The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-01-29
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOME INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boys Of Both Armies Whiled
Away Life in COMPROMISING Ex-
periences, Tiresome Marches-Thril-
ling Scenes ON the Battlefield.

the ADAMS Express Company III the
South during the civil war, and, put
out Of business early in 1854 by the
operations about Knoxville, supported
himself by cutting cordwood. He had
good supply on hand i'll fact. quite
wood yard of his own. when Sheri-
dams division camped near. and the
boys confiscated every stick ana chip.
and We're jolly over finding wood chop
ped and piled up ready 10 hand
"Of course, the men of Sheridans
division will plead guilty. 1t was u
hard winter and at many camps wood
was scarce. In this particular case
there was abundance of wood. without
the chopping and the boys appreciated
Woodward's work and have no doubt
scores of them will write him at Knox
vile, Tenn, expressing their thanks for
fagors rendered in the matter of cord
wood thirty-nine years ago. This story
reminds me of scores of Incidents iii
which tired or freezing soldiers burned
anything combustible. from shingles 10
saw logs, or from fence rails to houses,
with enthusiasm and reckless disre-
gard of consequences.
When we first camped at Shell
Mound, after crossing the Tennessee in
1868, there was Il neat. substantial
brick building used as the railway sta
ton, and the orders We're that the
structure be strictly guarded Ii was.
put In the comings and go.ngs. up and
down the Tennessee. the boys needed
brick for fire places in their little shan
ties and frame timbers for the same
few bricks were torn out first from
one corner and then from another I'M
TIL the building was pronounced I'M
safe. Then the men Of the regiment
swooped down upon it like vultures
and in twenty minutes there was only
bare skeleton left. and that was car
ried off that night
open campaigns in winter would
have abounded in hardships had it
not been that most of the men In the
service We're good fire builders. When
we first entered Kentucky IN January.
1862, every fence rail- was tied down.
as the boys put it. with the order.
don't touch and | have seen three
thousand men shivering in rain and
snow through a cold night without
shelter and without fire because there
was nothing to burn There were
trees and wood piles all about us. but
none for soldiers. Several of our Of
fcers We're put under arrest because
they Instructed their men to appropri-
ate wood or rails to prevent great suf-
fering.
In one case a Colonel became pop1-
lar at home and in the army because
OH a stormy night he took possession of
wood yard and a straw stack and
worked energeticallv to make his men
comfortable When threatened with a
court-martial the next day he paid. for
straw and wood and said nothing about
It. The boys found it out, however,
and the year after the war that Colonel
received the vote of every man In our
township, Republican and Democrat.
for Sheriff, and he was reelected. With
out organized opposition in the county.
until he1insisted lie was too old to serve.
All because he believed that when the
boys needed things to burn they must
have things to burn.
THE men of some companies in the
old army" said the Major. called them.
selves destroying angels, and when it
came to building fires or providing
shelter they We're. In the early spring
of 1864 our brigade was twenty or
thirty miles east of Chattanooga aud
with no expectation of severe weather
the mem lay down under blankets or
the thin shelter tents. and during til )
night We're literally showed under.
When reveille sounded the next morn
Ing there We're six inches of snow on
the ground. The camp looked like a
cemetery with its clusters and lines
of little hillocks. and there was only
one fire In the brigade, and that was
at guard headquarters
AS the men We're reused from heavy
sleep and three out their arms to lift
oyercoat, cape, or blanket from Their
laws tHe SHOW startled llSNH TO SITTING
or standing posture. and the Scene was
comical beyond any other | ever saw
IN the army. Those who had taken
Off their shoes could not find them
Many could not find their hats All
We're chilled, hut the boys laughed and
swore by turns. Then they started tc
build fires. and while some cut down
dead trees as big us saw logs. Others
tore down an old barn and in half an
hour dozens of big fires were going
coffee was boiling. breakfas. was cook,
ing, and with bodies warm the ner
We're as frolicsome as children
1T SO happened that the barn de,
stroyed belonged to one of the Brown
low clan, and when he SAW the tire.
that had been built of its material h.
opened his eyes very wide and s.ti.
'shucks.' The boys joined IN maxim.
out certificate for him which read
This is TO certify that the FIRST Ken
lucky volunteer infantry. being burie,
in Il snow storm and suffering dir,
distress and other things did on Thu
blank day of April, 1861. tear down