Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-01-23
THE BOOMING CANNON
REClTALS OF CAMP AND BAT-
TIE INCIDENTS.
Survivors of the Rebellion Relate
Many Amusing and Startling Incl
dents of Marches, Camp Life, Forag-

sun rise in the west, and | was never
worse ratified in my life. We started
on the Tullahoma campaign with good
weather. and our battalion, scouting in
advance. changed directions a good
many times. However. we could see
the sun In the daytime. and the stars
at night, and we generally knew where
we were. After two or three days il
rained steadily day and night, and we
found We didn't know much about the
country when 1t was wet.
"0ne morning we received definite
instructions TO march south 50 many
miles and then due east ON a CROSSWORD
to river, which we We're to cross and
take position on the east side, so as
to protect the ford. 1t rained all day
and most of the night. and it was after
dark when we reached the river. The
officers decided to let the men rest and
cross over 10 the east bank at daylight
the next morning Ii rained steadily
until after midnight and then the
clouds broke away.
Il was on guard from to 1, and
/ kept my eyes open for the first signs
of day across the river no the east.
The darkness seemed 10 thin out a
little, but there was no light in the
east There was, however a growing
light in the west, and / called the at
tention of the officer of the guard to
il. He thought 1t was the moon, but
1t was not. When daylight came all
the men We're awake and all We're look
ing toward the west with troubled
faces.
AT the appointed time the sun came
up in the west, or what seemed to us
to be the west The impression was
SO strong on our minds that the river
was east of us that we could not rea-
son our way out of IT, IL the river was
not to our east, If the sun hadn't come
up in the west, we We're not where we
ought to be, we were not ON the right
side Of the river, and not a man had
the remotest idea where we were We
talked and swore about the situation
for an hour, and then 1t clouded up
again.
by sheer force of will power we
marched toward where the sun came
up. but when the clouds obscured the
sun, / viii be hanged If the old impress
sion didn't turn our feet the other way,
and after laundering around in the
woods for some hours, we came to the
river we had left In the morning A
farmer tried to explain 10 us that we
were lost, but we booted at him. The
next morning, however, when the sun
came up again in the west. we went
TO him In humble spirit and he guided
US to where our division was stuck In
the mud. The Colonel was very gem
erous and in his official report never
said a word about the wandel'ngs OF
his scouting battalion"
That reminds me" said Dan r. An
dersoa, that the Nineteenth Illinois
had IN the earlier months of the serv-
ice one of the most considerable Colonies
in the army. / wonder If the boys of
the Nineteenth remember the IVA Ids they
made at Athens, Ala, in 1852? | re
member one In particular made while
SoAOA4Gi was dHlCN'ps nc boN
banked on the mapping habit OF the
Colonel and timed their raid so that
the complaining citizens would reach
the Colonels headquarters when the
gaurd had instructions not to awaken
him for two hours
"0n this occasion the citizens made
such noise that Colonel TErch1n came
out Of his tent in no pleasant frame OF
mind. He asked what was the matter,
and the citizens shouted that his com
mand was made up of thieves, who
stole everything they could carry of
OF drive off. Turchin listened for some
minutes, affecting great sorrow and in
dignation as specification after speci-
fication was presented. Then, straight
ening himself, he said 'Gentlemens.
my men do not steal. / will prove to
you that you are mistaken
''Thereupon Turchin ordered the
bugler 10 sound the assembly, and
when the regiment was formed it was
marched 10 the fair grounds and
brought TO front face near the grand
stand Turchin, with the complaining
citizens. took the position of reviewing
officer, and as the men stood at shout
der arms the Colonel said Boys. these
mems here say you are a lot OF thieves
and that you stole everything you could
carry Off
''The citizens nodded approval Of
this, and greatly enjoyed the blank
looks on the faces of the boys. Then
the Colonel continued: Now. know
you are not thieves, but there may be
some among you who did take some
little thing, and II there is such man
In the ranks | want him to step right
out when ] tell him Turning to the
citizens, Turchin said; Now you will
see; If any Of my men has took any
thing Of yours, he will step right out
Then, turning 10 his men. the Colonel
said. sterBly: If any man has stolen
anything. let him step four PAGES to
the front Not man moved, and the
Colonel, turning to the citizens, said,
triumphantly: What / told you; not