The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1905-02-02
A VOLUNTEERS STORY.
Told After the Lapse Of More than 40 Years
by zone Who was There"


On the 5th day of July, 1862, with
one of my schoolmates, went over to
the Stockton shipyard to get my fathers
consent to enlist in the army. l did
not have to ask him if l could 60, but
shall never forget the look of anguish,
changing almost instantly to that of
patriotic pride, when he said:''I have
always told you, my boy, that you
would have plenty of time to enlist
and though it pains me to say it l think
your time has come to CO. On our
way home we called at the little corner
store in old Prospect and signed the en-
listment rolls for three years, or during
the war. The next day was Sunday,
and the following Monday morning be-
fore daylight l left the old homestead
for Bangor, there to take the cars for
Bath to join the 10Th Maine Volun-
teers, then being organized at that
place. | arrived at Bath about two
O'Clock. having eaten nothing since the
early morning, and but a little then.
Somehow did not feel like it. now
had something of an appetite and shall
never forget my first meal in Uncle
Sans service. 1t consisted OF hard
bread that could have run alone, beef
that must have died of old age, and
something they called coffee. My APP
g., lnl I H0I1r-
age was not as good as the night l
signed the enlistment rolls. We soon
got used to such fare, and in a few
weeks | found myself enrolled in Com
pany E, 10Th Maine Volunteers, and do
ing camp duty at Bath and learning
the manual, learning the step, the right
face, the left face, etc, and how proud
l was in my new uniform, l knew
everybody was looking at me, and
when it was my turn to go on guard at
the gate where all the visitors came and
went my cup was full. soon learned
to keep off the first relief, for at three
O'Clock the corporal would rouse you
from refreshing sleep with the COM
mand fall in first relief" and you had
to stand from three to five in the morn
ing. l also learned many other things
about guard duty which | shall not ex-
plain here. The ranks were soon full,
and then came the sword presentations
to officers. They said those swords
never should be used except in their
country's cause. Poor fellows, they
little knew what they had to go
through.
Our regiment was composed of men
from Kennebec, Sagadahoc, Waldo,
Knox and Lincoln counties, and when.
mustered into the United States service
on the 18th of August, 1862, it numbered
40 officers and 1000 enlisted men. We
left Bath on the morning of August
9th by rail and reached Washington
on the Goth. How we'll | remember,
even at this late day, my feelings when
marching down Pennsylvania Avenue.
How brave aud patriotic felt. Now
could see that there was something to
fight for, and when the next morning
we heard cannonadng we said, 'just
wait until we get there and all will be
well" But when drove of frightened
mules came down the road like bum
mer's corps on the Skedaddle it had a
very cooling effect upon our ardor, and
am not ashamed to own at this late
day that | felt better when the order
came to go into the forts near the city.
/ had seen all | wanted to of war in one
day. | thought how much better it
would be to fight in these forts.
My company was first stationed at
Fort Baker, where we We're kept busy
with drills and guard duty How brave
we felt behind those earthworks with
the big guns in front of u.s. We re-
NAMED there until Sept. Both, when we
lett to join the grand old army of the
Potomac at Bolivar, Va. We were as
signed to the LIST Brigade, 2ud Division,
end Corps, commanded by that Chris
tlan hero General 0. O. Howard. His
empty sleeve spoke volumes to us. |
must not forget to tell you of an Incl
dent that took place at Bolivar which
we never outgrew during our three
years of service. We pitched our tents
on ground that had been occupied by
battery and who had left some loaded
shells. Some of the boys piled up those
shells out of the way, but in building
their fires to cook coffee the wind blew
the sparks among them, causing cutie a
commotion, as they began to explode in
every direction. Imagine our surprise
when reading in the Philadelphia Inquir-
er few days later that the members
of new regiment, the 10th Maine, had
made fireplace of loaded shells to
cook their coffee and fry their meat on,
and that moment later the shells ex-
ploded and nothing had been seen of
the soldiers or their frying pans. Our
regiment never out-lived that story
and we have it flung at us at this late
day.
We learned rapidly here. The old
veterans, especially the men of the 18th