Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-02-04
CHAPTER ".


first year of the war closed in on the
camps about the capital. Between the
Long Bridge and the heights of Ar
lington lay a sea Of mud. Dull red.
the Virginia roads were quilted deep
by the wheels OF cannon, ambulance
and army wagon that SANK now TO the
very hubs in stic~y mire, and time
and again stalled the needed supplies
almost within sight OF their destina-
ton. In vain the darby drivers dou-
bled their teams and piled lash and
blaSphemy Hour after hour the or
der would ring through the swarming
streets of the nearest camp: Turn
out, boys-more wagons stuck in the
mud and by whole companies, regu-
lars or volunteers. the men would
wade lnee-deep to the scene. and with
fence rails as levers and drag ropes
over the brawny shoulders. prying,
pushing. hauling and shouting they
would ''yank' the heavy rolling stock.
one by one, from the slough of their
despond and TIDE them over to the next
camp beyond. and so. from slough to
slough, pass them on their final desti-
nation.
But while the roads and flats were
Quagmires, up a4ong the wooded
heights the ground was fairly dry and
well drained anu there the four regi-
ments, three OF which had drilled
through August on the broad, level
plateau of Kalorama, and much of the
early fall about Chain Bridge, were
now kept from morn till night busily
at their soldier task. The general held
that the less time soldiers had 10 kill
the happier aud heartier they were.
ana determined was he that the splen-
did material confided to his charge
should be nodded into equally splen-
did, Soldierly shape-that the one ex-
elusively western brigade of the now
Well-organized army should be second
10 none in point of instruction. disci-
Dllne and efficiency. To this end drills
by squad, company and battalion. all
three, were of daily occurrence. fol-
lowed by dress parade at shutdown,
and all this supplemented by long.
searching inspections every Sunday
morning. Presently. too. he was able.
by mile march through the woods. to
reach an open plain out toward Balls
cross roads, and there have brigade
evolutions twice a week. Then the full
drawn for the entire command. the In
diana boys shedding the semi-Zouave
garb of gray in favor -of the army
blue, as had certain of their Wiscon-
sin comrades at Chain Brid.e as early
as September. One Badger regiment,
the Second. whose men lordee II some
what over their fellows because they
had been all through Bull Run and,
despite fairly heavy losses, retired in
good order-had even obtained the
quaint, stiff, Kossuth hat, looped up on
one side and garnished with cord and
orasses and feathers-the headgear of
the regulars at the time-and were
dubbed the BLACK Hats" by envious
comrades of other commands Their
original field officers had disappeared
somewhere about the time OF that ini-
tial battle, and in their place had come
stocky little black-bearded West
Pointer as colonel. with most SOL
dierly eX-captain of state militia as
his second, and then the whole brigade
had TO be fitted out with white gloves
and some nearby regulars were de-
tailed to show them how best to polish
their belts and boxes, and great was
The competition among the four regi-
ments to win the honor of headquar-
tiers guard and orderlies.
Then, as freezing weather set in with
December and it became possible for
carriages TO come humping and sway
ing over the icy powders and ridges
into which the almost liquid mud had
been transformed, many generals OF
rank, and statesmen by the score, and
no
ing visits to Arlington and bringing
curious and distinguished foreigners
with them.
There was one visitor who could not
come too often. He came, however,
only twice or thrice He never left
his carriage, but sat there lounging
comfortably on the back seat, usually
with Secretary Seward by his side, just
as he used to come to nearer Kalo-.
cama, and, after he had chatted with
the general while, he would drive
Through the resimental camps to re-
ceive the tumultuous greeting of 'tle
OoyS," to wave his hat and smile at
them, and sometimes. when they
crowded about him, TO stop and shake
bands with the nearmost, and once or
that would set his hearers shouting
with glee
But if the rugged features beamed
with kindness and sympathy early in
the December days and had ever a
smile in return for the greeting of the
shouting boys in blue, senior officers
who best knew him became aware of
growing anxiety and impatience on
his part ere Christmas came in, and
che crowded camps were jubilant with
feasting and good cheer The beloved
little commanding general had been
taken i'll with a lever and confined TO
his bed. The president TO whom ne
owed his appointment had as yet no
information as 10 chat generals plans
and, stranse as it may s. en-, the two
or three ren in mis-. AlcCielian's. con-
ddence We're strangers AT the white
house and the departments When.