The National tribune., 1904-08-11

All the available camping ground i'm
mediately around Washington, especial lily
| on the south side of the Potomac, had
been camped over so much that it was not
an attractive abiding place for soldiers.
The alert Adjutant, however caught on to
plot of ground that had been a brigade
headquarters. and hustled the 2OOth Ind.
on to it, while the other Adjutants and
Quartermasters of the other regiments
were wandering around. swearing at the
general badness of the locality. Thus, as
usual. the regiment Jared better than it's
comrades. owing to the foresight Of it's
officers. The good men who made up the
2COth Ind had the good luck to have good
| officers. 1t makes all the difference in the
world.
"A regiment of the best men could be
speedily ruined by bad officers, except that
good men will not usually stand poor Off
GERS very long. On the other hand, good
officers can make a fine regiment out of
quite unpromising material. Fortunately
for the country, the average of both men
and officers III every regiment was high.
There were always some, however. that
were better than others.
After making camp. Co. Q held one of
its usual impromptu mass-meetings, to
consider the situation.
Monty ScruggS was beginning a career
of extended political usefulness by con-
stituting himself the Permanent Chairman
of these Committees of the Whole and
trying to run them according to JeffersOn's $
Manual. He took his pipe out of his
mouth. when the boys had all gathered
around with their pipes, and STATED the
object of the meeting with all due dig
nifty.
''Frends, and fellow-ctizens," he be-
gan. IL know that we're not yet citizens,
but the time is so near at hand when we
shall be- that we had better begin prac-
ticing on the word. so that we shall not
appear to he awkward when we shall beat
our swords into plowshares and our bay
Onets into pruninghOoks and mingle once
more with the honest yeomanry of the
country i'll perfect freedom and equality"
well. Monty. You may be calculating
TO go back to Injianny and mngle with
those old Copperheads on perfect equal
ity," interrupted ST. "ConfOunded if am
I'm going to let every one Of them under
stand that man who opposed the war,
and helped the rebels. oughtn't to be al
lowed to even live in the country"
Same here" echoed Shorty. mo equal
ity with them for me-
THE sight of yOn massive marble build
ing" continued Monty. pointing to the
Capitol. "where the chosen Representa-
tives Of the people sit making the laws
which govern us, inspires me Within
spires me With
"O yes, inspires you with the hope that
you'll get there yourself some day" broke
in Shorty. "Well, you may. No telling
what may happen by the time you get
bald-headed and pussy. A gift of gab'll
carry man almost anywhere in this
country"
'Inspires me with full sense of the
opportunities of citizenship in this glorious
free country. and long to-
80, cheese that spread agleism. Monty.
and get down to business" broke in Si.
We've no time to waste Save that for
some other time".
The gentleman from Bean Blossom
Creek very properly admonishes me that
time passes and we have urgent business
to transact" said Monty. with the perfect
composure Of a trained politician. "The
object of this meeting is to consider the
crisis with which we are face to face. 1t
is incumbent upon us, who have been shar-
ing berths with the South Carolina alli-
gators and swapping holes with the North
Carolina muskrats. to fetch up sharply
against the snubbing post of the Army
Regulations, and make show for old
Indiana against the dHndiest army that
ever took the field. Now, are we going to
do it?''
"Of course we are" yelled all the rest
"What's the use Of asking such a fool
question:"
81 anticipated that earnest response
my prospective fellow citizens" continued
Monty, in his best stump-speech manner
''and only asked my question to call it out
Now it's our move, and the gravity of the
situation calls for the liveliest hustle since
the days the dogs were after us at Ander-
sonville. The Army of the Potomac has
been most Of the time right here in sight
Of Washington and Of the President and
Congress, where they have had to wear
their good clothes and company manners
We haven't. We've been doing a thousand
mile stunt in a glorious get-there, where
whole States lay between washdays. and
the length Of the Confederacy between
inspections and reviews. We removed the
soil of the road from Atlanta in the wa
ters Of Savannah, and when we next
laundried our shirts the clay of South Car
olina made a bar in the Neuse River
While the Army OF the Potomac has been
associating with Presidents. Senators.
Representatives and Major Generals, we
have been keeping company with the
earth, or swan in the waters under the
earth. Consequently. we are at great dis
| advantage. Fortunately. payday has
shone upon us with it's soul-cheering
beams, and the most of the money we laid
up because the Paymaster hadn't rubber
boots. and didn't like to wade nohow, is
now in our pockets. If anything beats the
number of saloons around here it's the
sutler shops and the clothing stores. The
Army Of the Potomac seems to have di-
yided its time, when off duty around
Washington. between buying drinks and
glad rags. Now the object Of this meet
ing is to consider how, with the means at
our disposal. we can make the old Two
Centuries put mp show equal to that of
more favored NAtions-I mean regiments
The Chair is ready to entertain a motion"
IL move," said ALI Russell, ''that while
we are cleaning up our guns and accou-
terments. Committee, to be appointed by
the Chair, shall scout around among the
regiments of the Army Of the Potomac,
to see what they are doing in the way Of
getting ready, and bring us back points.
The rest Of us will clean up the Commit
tees guns and iaccouterments while they
are absent on this dhty. Do hear Sec
ond?"
Everybody seconded with a yell.
"The motion of the distinguished men,
ber of the medical fraternity from Slip
perry Elm Township is so unanimously ap-
proved that the Chair does not think it
necessary to put the vote. and it will be
considered as ordered" said Monty. 'The