Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-10-14
THIRD MANASSAS.
Business Side Of a Great
Sham Battle.
HOW MILITIA Is TRAINED FOR WAR
Story of the Recent Manoeuvers as
Seen by a ouartermaster-The Tre-
mendous Problems of Transporting
and Providing For Largo Bodies OF
Troops-Interesting Details OF SOL
dier Life In the Field.


anu FT0NtoiuS w - -
Troops-Interestins Details Of SOL
dier Life In the Field.
(Concluded.)
Our regiment did not place a guaro
around its camp; but kept a guard oi
four men at headquarters. After tne
troops left Tuesday morning, rouno
that no arrangements had been made
for new guard and that l was ex-
pected to arrange for guard out OF the
few men left at camp.
Going around to the different COM
pany streets, l made list Of the men
there, and organized guard detail OF
thirty-one men, two sergeants and two
corporals. This took in everybody
except the company quartermaster
sergeant, the cooks and one or TWO
men who were on the sick report.
There were two privates in the reg
iment who were never asked to do
any duty. They were Capt. w. B.
Smith of Glover, S. c., and Capt. NC
David of Grenevilie, S. c. Both had
been officers in the civil war; both had
fought in the other two battles OF Ma
nassas, were familiar with the battle
fields, went out to the fighting line or
remained in camp as suited them, ana
were at all times interesting takers
and treated as honored guests.
When the regiment came into camp
Wednesday afternoon from the first
battle, / reported to Colonel Boyd and
was instructed to remain on duly at
camp, and since the boys were very
tired and would have to go to the field
again in the morning that no one of
them must be called on for guard duty,
but I must use the same guard that
was now on duty.
Our camp was only about twenty
five miles from Washington, and as
was quite natural, most Of the boys
wanted to visit that city; but they
were so constantly occupied that 1t
was hard for them to get time to 60
So when my guard detail found that
it was to remain on duty for two more
days, the men complained to me about
being kept on duty so long. One very
legal minded guard advancing the ar
gument that 1t was against the law to
keep man on duty more than twen-
ty-four hours at time; that at the
end Of twenty-four hours duty, a pri-
vate could go where he pleased.
did not argue this question, but told
the men that II they would go to their
companies and bring up man to take
their place, the new mans name would
be placed on the guard list instead OF
theirs. A number of exchanges were
made in this way and Il think the
majority of the boys who wanted to
visit Washington managed to get
there.
Each morning and afternoon, Com
missary Sergeant Kennedy would &c
to the station and return with a wag-
on load Of beef and bread-fresh ba-
ker's bread and the finest kind Of west
ern beef in quarters. The commissary
department brought an expert butcher
from South Carolina and the govern
ment furnished a kit Of butchers tools
The beef was cut up, weighed and di-
vided out so that each company would
receive a fair share of the choice parts
A detail was on hand to carry the beef
and bread to company kitchens as soor
as it was issued. The rations issued
by the government were abundant and
consisted OF fresh beef, corned beef
breakfast bacon, potatoes, onions, cof-
fee, sugar, pepper salt and black
berry jam.
The way each individual company
Jared depended in great measure or
its quartermaster sergeant. If he at
tended to his business we'll. his COM
pany always had plenty to eat and
meals ready at the proper time. both
in camp and for sending to the front
The government seemed to have
plenty of wagons and teams at al
times. A train Of 134 wagons went out
to Tuesday mornings battle with the
Blue Army, (Gen. Grants army tc
which our regiment belonged). Three
Of these wagons were for the use of the
First South Carolina regiment anG
when the train came to the supposed
neighborhood of the regiment the
three wagons were detailed and order
ed to go to it. AS the troops were
moving the wagons did not reach the
regiment until long after they were
expected.
At camp we heard nothing of Tues
days battle except occasionally tht
sound Of cannon, and no straggler:
came in during the day. except late
in the afternoon, whole four Of COM
pany L, which had misunderstood E
command and marched in the wrong
direction, thus getting separated Ell
tirely from the regiment.
About 10 o'clock Tuesday night, two
privates from one company and lieu
tenant from another company, came
into camp for provisions. This lieu
tenant said the regiment was bivou
aced about three miles away and ex
pected to move at midnight.
BY the lieutenant, who was return
ing to the front we sent a dispatch t.
Colonel Boyd saying that a wagor
train would leave camp at o'clock II
the morning, containing cooked pro
visions for the regiment; that as i
was reported that he would change hi
position at midnight, to leave a couple
Of men at the old position to direc
the wagons how to find the regiment
The cooks were put to work and th'
telephone used to secure the wagons
BY 4 o'clock Wednesday morning, thu
wagon train was on it's way to the reg
iment which 1t reached about o'clocl