The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-06-15
THE BOOMING CANNON
RECiTALS OF CAMP AND BAT.
TIE INCIDENTS.
Of the Rebellion Relate
Many Amusing and Startling Incl
dents Of Marches, Camp Life, Forag-
Ing Experiences and Battle Scenes.

Mayor Dunno" remarked the Col
onel, said one day during the tenn
sters' strike In May, that he had been
informed that there were in the city
Thousands of men who had seen mill
tary service, and who in case of out
lawry would be very useful. This is
correct. and in the riots Of 1877 and
1886 a good many of them were called
into service. They were younger then
than they are now, but they are prob
ably as cool headed now as they were
then.
I'm 1877 the State troops were not
as we'll organized as they are now.
The young men in the regiments, with
rifles In their hands, were disposed 10
shoot recklessly, and as rule at the
wrong time, and the Mayor OF that
day was heard to say that he would
like to have a hundred or two hundred
of old soldiers that he might put under
fire, Just to show some Of the men on
duty how much GOODNESS and courage
counted In intimidatins mob.
"A Grand Army man standing near
said his post had voted to offer the
services Of the members when needed
and they were ready to appear on the
street at any time. They were ordered
out the next morning, and not many
men who saw the march Of the COM
pany into the worst mob OF the day
will ever forget 1t. When the old SOL
disrs came down the street at swing
ing Quickstep, arms at right shoulder
shift, eyes looking straight ahead. the
hoodlums yelled and got ready TO throw
stones.
"a few stones were thrown, but not
head among the marchers turned, not
a gun left a shoulder, not word was
said. The company marched straight
into the crowd and toward the center
of disturbance. Some one said, These
are old soldiers and no more stones
were thrown. Not a snot was fired,
but the crowd dispersed. and the G. A.
r. men had no difficulty in keeping
peace In one Of the storm centers OF
the day before. The mere fact that
they were soldiers Of experience exer-
cised restraining influence on the dis
orderly elements taking advantage of
the strike.
I'm addition to this, the simple SOL
dierly dignity of the men and the quiet
assertion Of their unqualified right to
act In the name Of law and order dis
armed even the fomenters of mischief.
The regulars, when they came, affected
the crowd the same way. They had
been engaged In a long Indian cam
paign, and were hurried by special
train to Chicago. They were rugged
and brown, each man the personifica-
ton Of readiness to fight They were
unexcited, cool-headed, clear-eyed. and
seemed absolutely Indifferent to the
hubbub about them.
"a great crowd met them at the Al
ton station, and the companies formed
quietly and awaited orders, contemptu-
Gus meantime of the demonstrations,
friendly and hostile. When they were
ordered to march there was no prelim-
mary ceremony, no warning to the
crowd. The officer in command did not
ask the crowd to make way. He SIM
ply ordered his men to forward march.
and they marched In a resistless but
impersonal manner right through the
crowd. The conscious dignity Of the
veteran was in the step, tie bearing,
the eye Of every man, and the mere
presence Of the battalion enforced or
der"
Speaking of soldier dignity" said
the Major, reminds me of some very
trying experiences in the old army in
the first year of the war. The day be-
fore Buell's army was to march through
Nashville about half of the men in my
company got silly drunk. Up to that
time my company was a thing to be
proud of, and had looked forward to
the march through Nashville with
pleasurable anticipations, and the Col
onel had told me that he expected my
company to head the regiment and
brigade.
when 1 found so many of the men
were drunk / was furious, and l went
to the Colonel with a tale Of woe.
was intent on tying up every delin-
quent, but the Colonel, who INDUCED
himself, took another view. The next
morning he insisted that should put
every man in line, and was ashamed
Of them, they seemed SO nerveless and
unmartial after their spree. The Colo
mel smiled as my poor fellows scram-
bled into position at platoon front like
. lot of spawned horses, but the band
began to play, the bugle corps did 1t
best, the Colonel roared out the COM
mand to march md forward we went
I'VE had mile to march before we
entered the city, and when we struck
the main street, along which our d.
vision was to pass in review, my men
were alert self poised, and dignified.
The soldier spirit was In control, and
a. they marched they warmed to the
work, and did better than usual be-
cause of the unsoldierly record of the
night before. As luck would have It,
the supreme test came just as we pass
cd General Buell.. Some one threw
crockery at my company from the up
per windows of large house, and even
the dignifed General lost his compos-
ure. knew my men must be in ugly
mood, and expected demonstration.
II did not know them then as well
Is did later Not a man batted an