Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-04-30
THE BATTLE-FIELDS.
OLD SOLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES.
The BIxe and the Gray Review Iaei-
dsafs sf tia Late War, saa I'm
Grapkie and Interesting Manas-
Tell of Gasp, March ana Battle.

when muStache was more OF an
embarrassment than an advantage to \
soldier. particularly To forager. IL was
the fashion In Western regiments Ia
cultivate the mustache. Young fellows
who left home with smooth faces aud
older men who were careful shavers,
all ran To fun boards and mustaches,
so that after three or four months
service in the army the mustache was
greatly In evidence. and the fercer It
wss the more attention the owner re-
eeiyed.
When our regiment was on the
march from Utica. Mo, To re-enforce
Muiligan at Lexington, carefully Guilt
Nated mnstaches came pretty near get
ting LOT Of our fellows into trouble.
General Sturgis. with 1900 men, was
making quick march to relieve Mul-
ligan, and orders against foraging were
very strict. But one night the boys
or the brigade. in sort Of frolic,
eonfiscated nearly 100 hives of bees.
They belonged TO very prominent
rebel sympathizer. and the boys
thought IL would be great fuf TO steal
The whole collection.
They sneaked up on the apiary
very quietly, first by squads and then
by the score. and in q twinking every
hive Of bees had disappeared. 1t was
MI done in Il few minutes. and the old
gentleman was greatly mystified. He
had not seen the soldiers carry off the
hives, but he was sure that the men of
Sturgis' command were responsible for
the disappearance or his bees ana
honey He came into camp made
formal complaint and AS angry bees
We're still flying about the tents and
stinging men and horses, ne seemed to
have Il pretty good ease.
General Sturgis ordered all the
commanders of regiments and com
panies TO investigate and to bring Ia
his quarters the men guilty of stealing
the honey. Teh officers reported that
they had made an investigation and
they could find no one who would adj
nit that he had been member OF the
foraglng expedition. ThereupoR Gen
eral StuFgis had the six companies of
the Twenty Ohio Infantry. six
companies OF The Twenty -ninth Ohio
Infantry. and the Eleventh Ohio Bat
terry hustled into Line FOR inspection by
himself lie seemed very much en-
ragged. and determined TO detect and
punish the men who had disobeyed his
strict orders against foraging.
lie asked the owner of the bees TO
takE his stand near. and the General
himself walked along the line, the very
nersonification of stern discipline
Some of the boys were greatly embnr-
raised because irate bees were still
buzzing about their heads. Each one
Of these was ordered TO step out Of the
line and move ten PAGES to the front
Of the Others the General scrlI;inlzed
every mans mustache Whore he
found any evidence OF honey the man
stepped ten PAGES to the front At the
end OF the inspect ton ther" were over
Two hundred men in the suspect line.
all Of them striving to covertly lick the
honey from their mustaches.
The General ordered the officers OF
the different companies to take charge
of their men and see that they were
severely punished. lie announced In
his seyerest tone that every man WAS
under arrest and that every one or
them must, ia the interest OF discipline
and the good name Of The army. be
punished. and then he turned to the
old farmer ami asked him If he was
satisfied. The rebe! sympathlzer said
he was and that he was very much
obliged to the General for taking such
prompt action. He regretted the loss
of his bees, but there was some COM
pensation TO him in the thought that
the thieves would be punished
An hour after that the brigade was
ordered into line for forced march.
The men under arrest We're puzzled as
to what they ought 10 do. They de-
ciled TO ask the General Sfurgis
looked at them. smiled. said that there
was oaiy one thing that good soldiers
could do. aud that WAS 10 gel into
ranks Immediately. They gave
f'jIttI. Jblitu tIitiI COMPANIES. AuU lUNI
was he last that was ever heard Of
punishment FOR stealing bees and
honey"
That reminds me-" said Colonel
Harris. "of a little SkirlElsh that my
company had with bees. The Fifth
Michigan Cavalry WAS guarding roads
leading to Washington against raids
by Mosby and VIC were under pretty
strict orders as TO foragiuG. One night
Sergeant Wood came - me and asked
permission TO take six men and go out
side the lines on a foraging expedition
I told him that foraging was against
orders. but finally let bin 20. He and
his men were ont until about midnight
and began to be- afraid that they had
got into trouble. when heard cheer
and Wood and his men came in loaded
with plumber.
The sergeant had hive 81 bees
wrapped in his blanket Another mem
her Of the squad had u PIG wrapped