Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-03-12
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOME INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boys of Both Armies whiIed
Away Life in Camp-Foragiux Ex-
periences, TiresOme Marches-ThriI-
ling Scenes On the Battlefield.

hnk Scenes the hAt1tGn&l0.
remember General Alexander Nc
Dowell McCOok. said the Major. las
he rode through the storm on the right
at stone River, and as he appeared
when the onslaught came at Chfcka-
manga, and he was every inch sol
der. remember the General too.
when he was in command at Fort ga
venworth, Kan. and the members of
the Loyal Legion We're his guests.
The feast Of that day was spread
under an immense awning. with can
Vsss on sides and rear. cutting off the
view 10 the right and left and to the
rear. hut giving All unohstructed view
To the front In the rear was a typi-
cal camp scene. dog tents. guns stock
ed. with sccoutrenents and colorS
hung on them, camp kettles over fires.
and officers and men on duty or loung-
ing about camp.
THE refreshments ON the tables
were abundant and marvellous in vari-
ETY., and the large company of dis
tinguished guests enjoyed the Gen
erals hospitality with the keeueSt
zest. With the Introduction of cigars
single shot was fred in our rear.
This was followed by sporadic Skin.
miSh fusillade. Then came firing 10y
plaioons and companies with the gal
Looping of artillery and cavalry horses.
haffnpias Nd
position. Later there was the noise
Of battery firing of cavalry charg.
ing, mingled with the roar Of mus
kerry commands cheers. aud bugle
calls
This was too much for soldier ma
ture The guests. who could hear but
not see what was going ON in the rear.
were In Il few minutes the men Of
stone River and Chickamauga. The
blood comsed through their veins in
the old way. and there before them
sat the old General They stood on
their chairs wild with the excitement
of the battle they could hear and not
see. That WAS the last scene of the
=.
present ever forgot il.
That re2,nds me-" said the Ser
2eaht, 'of " banquet ! attended some
years ago. The old soldiers of the
township had invited their families
and civilian ucighhors To a picnic din
ner The picnic, under the direction
4 OF the committee. was a success. hut
/ there We're no eatahleS, and outside he
+ committee there were no soldiers pres
4 eni AT II O'Clock sharp. however
4 line Of skirmisherS advanced over
4 the fields and through the woods and
\ behind them came probably fifty men
marching In line. As they came upon
/ the picnic grounds the soldiers sur
rounded the picnickers and demanded
their immediate surrender.
'One of the committee announced
1 that his people would surrender ON con
dition that they be immediately fed
Ihe terms were accepted. the soldiers
stacked arms, and while some built
fires others Hrampere,i off with KETTLES
for water. The company was moving
without other transportation than thai
afforded by half dozen men ON foot
/ bht ia less than ten minutes heef and
bacon was cooking in little FRYING
pans. some Of these made of halves
of canteens. beans were being warm
ed mp in camp kettles. and coffee was
I heing made in smaller kettles nv
George, You could smell that appetiz.
Jig dinner al over the grounds and
/ the women Of tue neighborhood Iook
/ ed on the proceedings iu wonder and
1 doubt.
! The dinner was served with great
seriousness hy the soldiers in fnrce.
ana among them were many vhoep
faces were strange. Just as the fin
plates were being collected NJ thr
finish there were dozen rife shots IN
the woods to the left. there was y
sharp huele call from the line Of stack
ed arms. aud the soldiers scrambled
/ iuto line and. marching off. disapnear.
ed in the woods. leaving their guests
in a state of bewildermont Ms Ia nleus
and as 10 the identity Of many Of those
wearing uniforms Hair an hour later
all came back. many in citizens dress.
when the mystery was in part cleared
up.
There had been 4 reunion Of the
survivors Of The old regiment and
men from - dozen different States were
present Among them were one Judge
three mmhers oG the legislature. one
congressman. two lawyers from the
State capitol one from Washington.
merchants and other business men
from counties. After twenty years
they had met again as comrades. and
the committee in charge after elabor-
ate preparations, had arranged the
scene in which the veterans should
play the soldiers part in camp life.
and thus reinTOduce themselves 10
old friends. They played their parts 10
perfection. hut everybody wanted 10
know where they learned 10 cook.
"The judge was put forward to ex
plain and told the story Of how help
less the men OF the regiment were in