Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-10-14

pdcheu up dIlu SOlteu W the SldliOii'
The private baggage Of the companies
was to be looked after also, and or
ders were issued to pile 1t up at the
head Of company streets, where 1t
could be placed together in the wagons.
South Carolinians are we'll ac-
quainted with mules and their ways;
but we are not accustomed to seeing
mules at any kind Of work unless there
are more or less negroes at the same
job, so it was quite novel sight to
have a train Of pack mules come into
our camp that morning to take our
tents to the depot. I should say there
were fifty Of these mules and six or
eight white men in charge Of them.
All the men were mounted on mules
and the one in front led a large white
mare. This mare had no pack or saddle
on but had bell around her neck and
was used for no other purpose than
to lead the pack mules. They had no
brides on, and it was funny to see
how they followed the sound Of the
bell. AS soon as the mare stopped and
the bell ceased ringing the mules would
scatter around and eat grass; but the
moment she started off and the bell
commenced ringing, they would go
right after her. II one had gotten off
some distance he would gallop to get
back in the bunch. A man has to be
an expert at the business to pack a
load on a pack saddle so that it will
stay on and not shift. The men car
ried what they call "blinders" to be
used when the load was being pack
ed. These were made Of leather and
were put over the mules eyes so they
could not see. With these binders
on the mules will stand perfectly still.
The numbers Of three baggage cars
and the number Of the side track
were given US as the cars into which
we were to load our baggage and
where the cars were to be found.
was detailed to stay at these cars
and have the baggage loaded as it
came up on the wagons. Let me tell
you, there was a jam and a crowd at
this point, as lots of other commands
were loading too; but 1 had learned
that the thing to do was to push
past the man ahead of you If he stop
ped a moment and we got our stuff
loaded in very good time. AS the wag-
ons came up, bringing the private bag
gage Of the companies, the quartermas-
ter sergeants in charge of same did not
want to put it in the cars with other
baggage; but as they had provisions
for use on the train, they wanted to
take 1t to the passenger coach in which
they would travel. I instructed them
to take such baggage to the depot
pile it out on the ground and look af-
ter 1t until the coach was ready. In
this way mosxof the details Of men
for loading baggage got away from
the cars and when the last two wag-
were backed up to the car there was
only a small squad Of men to unload
them.
These men suddenly got violently
busy doing nothing and complained
that they had been working hard for
a long time, and should not be ordered
to unload stoves. I thought this COM
plant a just one, but Of cour:e, could
not admit it, so I got into the car
rousted out every man there, gave
stern orders, asked the names and
commands Of the men, and In short
order had them at work lifting at the
stoves Then 1 went off to the depot
to ask for a detail to finish the load
ing, we'll knowing that when / got
back the men at the car would all be
gone. The colonel gave me a detail
Of 80 men and it did not take long to
finish the loading.
After being paid off, as already ex-
planned, we were ready to take the
train for the start home, and accord
ing to instructions received the day
before, should have gotten away by
the middle Of the afternoon at latest.
We did not leave until daylight Mon
day morning and as all camp equip
page had been packed up and no one
could say but what we might start
at any moment, we were compelled
to wait at the depot in an open field
without shelter. Now the fault for
this blunder lies either with the gov
ernment or the railroad and it should
be easy to say which. The chief
ouartermaster who remained with us
to the last, said that It certainly was
not the fault Of the government, as
the time for leaving had been decided
on and the orders issued only after
the railroad had sent in a schedule Of
when it would take the trains away.
Certainly we passed most uncomfor-
table time and just then and for
few days afterwards, until we got rest
ed up, everybody was disposed to jump
on the railroad with both feet. 1t
made it more annoying to us, as the
last to get away to see command after
command, start off. In the early part
of the day the whole field was covered
with soldiers, all in good humor, with
plenty of new money in their pockets,
but as night drew on and 1t began to
get chilly, weariness became the order
and much strong language prevailed.
Even during the long night, in every
crowd there was somebody to tell
joke or sing a song and after all 1t
was not such a terrible experience for
soldiers. A lot of pine wood was dis
covered, a rail fence near by levied on
and large fires built. Around these
fires the soldiers lay and slept, about
three deep. 1t was not unbroken Sleep
however, as some of the boys kept up
their pranks and practical jokes.