The National tribune., 1904-03-31

81 and Shorty were not built for any
extended period of idleness. No matter i
that idieness was glorified by a honeymoo,
with their young wives; no matter if j,
were diversified by sightseeing in such al
interesting city as Washington.
Never before had they done nothing fo1
so long period in all their lives. Even
during their protracted stay in camp al
Murffcesboro and Chattanooga there was
something all the time to make them fee
that their muscular and mental energies
were being turned to good account. Whel,
they were not fixing up their camp or drill
ing. they were working on the Notifications
or scouting.
Now, when the warm Spring sun was
| waking all nature to life and activity, SET
| ting mems mind a-ferment with plans and
projects. it was very hard for 81 and
Shorty to content themselves with eating
three boarding house meals day, and sit
ting around the house or walking the
streets the rest of the time. with no definite
object as to how they should employ the
| day; or inc next, or any future day.
No. L don't want to go up to the Cap
| ltol. III yawned. after breakfast one fine
morning. rs Annabel propounded the usual
! question.
| What shall we do to-tlay!'
| ri walked to the front door, and gazing
listlessly over the tide of soldiers pressing
| through the streets, over the camps crown
ing nearly every hill i'm sight, let his eyes
rest iongingly on distant hillside across
| the Anacostia in Maryland, where some
men could be seen blowing. and others
burning brush and cleaning up the fields.
| No, don't want to go to the Capitol"
In tod
around on those narrow seats. and hearing
| the Hon. Jubilum Snckiefritz spout and
| thunder as if the worlds coming TO an end.
and he was the only man who could save
| 1t. while everybody else is reading news
papers or writing letters. or telling funny
stories: and the darkies sleep and snore in
| the galleries."
Me. too. added Shorty. coming ont by
his side. pipe in mouth. I'm dead tired
| Of hearing that Clerk call the roll Great
.Iehosephat. he wouldn't he worth three
cents as an Orderly Sergeant The regi-
naent would be formed and halfway TO the
| next camp before he got through the roster.
Why don't they send to the oOOth Ind.
| for an Orderly Sergeant that's got some
snap to him TO call their old roll, and save
Il weeks time every day"
No. and I don't want to go to the
sfrah asftfe Forever added Id H. 81 ra I'm
reptiles i f. already seen there her. ' And i'f
don't want 10 go to the White House and
shake hands. with ANDY Johnson. From
the way he's acting. I think I've done that
too often already"
And dontwant to go up TO the Treas
| ury. again. md see all that counterfeit
money. and the plates and dies they've cap
tnred. and hcSf that old fellow drone
| through his lecture, rs he brings out his
| treasures. ono after another and turns over
the leaves M his rogues' gallery in his pho
tograph aii,nm.'' added Shorty.
I'D give bits to be in the place of
| that fellown over there who's holding that
blow nnuUmured ST. Even if it does
kick pretty isasal atstfmes. I'D like to feel
once more jtist'ilow it goes 10 hare a pillow
kick mo- H. st
81 wonder where the old regiment is.
Anyway. mntteretF Shorty Hello, here
comes the Aajutant."
After the, greetings were over the Ad-
jutant said:
Say boys. I'll tell You what I came
down FOR. ] got news last night that the
regiment was. near Petersburg. and would
probably be i'm Richmond tomorrow or
next day: certainly by the end of the week.
Let's all go down TO Richmond to meet it.
| have seen tho officer who has charge of
the railroad to Richmond He is an old
friend and gave me transportation at once
for MI OF us.
What can we take the girls?" in
CURED 81.
Cert. That's what trilled out" an
swered the Adjutant. who naturally drop
ped into slang when he vas feeling well
Il want awfully to see Richmond, and this
country over which the Army Of the Poto-
mac has been fighting all these years.
Come. get your garbage on. We haven't
must time before the train goes. I've or
dered a lunch. which will be all we want
till we get to Richmond
Till we get to Richmond:" calculated
81. "Wiy. il | remember right. the Army
OF the Potomac had to take n great many
mond. How far is it to Richmond. any
way"
"Only about 100 miles," answered the
Adjntant. Not nearly SO far as from
Louisville to Nashville. or from Nashville
TO Cllattanooga. or from Chattanooga TO
way they did crowd the fighting into about
IA dozen Counties. They put a treble coat
on every inch of the country. The rebels
put the best they had in there. and did
their pnrtiest.. They had to. The heart
and brains of the Confedcracy were in
ter what happened to the limbs, at which,
We were lacking"
IF there's such n thing as resurrection
OF the body the army of men that will rise
up from down in that country will dnrkeu
the. sun ON Resnrrection Morn. am
Rnpidan. culpeper Court House. Orange
Court House, and the other places we
have been reading about for the last four
years whore they used to have fight every
change Of the MOON"
I'D like to see it. too" said Shorty.
"Y0H say. Adj. it's only 100 miles from
Washington to Isichmond:"
about that. And nearly all the fighting
took place in less than half that distance
Say about as much country as our little
lcampaign against Tullahoma'
"Weil. it'll he worth while seeing a
cOuntry no bigger than Methodist preach.
er's circuit thaRd hold two armies of 1O0,-
600 men each .Hicking against one another
for four years. They must'ye tramped
down the grass nretty badly. to say the
least" yentalred 81.
'"rhey mustahaye had Mission Ridges
Lookout Mountains. Buzzard Roost Cans
and such things almost everywhere. 'to've
held the county as long as they did" sug-
gested Shepty.t.n
"No. as -far. JAS I know Nature didn't
leave any Of those stubs and stump-ends
!. Of her work AROUND to bother us. and hell,
! the rebels The, country is fairly open apd
clear" said the, Adiutant. Gas we learned
out West. ait Sasn't. after all. the rocks
and mountains that gave MS the worlds OF
trouble. but the men behind them. A real
fighting maa can make more out OF corn