Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-09-24
THE BATTLE-FIE
OLD SOLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES.
The Blue and the Gray Review Iuci.
dents of the Late War, and in .
Graphic and Interesting Manner
Tell OF Camp, March and Battle.

OF the war The hundred days men
and the one year men who enlisted in
1864 or early In 1865. were hard to
hold after the surrender OF Lee. Even
some of the veterans who had re-enllst-
ed were restlye when they saw the
Confederate armies breaking up. They
had enlisted for the war, and now chat
the war was over they wanted 10 go
home. Those who for any reason were
most mutinous, and were only restrain
cd from outbreaks by pride and sense
OF duty The more reckless men. how
ever. indifferent as Ia consequences,
immediate or remote, took the bits in
their teeth and went their way
These were the exceptions, how
ever. Ninety-ni men in every hun
dred stood Arm and true to the last. rs
proud OF their last service rs OF their
first, exultant over the privilege OF par
ticipatlng in the grand review az Wash
ingtoR, pricing beyond all other docu-
menbs their honorable discharges. and
returning home the better citizens be-
cause they had been good soldiers. We
know much OF these fellows because
they have little TO conceal and much To
be increasingly proud of. Their rec
orSis are as an open book. but there are
Others who in the last year of THE war
had adventures and experiences that
We're known only to their company Off,
GERS or TO their most intimate com
radeS or to men Of my profession.
One of the strangest eases was that
of one of the best soldiers in our regl-
ment. He was in every enga cement
that came our way, and had been
wounded six times when we cSmped in
frontOf Atlanta; but from every wound
he recovered rapidly. and, as he eX
ultantly said never missed q march or
fight But in the battle in front OF
Atlanta he was lying on the ground,
ready To fire. when Il rebel bullet
struck him in the shoulder and went
through his body l0ngitudlnally. The
wound was so serious and Of so pecu-
liar character that he WAS sent North
for treatment. and landed finally in the
Marine Hospital. Chicago.
Here he recovered rapidly and in
October, 1861. declared that he was
able and ready for duty. He was held,
however, for the November election
and was given large liberty in the last
weeks Of his stay. After he had voted,
in November he returned TO his regi-
ment, served 10 the end of the war,
and received an honorable discharge,
which was OF service to him in secur-
ing a homestead In the West. His rec
ord, as known to all OF his regiment
except one man. was without Il flaw;
but as matter of fact, he was de
serter several times over.
while waiting in Chicago he dressed
in citizens clothes, went 10 one OF the
recruiting camps, and enlisted. receiv
ing the large bounty then paid He
made himself useful about the camp
drilled the raw recruits. gained the
confidence OF the officers in charge. and
easily secured leave 10 come to the city.
Instead of returning, he dressed again
III citizens clothes, went Ia another
camp, enlisted, received his bounty. Sc
cured leave. and. after reporting at the
hospital. went to indianapolis and
played the same game, and then to
another point. In the end this one man
was responsible for ten reported de
sertions, was an expert bounty jumper,
and yet in actual service had a record
to be proud Of"
II remember said the Major. "a
bright young fellow who came to Us
from the Third Ohio. in June. 1861. He
enlisted in our company. explained sim
ply that his company in the Third had
gone 10 pieces on the three years queS-
ton, and finding himself out in the
cold, lie had come over TO us Later II
appeared that he had told the truth,
except as to the manner Of his leaving.
When his company seemed on the point
of breaking up he left camp Disguised:
but the next week most Of the men de.
cided to enlist for three years, and the
missing man was reported as a de
serter.
"He served year in our regiment,
when he received visit from an officer
of the Third. Possibly the officer
threatened him, for the next day he
and we never heard Of
him again. except in a vague way. Ont
of our boys was sure that he saw him
in another division in the mix-up at
Chickamauga, bareheaded and fighting
among the best of the desperate fight
ers Of that day; but there was no way
to trace him, and. in truth, no one
cared to do il. He probably served
creditabIy through the war; and yet he
was. on the rolls. twice deserter.
an another ease an impulsive Irish
boy, who was among the first to enlist
in 1861, took French leave after three
weeks service. enc day his captain
sentenced him TO carry knapsack
loaded with brick, as punishment for
some infrartion Of the rules. Pat re.
scented this. left the company that
night. enlisted In another regiment,
served three full years. received an
ftats,n..a 1.3x .Hia.f..rsyo l.