the United States.
Leave something, little something
to the colonel or the war department
OF at least the president" Brainard
would say. IF you could do and
manage everything, as you seem to
wish, the higher officials wouldn't have
anything to Go but draw their pay,
don't you see?'
There was some. truth in this, and
such a remark would generally pacify
me for few hours. l think, however,
that l got most comfort ont of my
spurs and the joy l anticipated for the
time when | should have a horse and
tickle his tanks. My father had never
allowed one Of his horses to be touched
with spur-my experience with old
Rover was unknown to him-so there
was a pleasure in store for me. And
what spurs they were! l had brought
them from New York. They were
"Mexicans," the wheels nearly three
inches in diameter, with points as long
as a single nail, and they gave out a
bell-like jingle as l walked, which was
such sweet music to my ear that l
never was without them. l even wore
them to bed, for, as no one removed
any Of his clothing when lying down
for the night on the floor of his tent,
where was the use in taking off ones
spars?
, One night this question was an
swered to some extent. Our tent was
round and the 10 men who lived in it
slept with heads toward the outside
and feet to the center. By early No
vember the nights were so cold that a
znan needed blanket as well as his