The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-01-25

two months, thence to Brunswick, Ga, where We had the same troubles, varied by an outbreak of measles and humps, which played havoc with the companies composed of men from the country. On this account I always congratulate moth CTS when their children have these com plaints in infancy
 We had, in our ranks, men of every calling, sailors, soldiers of the Mexican war, a French Zouave who had served in Algers, men who had been educated in Europe, travellers, circus clowns, poets. authors and musicians. It was at first. hard to get accustomed to camp life. Men divided into messes, according to their likes and dislikes, but soon one found that his best friend was lazy and not inclined to cut wood, fetch water, make fire or do his share of washing the tin plates. Others who had been foppish In dress at home, became care less and dirty, and others used much profanity and vulgarity. So these messes in four years became greatly changed, sometimes by death, sometimes by weed ing out objectionable fellows.
 remember one man, wnose ill-temper, profanity and obscenity was such that he could not find mess-mate who would stay with him. Another one who knew mere Shakespeare than any man I ever saw, was so lazy and dirty that he mess ed alone. Another in the next company, an old bachelor of means was so ob- iectionable that a detail Of men cut om his hair and scrubbed him. not very lightly, in the effort to get him less or fersiye. But long campaigning, dangers shared together, hunger and the brother hood of comrades, finally maoe many of these who messed together, regard each other with love like Johnathan and David, passing that of woman. However, 1t was the rule of one mess to the close of the war, that during our meals, how ever taken, standing or sitting, no pro- fanity or vulgarity was permitted.
 Several of the company mad their mus ical instruments until forced marches caused them to disappear, and thus we had. music and a glee club gave excel lent vocal entertainment around the camp fires or under the trees, but these too, disappeared in the severe campaigns, At first we had chess, checkers, cards and games, but after the first year all games except cards, were abandoned. l have seen men playing poker on a knapsack with in ten steps of a preacher discoursing to men sitting on the ground around him.
 But it was singular that the men would not carry a pack of cards Into battle. When the cannon began 10 boom in front, and we pressed forward to form a line of battle, one could walk long distance on cards strewn by the way, and l have never seen a pack of cards on one of the thousands of dead. either friend or foe, l saw on battlehelds.
 The members of card clubs will take note, and they are sure not to order pockets in their shrouds for cards.
 Perhaps nine-tenths of the soldiers play ed some game of cards, and about three fourths indulged in gambling. On the march from Culpepper, Va, to Gettys- burg, we marched an'hour and rested ten minutes with an hours rest at noon. As soon as the men stacked their arms Cor the midday meal, the gamblers would set their roulette, chuckaluck and faro spreads, which they had lugged under the burning summer sun. Crowds sur rounded the Hay out" eagerly reaching oyer the shoulders of the nearest to lay
 
 bundles of confederate currency. When we recoiled from the rock bound heights of Little Round Top at Gettysburg, leav- ing so many gallant fellows cold in death, we saw no gambling on our sullen re- treat At Chambersburg, I lent a gambler S20 who said he was In a game. He was !. captured the next day and kept in pris- on a long time. On returning from fur tough, l met him on a train in North Ct. .,,I of+, .1,,r,, ,f,,er every appearance of joy, he suddenly thrust his hand into his pocket and hand cd me the, money. There are some debts gambler feels bound to pay. No doubt the spirit of gambling that permeates the womens clubs the social clubs and in fests the towns with games and dis reputable characters, owes something to the demoralization of war times.
 The blockade runners brought over fresh supplies of cards which were gem orally plentiful in camp.
 We were ordered to Richmond in July, 1861, which caused great deal of joy and a stag dance We marched through streets, thronged with people cheering and waving handkerchiefs, just as the same Richmond did at the reunion in 1896. My company had more baggage then than the brigade had In 1S63-4, but we began to lose 'impedimenta" at this point. We went to Acquia Creek, where the gun boats shelled us from afar. which caus- ed a few Indians who had enlisted with us to desert. Thence we marched to Fairfax, c. H., in the sultry August days, trial to the parlor soldiers.
 A fine looking lieutenant of north Georgia company, had heavy black mrstache previous to this march, hut before it ended, one side of his adorn- ment was white as snow, because his hair dye was with the wagon train which took different route We spent the fall around Centervile, and built log huts, with no floors but the moist earth, da,Ib- ed the cracks with mud and covered the huts with boards split out of very re- fractory oaks
 We had rations and clothing in abunl- ance, but the mud prevented exercise Books were plentiful, and the folks at home kept us supplied with good things
 Here we saw the first military execu- tion Three of the Louisiana Tigers were shot for insubordination, and our com mand was among those marched out to witness the sad scene.
 We left quarters in March for York town and our real hardships began. Ra- tions were often scarce and poor. Cof- fee had been Issued to us. but now that failed, and from that time to the close of the war, only an occasional ration of coffee was given us as some blockade runner would prsng a supply. The men first tried sassafras tea, but as a steady diet. 1t proved facilitating Parched corn meal, potatoes and other substitutes were tried for the remaining three years but open air life made the men long for their coffee and the writer whilst scouting, never failed to ransack wagons or knapsacks for coffee. and far ed much better than the men in the line